February 7, 2018 at 2:27 p.m.
Streak busted
Merrill rallies past RHS 63-58, ends Hodags' 15-game run
Streak busted
A Hodag team that has struggled at times to close out tight games did so again Tuesday night, and this time it burned them as Merrill rallied from a 12-point second half deficit to defeat eighth-ranked Rhinelander 63-58 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
A team that has made a habit of making just enough plays to get by in recent weeks couldn't do so on Tuesday. The Hodags went the final 3:10 without a field goal. Their last five possessions ended with two turnovers and three hurried shots.
Meanwhile, Merrill's dynamic backcourt duo of Zach Mootz and Quinn Steckbauer consistently beat the Hodags off the dribble down the stretch. Steckbauer was responsible for the only lead change of the night, hitting a pair of free throws that put Merrill ahead 59-58 with 1:08 to play.
"It was a poor effort," Hodag coach Derek Lemmens said afterward. "We've got guys who are tired, who are sick, but it looked like we were wearing concrete shoes tonight. I'm disappointed with the effort and the energy, or lack thereof, on our court. They just came in here and took it from us and we can't let that happen."
Starters Owen White, Brad Comer and Reese Flores were among those afflicted by illness early in the week. Though all started and played, the fatigue was apparent as the Hodags gave up a 16-5 run over the final 5:20 of the contest.
"We were tired but we didn't do anything to make up for it," Lemmens said. "We didn't communicate. You're not too tired to talk. We didn't anticipate. We weren't thinking on the court, so you can only take that excuse so far. We were still on the court. We still could have got the job done. We just didn't put forth the effort."
Mootz scored 24 points for Merrill while Steckbauer added 21. Both helped lead the Bluejay charge down the stretch as Merrill attacked the rim and got to the line 14 more times than the Hodags in the contest.
Mootz pushed the ball in transition off a couple of Hodag misses to help trim a six-point Hodag lead to one with 4:36 remaining. The first time he threw the ball long to Chase Bonnell for a layup. The second time he drove coast-to-coast off a miss, was fouled and made both free throws.
Rhinelander went back up five on a Junior Howard baseline drive with 3:10 remaining, but a Bonnell 3 cut it to two. After Comer made one of two free throws, Steckbauer scored on a driving layup with 2:11 remaining.
Following a turnover by Brock Lieder, Steckbauer attacked the rim, was fouled and made both free throws with 1:08 remaining. Then Owen White, who scored a game-high 26 points for Rhinelander, was whistled for traveling. Rhinelander eventually fouled Steckbauer, who made one of two free throws with 23.5 seconds left.
Lieder missed a reverse layup attempt at the other end, Bonnell made a free throw and White missed a game-tying 3 that rolled out of bounds with 3.0 seconds to go.
"I thought we got good shots. We just missed," Lemmens said of the shot selection down the stretch. "I thought we had a good look underneath. I thought Owen rushed that 3 a little bit, but you've got to get a shot up to have a chance. They just did a nice job defending it."
Lemmens said he was more disappointed in the Hodags lack of effort defensively. Merrill shot 51 percent (20 of 39) on the night and had three players in double digits. Bonnell added 13 points for the Bluejays, all in the second half.
"Sixty-three points on our home court is unacceptable no matter who the team is. I hope this is that moment when they realize we need to get better," Lemmens said.
While the loss weakens Rhinelander's argument for a No. 1 seed, Lemmens hopes it will serve as a needed wake-up call as his team prepares to attempt to make a conference championship and WIAA tournament run.
"We can't just skate through this. We've been surviving. We need to stop surviving," he said. "We need to start taking care of business and hopefully this is that wake-up call, this is that moment when they realize they've got to bring a little bit more if we want to be the team that we can be."
The loss was Rhinelander's first since a 79-69 overtime loss in the season opener to Stevens Point on Nov. 25. The Hodags relinquished an eight-point lead down the stretch in that contest.
Junior Howard added 13 in defeat for the Hodags while Lieder chipped in 11.
The Hodags are back in action tonight at Tomahawk.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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