This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Following a tough double-overtime loss to Stevens Point last Friday, the Marshfield girls basketball team needed a bounce back win heading into the playoffs.
After a sluggish first half, the Tigers dominated the final nine minutes and pulled past Wausau West for a 62-47 victory on Thursday night at the Chips Hamburgers Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield finished the game on a 26-10 run to end its regular season with a 19-5 record and a 10-2 mark in the Wisconsin Valley Conference to finish in second place.
West led for most of the first half as Kelly Kray scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in the opening 16 minutes.
Marshfield junior Ayana Bousum was left open on the perimeter as the Warriors tried to lock down the Tigers’ leading scorer Dani Minsaas. Bousum started out 0-for-4, but was persistent and scored 10-straight points, including two 3-pointers, to help the Tigers take an 18-16 lead.
Back-to-back baskets by Kenzie Deaton and an offensive rebound and basket by Kray held West regain the lead, before another 3-pointer from Bousum – her fourth of the half – brought the Warriors’ lead down to 24-23 at halftime.
“Shooters don’t make shots unless they shoot it,” Marshfield coach Taylor Varsho said. “I go back to the quote, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.’ If she (Bousum) doesn’t take those shots, we might be down five or 10 at halftime. Ayana is a really great shooter, a great kid and fun to coach. She’s naturally athletic and can really shoot the ball. She really stepped up in the first and eventually the shots started to go in.”
Minsaas was able to get herself free as the second half began, scoring Marshfield’s first nine points.
Bousum had a three-point play before Lexie White scored for West to give the Warriors a 37-36 lead with 9:48 to go and it looked like it would be a bitter fight to the end to decide the winner.
That would not be the case. Consecutive 3-pointers from Raella Schueleler and Minsaas, and another basket from Schueller culminated a 12-2 run by Marshfield as it took control.
Deaton had two-straight 3-pointers for West to help them stay within five, but Minsaas responded with a hoop and after two free throws by Molly Anderson with 3:07 left for the Warriors, Marshfield finished the game scoring the final 10 points as it made 8 of 11 free throws.
Bousum finished with 27 points and five rebounds, Minsaas had all 16 of her points in the second half, and Schueller had 10 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for the Tigers.
“Sharing the basketball is fun,” Varsho said. “We can get a little stagnant and didn’t start out very well in the first half, but we really played well in the second half and it was because we were sharing the basketball. That’s good team basketball.
“It’s so fun to coach a team that you have so many weapons and don’t have to rely on one person. Raella (Schueller) had a great game tonight rebounding, Ashley (Grancorvitz) was maybe a little short on the points side, but does so many great things on the court defensively that helps our offense. It’s the hustle plays, who’s going to dive on the floor and make those plays.”
Marshfield will host Holmen in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. West (15-8, 8-4 WVC) wraps up its regular season with a nonconference game at home Saturday against Pulaski before hosting Appleton East in a Division 1 regional semifinal on Feb. 24.
Tigers 62, Warriors 47
Wausau West 24 23 – 47
Marshfield 23 39 – 62
WAUSAU WEST (47): Emma Morehead 0-1 0-0 0, Kelly Kray 9-18 0-0 18, Kenzie Deaton 5-15 2-2 14, Ayla Christensen 0-7 0-0 0, Alexis White 2-7 0-2 4, Molly Anderson 2-3 7-8 11. FG: 18-51. FT: 9-12. 3-pointers: 2-12 (Deaton 2-6, Kray 0-1, White 0-2, Christensen 0-3). Rebounds: 36 (White 13). Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: none. Record: 15-8, 8-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (62): Alyssa Foemmel 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Kilty 0-1 0-0 0, Zaida Kolbeck 0-1 6-8 6, Kaylie Charron 0-1 1-2 1, Dani Minsaas 6-12 2-3 16, Kaci Abney 0-0 0-0 0, McKenzie Holm 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Grancorvitz 1-4 0-0 2, Raella Schueller 3-6 3-6 10, Ayana Bousum 8-19 7-7 27, Cami Wucherpfennig 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 18-45. FT: 19-26. 3-pointers: 7-17 (Bousum 4-11, Minsaas 2-4, Schueller 1-1, Grancorvitz 0-1). Rebounds: 28 (Schueller 9). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 19-5, 10-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference.