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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
ATHENS – The Stratford boys basketball team, playing without leading scorer and rebounder Ben Barten, jumped on Athens early and rolled to a 68-47 victory in a Marawood Conference crossover game Thursday night at Athens High School.
The Tigers jumped out to a 34-13 lead by halftime and stayed even with Athens in the second half to win by 21.
Stratford is now 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the Marawood Conference South Division, while Athens falls to 6-4 and 4-3 in the Marawood North.
Without Barten, the Tigers used a balanced scoring attack that saw 10 different players score, including three in double figures.
Lance Heidmann led the way with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting, Vaughn Breit added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Okley Wrensch chipped in 10 for the Tigers.
Click here to view the Marawood Conference South Division boys basketball standings.
Stratford made nine 3-pointers, including three by Heidmann and a pair from Wrensch.
Stratford’s next game is Monday at Colby before a battle for first-place in the Marawood South at Auburndale on Jan. 11.
Tigers 68, Bluejays 47
Stratford 34 34 – 68
Athens 13 34 – 47
STRATFORD (68): Teddy Redman 2-5 0-0 4, Max Vanderhoof 1-4 0-0 3, Okley Wrensch 4-7 0-0 10, Chase Flink 0-0 0-0 0, Dawson Danen 0-2 2-2 2, Hunter Hannan 2-2 0-0 4, Chandler Schmidt 2-7 0-0 5, Branden Ackley 1-2 2-2 5, Sam Schoenfuss 0-2 0-0 0, Brady Bruesweitz 1-3 0-0 2, Vaughn Breit 6-11 2-2 15, Lance Heidmann 6-9 3-4 18, Tyler Lappe 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 25-54. FT: 9-10. 3-pointers: 9-25 (Heidmann 3-5, Wrensch 2-4, Ackley 1-2, Breit 1-3, Vanderhoof 1-3, Schmidt 1-5, Redman 0-1, Schoenfuss 0-1, Bruesewitz 0-1). Rebounds: 24 (Breit 10). Record: 9-0, 7-0 Marawood Conference South Division.
ATHENS (47): Statistics not reported. Record: 6-4, 4-3 Marawood Conference North Division.