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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SCHOFIELD – After a tight first half, Marathon’s trio of Donavon Free, Carter Hanke and Nathan Stoffel took over and left Auburndale reeling.
Free hit four 3-pointers and made 6 of 6 free throws in scoring 20 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to lead Marathon to a 78-54 victory over Auburndale in a WIAA Division 4 boys basketball sectional semifinal Thursday night at the Greenheck Fieldhouse at D.C. Everest High School.
Hanke scored 13 of his 21 points and Stoffel added 10 of his 17 in the second half as well as Marathon erupted for 50 points in the final 18 minutes to turn a four-point halftime lead into a 24-point victory.
Marathon (21-4) moves into a D-4 sectional final against Shiocton (19-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wausau East High School. The Apaches finish their season with a 20-5 record.
Cooper Weinfurter led Auburndale with 18 points, but made only 5 of 18 shots from the field as Marathon’s defense proved to be as tough as its offense.
Auburndale shot an uncharacteristic 28 percent (15 of 54) from the field and made just 7 of 25 3-point attempts.
Auburndale defeated Marathon twice during the regular season on its way to the Marawood Conference South Division title, but just couldn’t overcome the strong second-half run from the Raiders.
Marathon will be trying for its first state tournament appearance since winning the Division 4 title in 2011. Shiocton has never made the state tournament.
Raiders 78, Apaches 54
Auburndale 24 30 – 54
Marathon 28 50 – 78
AUBURNDALE (54): Cooper Weinfurter 5-18 5-6 18, Cale Jacoby 4-9 4-4 12, Cason Schmutzer 3-8 1-2 9, Carter Wilcott 0-1 0-0 0, Aaron Marth 0-1 1-2 1, Colten Yeske 0-1 4-4 4, Cameron Ertl 0-3 1-2 1, Colton Wright 3-13 1-1 9. FG: 15-54. FT: 17-21. 3-pointers: 7-25 (Weinfurter 3-10, Schmutzer 2-4, Wright 2-9, Ertl 0-2). Rebounds: 31 (Schmutzer 7). Record: 20-5.
MARATHON (78): Justin Lemke 0 0-0 0, Clarke Mouw 0 0-0 0, Cameron Schilling 3 3-6 10, Karl Rihn 1 0-0 3, Hunter Seubert 0 0-0 0, Nathan Stoffel 6 5-11 17, Mitchell Kurtz 0 0-4 0, Carter Hanke 7 7-9 21, Donavon Free 8 6-6 26, Lucas Barber 0 2-2 2. FG: 25. FT: 23-38. 3-pointers: 6 (Free 4, Schilling 1, Rihn 1). Record: 21-4.