This story is sponsored by: Chili Implement
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Slowly but surely, the Marshfield Columbus Catholic boys basketball team was able to pull away from Greenwood.
The Dons led for the final 28 minutes of the game, but never by more than 13, and eventually pulled off a 46-39 win in a battle of first-place teams in the Cloverbelt Conference East Division.
Columbus Catholic regains sole possession of the top spot in the conference standings with the win, improving to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in Cloverbelt East play. Greenwood suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sam Wilczek put Columbus Catholic up for good at 11-7.
After a 3-pointer from Greenwood’s Cooper Bredlau, the Dons ripped off nine points in a row as Eden Jacobson scored inside twice and Jadon Nienast drilled a 3-pointer.
The Dons wouldn’t score for the next five minutes and Greenwood was able to cut the deficit back to three before a basket by Wilczek gave Columbus a 22-17 going into halftime.
Columbus Catholic’s lead fluctuated between four and nine points for the first 10 minutes of the second half before it was finally able to create some distance.
Layups by Emmitt Konieczny, Grant Olson and Cole Noreen were key in a 10-4 run that gave the Dons their biggest lead of the game at 44-31 with 3:32 to go. Greenwood would get no closer than the final score as Nathan Revier made a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Jacobson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Wilczek finished with 11 points and Nienast added nine for Columbus.
Westen Schmitz scored 14 points and Revier had 10 for Greenwood. Both finished with nine rebounds as well.
Columbus Catholic hosts Spencer and Greenwood will be at home against Neillsville in Cloverbelt East matchups on Thursday.
Dons 46, Indians 39
Greenwood 17 22 – 39
Columbus Catholic 22 24 – 46
GREENWOOD (39): Xander Hinker 1-4 0-0 3, Sullivan Whitford 1-2 0-0 3, Westen Schmitz 7-17 0-1 14, Cooper Bredlau 2-11 0-2 5, Rogan Travis 1-1 0-1 2, Nathan Revier 4-8 0-0 10, Jonah Hinker 1-5 0-0 2, Austen Humke 0-3 0-0 0. FG: 17-51. FT: 0-4. 3-pointers: 6-23 (Revier 2-5, X. Hinker 1-2, Whitford 1-2, Bredlau 1-4, Humke 0-2, Schmitz 0-8). Rebounds: 30 (Schmitz 9, Revier 9). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-1, 4-1 Cloverbelt Conference East Division.
COLUMBUS CATHOLIC (46): Gage Stratman 1-3 1-1 3, Cole Noreen 1-5 0-0 2, Emmitt Konieczny 1-6 0-0 2, Blake Jakobi 0-1 0-0 0, Jadon Nienast 3-8 2-2 9, Sam Wilczek 4-11 1-2 11, Eden Jacobson 5-9 3-4 13, Grant Olson 3-8 0-0 6. FG: 18-51. FT: 7-9. 3-pointers: 3-18 (Wilczek 2-5, Nienast 1-4, Olson 0-2, Noreen 0-3, Konieczny 0-4). Rebounds: 35 (Jacobson 10). Turnovers: 17. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: none. Record: 7-1, 5-0 Cloverbelt Conference East Division.