February 14, 2018 at 1:57 p.m.
Rhinelander clinches share of GNC boys' hoops crown with win over Medford
Rhinelander clinches share of GNC boys' hoops crown with win over Medford
By By Andy Hildebrand-
The win clinched a share of the Great Northern Conference championship for the Hodags, the program's fifth title in six years. A win over Antigo on Friday would place Rhinelander alone at the top of the conference.
The Hodags jumped out to an early lead and never really let up, carrying a 33-22 lead into the break before staving off any thoughts of a Medford comeback in the second half.
Brad Comer finished with a game high 19 points to lead the way, and Owen White knocked down a couple of 3s in the second half to bring his tally to 13 points.
A 14-point win is nothing to shrug at, but coach Derek Lemmens said his guys played far from their best game. Regardless, they'll take the win and everything a share of the conference crown represents.
"We were sloppy," he said. "We were out of sync. The fans were at the hockey game and it was somewhat of a stale atmosphere. We just weren't as focused, but we won. It's a conference championship and they have a lot to be proud of. Even though we didn't play our best game, the guys have a lot to be proud of. Now in the next game, we're looking to get it for ourselves."
With a share of the conference title in their collective pocket, the Hodags, sitting at 18-2 overall, can cross off the first item on their lengthy list of goals.
"Obviously, this has been a big goal of ours all year, since we lost it last year," White said. "To be able to come out tonight and take care of business and bring the conference championship back to Rhinelander is big."
Lemmens said it's a weight off the team's shoulders, but there's still plenty of work to be done.
"It's good and it's somewhat of a relief," he said. "I think when you look at the inconsistency of our play tonight, it was somewhat on our minds. Now it's something we can put behind us and we can start looking forward."
Reese Flores poured in 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. He came out of the gate hot and kept Medford from building enough momentum for any kind of a serious comeback effort. For Flores, it's all about stepping up when he's needed.
"My role changes every game," he said "When they need me to play defense, I play defense, and when they need me to score, I'll score.
Lemmens said Flores is coming on at the right time.
"He's so talented," Lemmens said. "It's hard to tell sometimes because he's not always aggressive. Tonight, to see him not be afraid to step up and just go at it is huge. We need every single person on this team to be at their best."
With another conference title to their credit, the Hodags can turn their attention to the looming postseason, where they hope to make plenty of noise, but Lemmens said they need to get better if they want to keep crossing off lines on that list of goals.
"We're not there yet," he said. "Defensively, we're not there yet. Offensively, we're not there yet. We still have time. We just need to maximize our opportunities."
Comments:
You must login to comment.