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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Nekoosa closed the third quarter with an 8-0 run to bust open a tie game and went on to beat Marshfield Columbus Catholic 47-40 in a nonconference girls basketball game Monday at Columbus Catholic High School.
Columbus (7-4) led only once, 13-12 midway through the second quarter, in losing for the third time in its last four games.
Even though the Dons have hit a losing skid over the past few weeks, coach Darin Green isn’t too concerned. Senior guard Nikki Karl returned from injury Monday and senior starting forward Megan Arneson missed her third straight game because of an injury, so Green is hoping when both are completely healthy, the Columbus team that started the season 6-1 will surface again.
“I was happy with our defensive effort,” Green said. “It’s hard when you have two kids who aren’t 100 percent or out on the floor. We have to clean up the turnovers and pick it up on offense and shoot better. We missed layups, you can’t miss them.”
Columbus closed the first half by scoring five straight points – all from the free throw line – to tie the game at 19-19 at the break.
Paige Albrecht’s three-point play tied it again at 24-24 for Columbus with 5 minutes left in the third quarter before the Papermakers (7-2) forged ahead for good.
Chelsea Sorbo hit a 3-pointer with 1:02 left and added a free throw with 3.5 seconds to go to give Nekoosa a 32-24 lead at the end of the third quarter. Two free throws by Dani Sullivan 13 seconds into the fourth ended a 10-0 run for the Papermakers.
Columbus shot just 6 of 29 from the field over the first three quarters before Albrecht’s 3-pointer at the 6:18 mark of the fourth ended a nearly 7-minute scoring drought, and got the Dons’ offense rolling.
Nikki Karl, who returned Monday from an injury that had kept her out of the last two games, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Columbus to withing 41-38 at the 2:50 mark.
However, Columbus made only one basket the rest of the way and Sullivan closed out the scoring by hitting four straight free throws over the final 1:40. Kristin Willis led Nekoosa with 11 points, while Sullivan and Sorbo each added 10.
The Dons were hurt by 24 turnovers, but Green said he was pleased with the overall effort his team showed.
“I liked the intensity,” Green said. “The last game we played I was very disappointed with our intensity. It was nice to see us come back and play the way we know we can play.
“I really like our chances once we get into the playoffs and we get healthy.”
Columbus returns to Cloverbelt East Conference action Thursday at Augusta.
Nekoosa 12 7 13 15 – 47
Columbus 10 9 5 16 – 40
NEKOOSA (47): Brooke Bredl 0-2 0-0 0, Renee Demars 0-0 0-0 0, Dani Sullivan 2-5 6-7 10, Tessa Linzmeier 2-13 2-4 6, Allie Kleinhans 2-4 0-0 4, Chelsea Sorbo 3-10 1-3 10, Kristin Willis 4-8 3-3 11, Chyann Olsen-Weiler 1-3 2-3 4, Katie Kurth 1-1 0-3 2, Sadie Holden 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 15-46. FT: 14-23. 3-pointers: 3-10 (Sorbo 3-8, Linzmeier 0-1, Olsen-Weiler 0-1). Rebounds: 32 (Linzmeier 9). Total fouls: 17. Fouled out: none. Turnovers: 17. Record: 7-2.
COLUMBUS (40): Deanna Kaiser 2-4 2-2 6, Abby Studinger 0-1 0-0 0, Elizabeth Manlick 2-5 3-4 7, Paige Albrecht 4-12 3-5 12, Olivia Larson 0-1 1-2 1, Nikki Karl 2-9 0-0 6, Taylor Weister 1-4 0-1 2, Angie Seubert 0-2 0-1 0, Kayla Fleischmann 1-3 4-6 6. FG: 12-40. FT: 13-21. 3-pointers: 3-12 (Karl 2-4, Albrecht 1-5, Kaiser 0-1, Larson 0-1, Weister 0-1). Rebounds: 35 (Kaiser 7). Total fouls: 19. Fouled out: Manlick. Record: 7-4.
Video highlights of the game at allmarshfield.com
