March 31, 2017 at 4:51 p.m.
Hodags competitive despite early-season adversity
Hodags competitive despite early-season adversity
During last Sunday's team banquet, Lemmens said he asked former RHS and UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett, longtime Wisconsin Rapids head man Dan Witter and others for advice and, to a man, got the same answer.
"Everyone of them pretty much (said) 'good luck.' No one has ever experienced something like that," he said.
The Hodags' string of four consecutive Great Northern Conference titles came to an end this season as the team finished second in the GNC with a 14-9 overall mark (8-4 in conference play), but the team hit its stride late, winning four in a row down the stretch. That included the team's first playoff victory in three years.
Lemmens said the 2016-17 Hodag hoops season was defined by his team's ability to overcome adversity.
"At no time did we hear anyone, program-wide, use (the pertussis outbreak) as a crutch or an excuse," he said. "It was, 'It happened. We're going to move on. We have to move on. That's our only option.' I'm really proud of them for that because in a world where everyone expects success, it's easy to make excuses when thing don't go your way and that wasn't what was happening."
Some other things to know about the Hodags' recently completed campaign.
'Owen-d' the lane
The Hodags struggled offensively at the start of the season, and part of that could be attributed to the fact that 6-5 center Owen White was on the shelf, recuperating from a knee injury suffered prior to a Sept. 30 football game against Medford. White missed the first five games of the season, in which the Hodags averaged 48.4 points per game. The team's average shot up to 62.6 points in the first five games after White made his return to the lineup Jan. 7 against Medford.
White had a streak of eight consecutive double-doubles after returning to the lineup and finished the season averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a contest. He also led the team in field goal percentage (.500) and blocked shots (41). White, who was voted team MVP, was a unanimous first-team All-Great Northern Conference selection and a Channel 7 all-star.
The streak ends
The Hodags won four consecutive Great Northern Conference titles prior to this season, but the drive for five was derailed due to illness and a red-hot Medford team.
The Raiders held off Rhinelander 64-62 in overtime Jan. 7 - the Hodags' first game since Dec. 9 due to the pertussis outbreak. The Hodags then dropped back-to-back games Jan. 23 and 24 - as Lemmens was looking for his 100th career victory - to Tomahawk and Mosinee with point guard Reeve Craig and his backup Easton Senoraske either limited or out of the lineup due to illness.
Yet Rhinelander still had a chance to win the GNC when it traveled to Raider Hall for a rematch with Medford Feb. 9. But Rhinelander trailed much of the way and a late three-point play off a steal by eventual conference player of the year Osy Ekwueme proved to be the final nail in the Hodags' conference championship coffin in 58-47 loss.
"I think this was probably the most competitive the GNC has been in my seven years, top to bottom," Lemmens said during the team's banquet. "You're looking at three players from the GNC that were Channel 7 all-stars (Ekwueme, White and Antigo's Matt Arndt), which usually if we have one, that's max. Three out of the five (in the large-school division) were from our conference. It was a really competitive conference. We had injury, yet these guys still found a way to make it happen."
GNC leaders
Though Rhinelander did not win the GNC this year, the Hodags led one stat which always serves as a bellwether for success - team defense. The Hodags allowed only 50.4 points per game in conference games, and 51.7 points per game overall. Medford was second in the GNC in team defense at 59.3 points allowed per conference game and 56.0 points overall.
"That's always a point of pride for us," Lemmens said. "We know that's an area we can make ourselves always in the game just by playing good defense. ... (We were) No. 3 in rebounding because we made teams miss shots. No. 1 in free throws. When you think of how you win and lose games - as you watched (in) the NCAA tournament - defense and free throws. These guys took care of that."
Getting over the hump
The Hodags' season reached a crossroads Feb. 14 after dropping to 10-8 overall with a 70-48 loss to Marshfield. With sectional seeding right around the corner, the team's ability to secure a home playoff game, let alone a first-round bye, was in doubt in an evenly-matched half sectional. Rhinelander responded with a convincing 61-47 win over Antigo Feb. 17 that helped the Hodags secure the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye for the tournament. The Hodags defeated Wausau West and Lakeland in the final week of the regular season to enter the WIAA playoffs on a three-game winning streak.
The win over Lakeland was particularly important as the Hodags clawed back from down nine late in the second half to win 43-42 on a White hook shot with three seconds remaining. That win moved Rhinelander to a perfect 10-0 against former head coach Rich Fortier.
That momentum carried over to a 58-55 win in the WIAA regional semifinals against Merrill, the Hodags' first playoff win in three years. The Hodags committed only four turnovers in the contest and won despite Merrill limiting White to 11 points and three rebounds.
"I though the Merrill game in regionals was a great example of just how willing these guys were to share the basketball," Lemmens said. "I think we assisted on 14 or 16 of our baskets. Almost all of our baskets were assisted and it's just a beautiful thing when all five players are playing for each other, playing for the name on the front of the jersey. That's just a special thing."
What's next
Rhinelander's reign a top the Great Northern Conference may resume as early as next year as Medford, Antigo, Lakeland and Mosinee graduate senior-laden squads. The Hodags will take a hit in graduation, to be sure, with the departure of point guard Reeve Craig (6.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 1.5 spg), forward Matt Reinthaler (9.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and reserve guard Easton Senoraske (3.3 ppg). But White will return for his senior season and seven other players who saw time in the rotation at some point of the season will also return, including starting guards Brad Comer (5.7 ppg) and Reese Flores (3.9 ppg) and sixth man Junior Howard (4.8 ppg).
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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