January 25, 2021 at 8:30 a.m.
Hodag hoops wins back-to-back to keep pace in GNC race
Hodag hoops wins back-to-back to keep pace in GNC race
The Hodags won back-to-back conference games Thursday and Friday, running its winning streak to four games overall, with a 73-33 victory at Antigo and a 66-53 win at home over Northland Pines.
The wins kept Rhinelander (8-3, 5-1 Great Northern) one back in the loss column to conference-leading Medford (16-1, 8-0) with the two teams set to meet again in Rhinelander Feb. 5.
"We still control our own destiny, and that's what we want. We just have to continue to improve and play good basketball," Rhinelander coach Derek Lemmens said. "These last two games have been good games. That Antigo team, remember they beat Lakeland. They're not a pushover team. I just thought the guys played really well. This Pines team took Medford right down to the wire. Neither team is really a pushover team and I thought these guys are really starting to play the way we want to play. Defensively, I've been really pleased with what we've been doing."
Rhinelander 66, Northland Pines 53
The Hodags used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to take the lead for good, and held off a late rally to defeat the Eagles at home Friday night.
Rhinelander led by as many as 17 in the second half, before Northland Pines (6-7, 3-5 Great Northern) went on a 19-8 run to cut the lead to six with 4:00 to play. The Hodags were able to keep the Eagles at bay from there, making six of their final seven free throw attempts.
"It always seems to start with a banked-in 3," Lemmens said, noting a 3 by Gabe Smith that ignited Pines' second-half run. "We've got a 17-point lead, a kid banks in a 3 and all of a sudden, they found their mojo. We just had to do a better job adjusting on the fly, but I love how the guys responded."
Ross Skeen led three Hodags in double digits with 19 points while Quinn Lamers added 11. Both were 3 of 5 from 3-point range in the game, including back-to-back 3s that gave put Rhinelander ahead for the first time. Lamers gave Rhinelander a 15-12 lead and Skeen added another three to put Rhinelander up by six with 6:20 remaining in the half. The Eagles fought back to within 22-20 before Rhinelander closed the half on an 11-2 run to take an 11-point lead at the break.
Travis Towne added a double-double for the Hodags in the with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Rhinelander, as a team was 47% from the field and committed only 10 turnovers in the game.
"They were patient offensively, took care of the ball," Lemmens said. "That's been our biggest challenge this year. I was really proud of this effort. We dictated for the majority of the game and did a good job spacing the floor, making Pines have to work."
Griffin Stiemke hit five 3s as part of a 20-point effort off the bench for the Eagles, but Northland Pines as a team shot 38.6% (17 of 44) and Rhinelander held Pines' top two scorers - Ryan Muench and Nolan Lurvey to 13 and 11 points, respectively, on a combined 7 of 22 shooting.
"At the end of the day the creators are those two," Lemmens said. "Offensive rebounds, Muench is just an animal with that. He has a great nose for the ball, always finds himself in the right spot and he works hard. Lurvey's just a physical, talented guard and I thought our guys did a nice job of not giving him anything easy."
Rhinelander 73, Antigo 33
The Hodags blitzed the Robins Thursday night, leading from horn-to-horn in a 73-33 rout at Sheldon Fieldhouse.
Rhinelander raced out to a 9-0 lead over the first three minutes of the game and led 43-13 at halftime. The Hodags finished the night 51% from the field (26 of 51) and 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
"We were making shots early and that always helps," Lemmens said. "We were getting good shots early, and that also helps. We tried to pick up the past and play fast that first half, kind of make Antigo play faster than they might want to. Early on, that really paid off. We got some good looks. Offense is a rhythm thing. You start making a couple shots and then those good looks are going to start dropping."
Five different players scored eight or more points for Rhinelander, led by Smith and Lamers, who each finished with 13. Skeen chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, Towne scored nine and Jackson Zettler added eight points off the bench.
Logan Thomae led Antigo with 11 points and the Robins went the entire night without making a 3-point shot.
"There was kind of a thimble up there for them tonight," Lemmens said. "I thought, especially in the second half, our defense was not impressive by any means, but Antigo just couldn't make the shots. It became a mental barrier for them."
Up next
The Hodags take on Tomahawk tonight at the Miazga Gym. As of press time, the starting time for the contest was uncertain, contingent upon if the RHS girls' basketball team can find a replacement opponent from the first half of tonight's doubleheader. The Tomahawk girls' team forfeited due to low numbers.
If the girls find an opponent, the boys would play following the girls' game (approximately 7:45 p.m.), otherwise the boys' game would be a standard 7:15 p.m. start.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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