This story is sponsored by Total Electric
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STEVENS POINT – Sole possession for first place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference girls basketball standings was on the line Monday night as Marshfield traveled to Stevens Point Area Senior High, and both teams played up to the moment.
The outcome was decided in the final seconds as SPASH freshman Jada Seubert made one of two free throws with 11.4 seconds to go and the Panthers survived a last-second shot attempt from Marshfield to win 62-61.
Stevens Point used a 9-0 run in a little more than two minutes to take a 59-50 lead before the Tigers mounted a comeback.
Emma Ridgway scored seven of her game-high 21 points in a 2½ minute stretch, and a basket from Ashley Grancorvitz completed the comeback for Marshfield, tying the game at 61-61 with 27 seconds to go.
Stevens Point worked for a shot and found Seubert inside, who was fouled going up for a short jumper. She made the first free throw and missed the second, which was rebounded by Ridgway. With no timeouts left, the Tigers had to push the ball up court and a shot attempt by Zaida Kolbeck in the closing seconds missed, giving SPASH the win and an outright claim of first place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
Stevens Point is now 13-6 overall and 8-0 in the WVC, while Marshfield falls to 12-7 and 8-1 in conference play. The two teams will play again in just 11 days at Marshfield on Feb. 9.
The game was tight throughout as the lead changed hands eight times in the first half.
An 8-0 run sparked by a 3-pointer and a layup by Ellie Strong, who finished with a team-high 17 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting, gave Stevens Point a 30-25 lead late in the first half.
A Kolbeck 3-pointer and a fastbreak lay-in from Hailey Klumb helped cut the deficit to one for the Tigers, but Stevens Point was able to push the lead to 33-29 at intermission.
The volleying back-and-forth continued in the second half as the lead bounced around five times. A three-point play by Abby Jossie gave Stevens Point a 47-45 lead before McKenzie Holm tied the game for Marshfield with 9:54 to go.
Grancrovitz drilled a 3-pointer to put Marshfield on top 50-49 before Kolbeck picked up her third and fourth fouls in succession, sending her to the bench with six minutes left. The Panthers took advantage with the 9-0 run that started with two baskets from Lindsey Weiler and included two more hoops from Strong.
Kolbeck re-entered the game with four minutes to go and stabilized the Marshfield offense, resulting in two baskets from Ridgway and another from Grancorvitz to close the deficit to three.
Following a basket by Weiler, Ridgway connected on her third 3-pointer of the game and Grancorvitz hit a short jumper to knot the score at 61-61, only to see Seubert win it at the free throw line for the Panthers.
Klumb finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and Holm and Grancorvitz both chipped in nine points in the loss for Marshfield.
Both teams return to action Thursday for conference action as Stevens Point travels to D.C. Everest and Marshfield hosts Wausau East.
Panthers 62, Tigers 61
Marshfield 29 32 – 61
Stevens Point 31 31 – 62
MARSHFIELD (61): McKenzie Holm 4-7 0-0 9, Gracie Ridgway 1-2 0-0 3, Zaida Kolbeck 3-8 0-0 8, Kaylie Charron 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Kanitz 0-1 0-0 0, Hailey Klumb 5-9 1-3 11, Emma DeLany 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Grancorvitz 4-16 0-0 9, Emma Ridgway 8-12 2-2 21. FG: 25-55. FT: 3-5. 3-pointers: 8-23 (E. Ridgway 3-7, Kolbeck 2-3, Holm 1-2, G. Ridgway 1-2, Grancorvitz 1-8, Klumb 0-1). Rebounds: 24 (Klumb 8). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: none. Record: 12-7, 8-1 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
STEVENS POINT (62): Adaleah Nest 3-9 0-0 7, Lydia Johnson 3-3 0-0 6, Jada Seubert 5-14 4-7 15, Jacinta Zdroik 0-1 0-0 0, Ellie Strong 7-7 0-0 1, Katie Kornowski 0-0 0-0 0, Lindsey Weiler 5-6 2-2 12, Abby Jossie 1-4 3-3 5. FG: 24-44. FT: 9-12. 3-pointers: 5-15 (Strong 3-3, Seubert 1-3, Nest 1-6, Zdroik 0-1, Jossie 0-2). Rebounds: 22 (Weiler 6). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: none. Record: 13-6, 8-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference.