February 1, 2017 at 4:21 p.m.
Rhinelander's back in the race
Hodag defense dominates Mosinee in 57-41 win
Rhinelander's back in the race
Like the four-time conference champions they are, the Hodags answered the bell.
Rhinelander held Mosinee to 34 percent shooting and had three players finish in double digits as it defeated the Indians 57-41 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Defense was the biggest different for the Hodags (9-5, 5-3 Great Northern) compared to a 66-57 loss at Mosinee a week earlier. Rhinelander held Jake Bolanda, who had 25 points in the teams' first meeting, to only six Tuesday on a couple of late 3s and the rest of the Indian offense struggled to get things going.
"I think this was one of our better outings," Lemmens said of the Hodags' defense. "We did a good job communicating. We did a better job making exchanges and I thought guys were really physical and won the positioning battle inside. I thought Bradley Comer, for being only 6-foot at best, really battled inside."
Rhinelander used a 12-0 run to build an 18-6 lead midway through the first half and, from there, the advantage never dipped below double digits. The Hodags led 28-17 at halftime and put a nail in the coffin with a Comer 3 with 5:36 remaining that gave them a 49-28 lead.
"Guys came out firing and that's important when you're in your home gym, to get things rolling, get the fans involved," Lemmens said. "Their ability to just hang onto it and continue to stay focused really helped."
Owen White had yet another double-double for the Hodags - his eighth in a row - with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Reese Flores added 12 points and Matt Reinthaler chipped in 11. But the biggest contribution may have come from someone who missed last Tuesday's matchup. Point guard Reeve Craig had eight points and four assists after missing the game at Mosinee due to illness.
"We play at Mosinee and we have trouble even getting the ball up," Lemmens said. "I think what Reeve Craig does doesn't get appreciated as much as the double-doubles and all those stats. That kid, he's the straw that stirs the drink and he takes care of business. He's a very important piece. You saw it in the drop in turnovers. You saw it in our ability to have a good flow offensively. That was huge."
Tyler Burkholder scored nine of his team-high 11 points for Mosinee in the first half. Nick Bolanda had 10 but the Hodags clamped down on his twin brother Jake, who was limited to only six attempts from beyond the arc. He made seven 3s in the first meeting.
"We talked about that. That was a sore spot for us because we really let him go, despite us knowing what he can do. I thought tonight, we did a good job of shoring that up," Lemmens said.
The win kept Rhinelander two games behind Medford, which defeated Tomahawk 82-51 Tuesday night, in the GNC. Antigo sits tied for second with the Hodags, a half game ahead of idle Lakeland. Mosinee (8-5, 4-4 Great Northern), who shared the conference title with Rhinelander a year ago, dropped to fifth in the standings, three games out of first place.
The Indian student section left Rhinelander with one parting shot, however. Toward the end of the game, they broke out a chant of "We beat Tomahawk," referencing's Rhinelander 62-58 upset loss to the Hatchets last Monday in Tomahawk. The Hodags have a chance at payback Friday night as they host the Hatchets at the Miazga Gym.
"Another revenge game," Lemmens said. "That one's still very, very sour to us and we're hoping to come out focused this time."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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