March 9, 2020 at 2:57 p.m.
Hodags go cold
Rhinelander, 3-21 FG in 2nd half, falls to Merrill 64-46 in regional semis
Hodags go cold
Rhinelander struggled from the field in the second half Friday night, making only two of their final 20 shots as they fell at Merrill 62-46 in the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal round.
Rhinelander (9-15) had a 35-34 lead off a Ross Skeen 3 to start the second half, and then went 11 minutes, 15 seconds without making another shot from the field. Merrill, led by a 30-point effort from senior guard Michael Casper, went on a 17-3 run during that stretch to take a lead it would never relinquish.
"They did a nice job of closing out and contesting shots. We missed a few. We forced a few and we just didn't have a great offensive rhythm in the second half," Rhinelander coach Derek Lemmens said. "Merrill just had a nice gameplan and executed. They're a good team. That's why they're the two (seed). But I'm really proud of the way the guys kept fighting."
Rhinelander appeared to have a little life as a Skeen runner and a pair of Drake Martin free throws got Rhinelander within nine at 51-42 with 4:56 to play. After the teams traded baskets the Hodags went cold again and Merrill made nine of its final 10 free throw attempts to ice it.
While the Hodags cooled, Casper heated up for the Bluejays. He was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field in the second half, including a trio of 3-pointers during Merrill's decisive run.
"That's why he has 1,000 points on his career," Lemmens said. "He's a very good player. We knew we had to do things to disrupt him and he found a way anyway. It's a good team, well-coached and we made them beat us. That's what matters."
The teams went back and forth in the first half, trading the lead on seven occasions. Merrill took a 20-13 lead on a Caleb Timm bucket with 8:35 left in the half, but then went on a field goal drought of 5:38 as Rhinelander responded to go ahead 28-25.
"Early on, when we fell down seven, we climbed right back in it. That's a time where a lot of teams fold and I thought our guys did a great job of just continuing to fight," Lemmens said.
Piersen Pyan ended Merrill's shooting drought with a game-tying 3 and Merrill went on a 9-4 run to close out the half and take a 34-32 lead at the break.
In the second half, a Hodag team that shot 14 of 28 from 3-point range in a regional quarterfinal win over Ashland, and was 4 of 9 from deep in the first half, suddenly went cold. Skeen's triple 20 seconds into the half was Rhinelander's only make from beyond the arc on 15 attempts.
After going 11 of 19 from the field in the first half, the Hodags finished the night only 35% from the field on 14 of 40 shooting.
"We really started forcing it, especially with how hard they were closing out," Lemmens said. "A hard fake and a sweep drive attack (would have worked). They scrambled really well. They worked really hard defensively, but I just thought we started settling. Unfortunately we took some bad shots. Then, when you start missing, that just becomes contagious. That's what happened."
Martin, in his final game as a Hodag, led the way with 14 points and five rebounds. After the game, Lemmens took time to recognize the four seniors on the roster.
"I'm really proud of them. The commitment that student-athletes put in these days, you look at guys like Drake and Peyton Erikson and Payton Johnson and Jason (Huseby). They're multi-sport athletes," he said. "Drake and Peyton are going to be playing college football. They've committed their high school careers to just being a great athlete. They've poured their heart and soul into this. You just appreciate all these guys do. It's always sad when it ends, but you're just thankful that it happened."
Pyan had 10 points and nine rebounds for Merrill. Nathan Woller added nine points as the Bluejays shot an even 50% from the field (20 of 40). Merrill outrebounded Rhinelander 31-18, including a plus-7 edge on the offensive glass (16-9).
Despite the loss, Lemmens said he was proud of the team's effort during the tournament run.
"I thought, at the end of the season, we were playing our best basketball and this team really grew as the season went on. I'm really proud of these guys," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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