This story is sponsored by: Wisconsin Homes of Marshfield
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – Evan Scholl hit a 3-pointer from the right elbow as time expired in the fourth overtime to lift the Auburndale boys basketball team to a wild 80-78 win over Neillsville in the championship game of the Auburndale Holiday Tournament on Friday night at Auburndale High School.
Cameron Kennedy hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 6 seconds to go in the fourth overtime to give Neillsville a 78-77 lead. Auburndale called a timeout with 3.9 seconds left and inbounded to Scholl, who raced the length of the court and hit the clutch shot at the buzzer to give the Eagles their seventh-straight victory.
Neillsville’s Sam Hayes hit a basket off an offensive rebound with four seconds left in regulation and sent the game to overtime tied at 56-56.
It was Auburndale’s time for a late comeback in the first extra period as Caden Weinfurter scored with 38 seconds left to knot the score at 59-59. Both teams had chances in the final seconds to win it, but missed.
Neillsville’s Bryce Erickson forced the third OT with a runner in the lane with six seconds to go and the teams played even at 5-5 in that third overtime to push the game to a fourth.
Auburndale is back in action Thursday with a nonconference game at Stevens Point Pacelli (6-1), the third-ranked team in the latest Division 5 state coaches poll.
Kennedy tied the game at 75-75 with 46 seconds to go before Weinfurter put Auburndale back on top with a nifty hook shot inside with 13 seconds left.
Kennedy, who finished with a team-high 21 points, drilled the 3 to put the Warriors up briefly before Scholl’s jumper ended it at the buzzer.
Weinfurter had 24 points and nine rebounds, Scholl and Blake Raab both finished with 14 points, and Thomas Aue had 13 for Auburndale.
Auburndale returns to action Thursday for a nonconference game at Division 5 state-ranked Stevens Point Pacelli.
Eagles 80, Warriors 78 (4 OT)
Neillsville 28 28 3 7 5 7 – 78
Auburndale 32 24 3 7 5 9 – 80
NEILLSVILLE (78): Wesley Swita 1 0-0 3, Cameron Kennedy 8 1-2 21, Braylon Boyer 3 0-0 9, Andrew Hoeser 4 1-1 11, Bryce Erickson 4 0-0 10, Ashten Schultz 5 0-0 14, Max Kreitlow 2 0-0 5, Sam Hayes 2 1-4 5. FG: 29. FT: 3-7. 3-pointers: 17 (Kennedy 4, Schultz 4, Boyer 3, Hoeser 2, Erickson 2, Kreitlow 1, Switz 1). Fouls: 27. Fouled out: Boyer, Hoeser, Schultz. Record: 5-6.
AUBURNDALE (80): Caden Weinfurter 8-14 4-6 24, Evan Scholl 4-12 5-8 14, Blake Raab 5-14 2-2 14, Thomas Aue 5-8 3-7 13, Kaden Anderson 1-8 8-11 10, Aden Cherney 2-5 1-2 5, Mason Meissner 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 25-62. FT: 23-36. 3-pointers: 7-24 (Weinfurter 4-8, Raab 2-8, Scholl 1-4, Cherney 0-1, Anderson 0-2). Rebounds: 41 (Weinfurter 9, Anderson 9). Fouls: 11. Fouled out: none. Record: 9-1.