December 16, 2020 at 1:24 p.m.
Hodag Hoops return to winning ways vs. Pines
Hodag Hoops return to winning ways vs. Pines
Quinn Lamers scored a game-high 21 points to lead four Hodags in double digits Monday as Rhinelander raced past Northland Pines 74-53 in Eagle River.
Rhinelander (3-1, 2-0 Great Northern) took control with a 21-2 run over the final 5:04 in the first half and Pines never got any closer than 12 points in the second half. The Hodags snapped a three-game losing streak against the Eagles, dating back to 2019, after winning 17 in a row against Pines prior to that.
"I forget that it was three times, so that was great to have," Rhinelander coach Derek Lemmens said of the win. "That's a scary team, scary group. They've got some weapons. They really push tempo and they're a team that, if you fall behind or lose focus, they can really jump out on you. I like the way the guys played tonight."
Rhinelander, in particular Lamers, came up big to break open a close game late in the first half. Lamers got the run going with a 3 from the left wing to put Rhinelander up 22-15 with 5:04 to play. He hit two more triples and added a layup in transition off a steal during Rhinelander's decisive run as the Hodags took a 40-17 lead at the break.
"There was about an eight-minute stretch there where I thought we dominated on both ends, and that gave us a nice cushion," Lemmens said. "It also gave us a little confidence, a little swagger. Early on, we were just kind of sloppy, looked a little unsure. That stretch there really cemented things."
Lamers saw even more minutes than usual in the second half when fellow point guard Jacksen Smith left the game with a sore thigh.
"Quinn Lamers was a rock for us tonight with the basketball. That was important because, down the stretch, he took care of it," Lemmens said. "It's scary when you play a pressure team and you lose an important guard, but that's where Quinn Lamers just stepped in and did a great job and the rest of the guys helped out."
Northland Pines made a run after Smith left the contest with about 13:30 to play, cutting a 50-27 Rhinelander lead down to 55-43, but the Hodags answered with a decisive 10-3 push over the next five minutes to deliver the knockout blow.
Ross Skeen added 15 points for Rhinelander, Travis Towne had 13 and eight rebounds and Kirk Mathews added 10 points off the bench as Rhinelander shot an 51.9% from the field (28 of 54). The team also dished out 16 assists in the contest as the ball moved well through Northland Pines' backcourt pressure.
"I thought the guys showed pretty good patience," Lemmens said. "One of the fears with press is you don't want to get sped up, but when guys did attack and play fast, it was the right time. It was good to see us being smart. Overall, I was really pleased. There's so many weapons, if we just play within the team, play as a team and share the basketball, guys are going to get theirs some nights and guys might get theirs another night. When we share the ball like that, it's hard to guard."
Pines (1-2, 0-1 Great Northern) never led in the contest, getting within a point on a couple of occasions in the first half before Rhinelander lowered the hammer. Ryan Muench led the way with 19 points for the Eagles while Nolan Lurvey chipped in 14. The Eagles finished the night 37.9% (22 of 58) from the floor.
Rhinelander faces its biggest test of the year so far tonight as it heads to Medford to take on the defending GNC-champion Raiders, who moved to 5-0 overall following a 73-60 non-conference win at Rice Lake on Monday.
Lemmens said the Hodags will need to be the aggressors tonight at Raider Hall.
"We've got to dictate our tempo instead of the other way around," he said. "Last year, especially, I felt like we were always reacting to them on offense. Defensively, they're very patient. We have to be patient defensively and continue to be strong and not let down our guard after 30 seconds of defense, and just continue to push."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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