January 12, 2022 at 2:26 p.m.
Lady Hodags pull away to 75-41 win over Red Robins
Lady Hodags pull away to 75-41 win over Red Robins
Audrey Schiek led four Hodags in double digits and Rhinelander pulled away to a 75-41 victory over the Red Robins at Sheldon Fieldhouse.
It was the Hodags' 12th straight victory over the Red Robins, dating back to the start of the 2016-17 season, and many of the wins have followed a similar pattern. Rhinelander typically starts slow against a larger, more half-court oriented Antigo squad, but once the Hodags turn up the pressure and the tempo, things begin rolling in their direction.
That was the case Tuesday night as the Hodags used a 17-0 run midway through the first half to take control and then put the game out of reach with a 26-4 push in the second.
"We forced 22 turnovers in the first half but only had a 13-point lead," Hodag coach Ryan Clark said. "We kind of got in a little bit of rhythm in the second half and then the lead kind of took care of itself."
Antigo 5-11 forward Sophie Schlieve finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds, but the Hodags took advantage with Schlieve on the bench in foul trouble midway through the first half.
Schlieve was assessed a technical foul for a push after the whistle on a jump ball and then picked up a third personal a short time later as she went to the bench with 10:08 to play in the half. Annika Johnson hit both technical free throws and then hit a 3 as part of an extended possession after Schlieve picked up her third to put Rhinelander up 16-6. The Hodags pushed the lead to 24-6 before Schlieve returned late in the first half and sparked a 9-0 run to get Antigo back within single digits.
"It felt like she had 26 rebounds and 40 points," Clark said of the Antigo junior. "She finishes very well around the basket, but she goes and gets that offensive rebound. She doesn't stand and wait for it. She has a knack for being around the basketball."
The Hodags closed the first half on a 8-4 run to take a 32-19 lead into the break and then put the hammer down from there. Ava Lamers made a layup with 6:48 remaining to put the Hodags up 62-30 when Rhinelander took a timeout to extend its bench and send in the reserves.
"We went to our diamond press in the second half to see if we could be not so much of a zone press, be a little more aggressive up in their face," Clark said. "I thought that led to some easier live ball turnovers for transition points."
The Hodags also worked the ball inside against an Antigo defense that was more aggressive against Rhinelander than in years past. After seeing predominantly a compressed 2-3 zone from the Robins over the last few years, the Hodags faced 1-3-1 and 3-2 zones with trapping elements as Antigo tried to speed up Rhinelander in the frontcourt.
"They were much more extended than in years past and they worked hard. They came out and got in the passing lanes. I thought we did a pretty good job (against it)," Clark said. "I think the Watertown tournament forced us to get out of our comfort zone and start attacking that a little bit better."
Rhinelander forced 32 turnovers in the contest. Held to only 20 combined points over her previous four games, Schiek bounced back on Tuesday night, scoring the majority of her 17 points in transition. Lamers added 16 for Rhinelander, Brynn Brzycki had 11 and sophomore Lily Treder added a career-high 11 points off the bench.
Treder had a string of six straight points in the second half to help push Rhinelander's lead to 51-27 at the 9:52 mark.
"I thought today she did a good job of getting to the rim. She got a runner, got to the rim a couple of times," Clark said. "She was more available on different parts of the court and then she hit that 3 at the end. Proud of her. As a sophomore, it's just a roller coaster. Some days they look like deer in the headlight and other days they play pretty confident. She's a fighter. She sticks with it and I'm really proud of her because we need that scoring from her."
Overall, Rhinelander shot 42% (28 of 66) from the field and had nine different player score in the contest. That included a late 3 by freshman Cadence Lund in her first career varsity appearance.
"Cadence Lund was hanging around. She wanted to stay and watch the game and she was the only JV kid left. I'm like, 'Well, we've got a uniform, put one on.' Then she hit a 3," Clark said. "That was her first varsity points, that's always excited for a kid to hit their first points.
"The JV kids, they've got six wins in a row. They're starting to play really well. They knocked off Medford and Lakeland last week. I think they're 8-4 on the season and it's good to see, because that's our varsity next year, those kids right there. They're getting better, so it's always nice to get them some minutes on the court, especially when they're playing within themselves and they're confident enough to not just turn it over. I thought they did a nice job."
Schlieve was the only Antigo player to score more than five points as the Robins shot 35% (17 of 49) from the field.
Rhinelander (9-5, 4-2 Great Northern) begins the second half of GNC play tonight at home against Tomahawk.
Jeremy Mayomay be reached at [email protected].
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