This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – Auburndale took advantage on the inside, both offensively and defensively, and was able to control the game pretty much throughout.
The Eagles held Stratford to just two made field goals over the final 16½ minutes of the first half, closed the half on a 23-6 run, and cruised to a 77-42 win in a Marawood Conference South Division boys basketball game Thursday night at Stratford High School.
Senior Kaden Anderson scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Auburndale (7-1, 6-0 Marawood South), which shot 53 percent from the field (30-for-57) and made eight 3-pointers in the victory.
Anderson has scored in double figures in each of the Eagles’ seven games this season, and reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth time in their last five games.
“(Kaden) had never played inside before, he was one of our point guards growing up, and I said ‘We’re going to need you to play inside, and he said, ‘I’ve got it,” Auburndale coach Chad Weinfurter said. “He’s so strong, plays quick. He plays so low that these guys can’t get any leverage on him, and then he’s up through them.”
Brady Schmidt hit a pair of 3-pointers and Stratford made four straight at the free throw line to take a 10-8 lead early before Auburndale got things rolling.
Anderson scored inside and hit two 3-pointers, and Caden Weinfurter added another from long range in a 18-3 run that put Auburndale up 26-13.
After three-point play from Caleb Wrensch for Stratford, Auburndale scored the final five points of the first half and the first 11 of the second to blow the game open.
In the second half, Anderson had five conventional three-point plays and was a missed free throw away from a sixth as the Eagles were never threatened.
Auburndale’s defense kept the Tigers out of the paint, forcing them to shoot from the outside and it worked to the Eagles’ advantage as Stratford finished just 7-for-35 from 3-point range and shot only 25 percent (14-for-57) overall.
“We lost a really good senior class and these guys fit in so well with them,” Chad Weinfurter said. “We’re still a little concerned with our depth, but to be 7-1, I’m really happy.”
Schmidt finished with 11 points, and Wrensch and Drew Bruesewitz each had seven for Stratford (6-2, 4-2 Marawood South).
Both schools will host holiday tournaments next week. Stratford will take on Owen-Withee and Auburndale will play Weyauwega-Fremont in games on Thursday, Dec. 28, with each playing games again on Dec. 29.
Click here to view the Marawood South boys basketball standings
Eagles 77, Tigers 42
Auburndale 31 46 – 77
Stratford 16 26 – 42
AUBURNDALE (77): Kaden Anderson 11-15 7-10 31, Evan Scholl 5-10 1-3 13, Blake Raab 4-9 0-0 10, Aden Cherney 4-5 0-0 9, Caden Weinfurter 3-7 0-0 7, Thomas Aue 2-6 0-0 4, Peyton Weinfurter 1-1 0-0 2, Josh Lundgren 0-1 1-2 1, James Norby 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Steines 0-2 0-0 0, Keegan Empey 0-0 0-0 0, Mason Meissner 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 30-57. FT: 9-15. 3-pointers: 8-20 (Anderson 2-3, Scholl 2-3, Raab 2-4, Cherney 1-2, Weinfurter 1-5, Lundgren 0-1, Steines 0-1, Meissner 0-1). Rebounds: 41 (Anderson 11, Weinfurter 10). Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 7-1, 6-0 Marawood Conference South Division.
STRATFORD (42): Caleb Wrensch 3-7 1-1 7, Alec Chapel 1-6 2-4 5, Reid Miller 1-8 0-0 3, Jett Schoenherr 1-1 0-0 2, Drew Bruesewitz 2-9 2-2 7, Brady Berg 0-1 0-0 0, Peyton Glenn 0-2 0-2 0, Henry Zaleski 2-8 0-1 4, Kaden Foster 1-3 0-0 3, Brady Schmidt 3-11 2-2 11, Brandon Gebelein 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 14-57. FT: 7-12. 3-pointers: 7-35 (Schmidt 3-11, Bruesewitz 1-2, Foster 1-3, Chapel 1-3, Miller 1-7, Berg 0-1, Gebelein 0-1, Glenn 0-2, Wrensch 0-2, Zaleski 0-3). Rebounds: 26 (Zaleski 6). Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: 6-2, 4-2 Marawood Conference South Division.