This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield girls basketball team broke out of its offensive slump as four players scored in double figures and the Tigers cruised to a 71-50 win over Wausau West in a Wisconsin Valley Conference contest Monday at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield, which was held to 42 points or lower in three-straight losses, scored 14 points in the first five minutes of the game to open up a double-digit lead and were never threatened as it snaps the losing skid and improves to 9-4 overall and 5-0 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
Zaida Kolbeck scored all 14 of her points in the first half and McKenzie Holm, making a spot start as the Tigers played without Ayana Bousum, had 12 of her 14 points in the opening 18 minutes as Marshfield took control from the start.
“Coming off a couple of losses, it was nice to play at home on Senior Night and we came out with a 14-4 lead right away,” Marshfield coach Taylor Varsho said. “We had a good full week of practice and it started with the little things. We keep getting better, every practice, every drill, every rep and I think our offense is starting to come to fruition now.”
Holm hit a 3-pointer and another short jumper, and Kolbeck had five points to help the Tigers take a 19-7 lead with 10½ minutes to go in the first half.
After a 3-pointer from Ayla Christensen for West, Marshfield scored the next six points to go up 25-10 and West never cut it under double digits the rest of the way.
The Tigers ended the half on a 10-0 run as Kolbeck and Emma DeLany drilled 3-pointers and they took a 38-18 into halftime, despite no points from leading scorer Ashley Grancorvitz.
“McKenzie is our energy bunny. Her shot was falling tonight, which goes back to her putting in time in the gym,” Varsho said.
Grancorvitz, a senior averaging nearly 17 points per game, was not to be denied in the second half as she made 5 of 6 shots from the field, including three 3-pointers, and ended up with a team-high 15 points for the Tigers.
“Ashley is that humble leader, and if she doesn’t score, it’s no big deal for her,” Varsho said. “Defensively, we need her in there with her length and basketball IQ. I don’t think it rattled her at all and she hit some big shots (in the second half). Again, that all goes back to her time spent working and in the gym.”
West (4-10, 3-3 WVC) came as close as 55-40 following another Christensen 3-pointer, but were then held scoreless for the next 4½ minutes. Grancorvitz scored six-straight points to push the Tigers’ lead back to 24, putting an end to any thoughts of a Warriors’ comeback.
Raella Schueller added 12 points and six rebounds in the win for Marshfield, which travels to Minocqua for a nonconference game against Lakeland on Tuesday.
Christensen led Wausau West with 17 points, and Kelly Kray added 13 and seven rebounds for the Warriors.
Tigers 71, Warriors 50
Wausau West 18 32 – 50
Marshfield 38 33 – 71
WAUSAU WEST (50): Elle Tipple 0-0 0-0 0, Kelly Kray 4-7 5-5 13, Brooke Schaefer 1-3 3-3 5, Ayla Christensen 5-14 5-6 17, Paige Anderson 4-6 0-0 11, Harper Mead 2-8 0-0 4, Stella Olson 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 16-39. FT: 13-14. 3-pointers: 5-9 (Anderson 3-4, Christensen 2-4, Schaefer 0-1). Rebounds: 20 (Kray 7). Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 4-10, 3-3 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (71): McKenzie Holm 5-7 2-2 14, Delaney Varsho 0-1 0-0 0, Gracie Ridgway 1-3 0-0 2, Zaida Kolbeck 5-12 2-2 14, Kaylie Charron 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Kanitz 1-1 0-0 2, Hailey Klumb 1-1 0-0 2, Emma DeLany 2-3 0-0 6, Ella Allar 1-3 0-0 2, Ashley Grancorvitz 5-10 2-2 15, Raella Schueller 4-6 2-2 12, Emma Ridgway 1-3 0-0 2. FG: 26-50. FT: 8-8. 3-pointers: 11-22 (Grancorvitz 3-6, Holm 2-3, DeLany 2-3, Schueller 2-3, Kolbeck 2-6, Varsho 0-1). Rebounds: 25 (Schueller 6). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Holm. Record: 9-4, 5-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference.