February 9, 2023 at 9:26 a.m.
Hodags can't overcome Raiders' hot start
Hodags can't overcome Raiders' hot start
Medford jumped ahead 27-4 over the first 6 1/2 minutes and cruised to a 64-42 win over the Hodags at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Logan Baumgartner had a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Raiders (16-4, 10-0 Great Northern), while Tanner Hraby had 16 points and hit four first-half 3-pointers. Medford scored 17 straight at one point and was up 22-2 after Baumgartner converted a four-point play with 13:21 remaining in the first.
"We came out flat and they just came out ready to go and we dug ourselves quite a hole," Hodag coach Derek Lemmens said.
The loss was the seventh in a row for Rhinelander (5-13, 3-6 Great Northern) and concluded a string of four straight games against the top three in the GNC.
The Hodag offense, despite hitting only one 3-pointer in the contest, started to find its legs midway through the first half and outscored the Raiders 21-18 in the second. Junior forward James Heck scored a career-high 17 points while Will Gretzinger chipped in 10 points in defeat.
Lemmens said he was pleased with his team's competitiveness in the second half, something he said has been lacking at times during the team's recent skid.
"Our battle the last couple of games is we're in this situation and we're facing adversity and we roll over and today we just kept fighting," he said.
Despite Medford holding a slight height advantage, the Hodags were able to hold their own inside following a slow start. Heck was effective in the post and finished the night 8 of 11 from the field. Rhinelander, as a team, shot 46.5% (20 of 43) but was hindered by 18 turnovers.
"He was moving to openings and guys found him," Lemmens said. "Jordan LeGere found him frequently on those drives. Again, all that happened when (we) were just a little patient and picked our times. It was nice to see James respond like that and add that inside presence that we need moving forward.
"When we move the basketball good things happen. It's when we try to attack early, we just have to understand the value of a couple of consecutive passes and moving the defense before we look to attack them - especially a defense like this. They're so well-positioned. If we don't get them moving, we're going to be in a bad spot. Just being a little more patient and a little more purposeful offensively to clean that up."
Medford blitzed Rhinelander in the first half, shooting 64% overall, and 7 of 12 from beyond the arc as it took a 46-21 lead to the break. The Raiders made only six field goals in the second half and finished the night shooting 43% (24 of 56).
With the loss, Rhinelander slipped back to fifth in the GNC standings, a game behind Lakeland. Those two teams meet tonight as the second half of a basketball doubleheader at the Lakeland Union High School fieldhouse in Minocqua.
"This is a big one," Lemmens said. "Now we're looking at seeds, looking at the difference between a 7 and 8. This is going to be a very important game where we're both out of the GNC run, but what can we do now to give ourselves the spot that we want in the playoffs."
The Hodags won the first meeting against Lakeland, 68-57, at the Miazga Gym back on Jan. 6. Rhinelander held Lakeland under 40% shooting in that contest.
"I thought we got a lot of really good looks and, defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job against (Lakeland's leading scorer) Will (Fortier). But they got a lot of rhythm shots that they missed. We've got to do a better job defending the 3-point line."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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