This story is sponsored by: American Family Insurance – Randy LeMoine Agency, LLC
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STEVENS POINT – The last time a Marshfield boys basketball team won a road game at Stevens Point, the seniors on this year’s team were in third grade.
That changed on Friday night.
Brant Bohman hit a jumper from the free throw line with 7 seconds to go to lift the Tigers to a 54-53 victory over Stevens Point at the Stevens Point Area Senior High Fieldhouse.
Marshfield’s win ends a 12-game losing streak against Stevens Point, including eight in a row at SPASH, and hands the Panthers their first Wisconsin Valley Conference home loss since Jan. 31, 2012, when Wausau East beat them. Since, SPASH had won 41 straight against WVC opponents on its home floor.
“They played hard and I always judge that by how many guys are on the floor,” Marshfield coach Scott Scheuer said. “There wasn’t a loose ball, and we didn’t get them all, but we were making an attempt.
“We had to have it (in the conference). We’ve always played them hard, but there were some years where you were never going to beat them. The last couple of years, it was close both games, and tonight we got over the hump.”
Stevens Point jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first 2½ minutes as Marshfield missed two shots and turned it over twice.
Junior reserve Addison Hill entered the game and hit the Tigers’ first bucket, a 3-pointer, and that got Marshfield going.
Marshfield went on a 16-6 run to tie the game at 16 after two 3-pointers from Preston Wagner, another from Hill, and two free throws by Anthony Posteluk.
From that point, neither team was able to separate from the other.
Marshfield led by as many as six, at 30-24, after 3-pointers from Bohman and Posteluk, only to see SPASH respond with seven-straight points to regain the lead.
Tommy Olson scored in the final seconds of the half to put the Tigers on top 32-31 at the break.
The lead changed hands six times in the final nine minutes.
A key rebound of a missed field goal and a basket by Posteluk put Marshfield up 50-48, and Olson drove inside for another hoop to extend the Tigers’ lead to four with 4:54 to play.
Both teams were patient when they had the ball in the closing minutes, with only eight shot attempts during the final 4:46.
Point pulled back ahead on a basket from Evan Vollendorf with 45 seconds left, and after a timeout, Marshfield ran the clock down before Bohman hit the clutch shot that proved to be the game-winner.
“We knew we needed a shot, the clock was going down, and I felt confident that I could shoot it and make it,” Bohman said. “Tony (Posteluk) told me to come and get it, and I took over and it worked out. I had confidence the whole time. I never doubted it.”
Nolan Blair’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer just missed, clinching the victory for the Tigers.
Marshfield is now 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after winning its fifth-straight game. SPASH falls to 9-5 and is now tied with Merrill for first place in the conference at 5-1.
“I’ve played on varsity since my sophomore year and I’ve never beat them, home or away,” Bohman said of finally beating Stevens Point. “Last year it was close. It just feels good to get a win here, at their home. This win is big.”
Elliot Eron led Stevens Point with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Vollendorf finished with 15 points. Bohman topped Marshfield with 14 points.
Marshfield hosts Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday and Merrill next Friday.
Tigers 54, Panthers 53
Marshfield 32 22 – 54
Stevens Point 31 22 – 53
MARSHFIELD (54): Isaac Meverden 4-7 0-0 8, Brant Bohman 4-10 4-4 14, Tommy Olson 2-3 5-6 9, Cody Korth 0-0 0-0 0, Anthony Posteluk 2-4 4-4 9, Preston Wagner 2-6 0-0 6, Joey Goettl 0-2 0-0 0, Addison Hill 3-4 0-0 8. FG: 17-38. FT: 13-14. 3-pointers: 7-13 (Hill 2-2, Wagner 2-3, Bohman 2-4, Posteluk 1-2, Meverden 0-2). Rebounds: 10 (Hill 3). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Meverden. Record: 8-4, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
STEVENS POINT (53): Nolan Blair 4-9 0-0 9, Travis Johnson 3-3 1-2 7, Brenden Klish 0-1 2-2 2, Darren Zwicker 0-0 0-0 0, Elliot Eron 6-6 8-9 20, Evan Vollendorf 5-12 4-4 15, Adam Willoughby 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 18-31. FT: 15-17. 3-pointers: 2-8 (Vollendorf 1-3, Blair 1-5). Rebounds: 21 (Eron 12). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 9-5, 5-1 Wisconsin Valley Conference.