March 6, 2023 at 8:37 a.m.
Outfoxed
Top-seeded Fox Valley Lutheran routs Hodags in regional semis
Outfoxed
Top-seeded Fox Valley Lutheran took control midway through the first half and never looked back, routing the eight-seeded Hodags 72-38 in a Division 2 regional semifinal in Appleton.
Sam Ferge recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and led three Foxes in double digits. The Hodags scored only two field goals over the final 11 1/2 minutes of the first half, fell behind 32-13 at the break and could never catch up.
"They're such a physically strong group, really overpowered us on dribble penetration," Hodag coach Derek Lemmens said. "I thought we did some good things but, at the end of the day, it was kind of our theme on the season. We come out and we can't make shots and allow some turnovers that turn into easy points and once these teams get started, we just can't stop them."
Ferge hurt the Hodags down low. Isaac Knoll added 13 points and locked down Rhinelander's leading scorer Will Gretzinger - who was held to only two points in the contest. Corey Reisop added 12 off the bench, connecting on four second-half 3s for the Foxes.
Fox Valley Lutheran shot 47% (30 of 63) from the field and beat the Hodags inside and outside. The Foxes held a 44-18 edge on the glass and corralled 16 offensive rebounds. Fox Valley Lutheran had a 42-18 advantage in points in the paint and added 24 points off 17 Rhinelander turnovers.
Lemmens said they simply played a game Rhinelander was not accustomed to.
"Overall they were just so much more physical that we're really allowed to play where we're at," he said. "It's just, geographically, unfortunate how different things are. I wish we could get it one way or the other. I like the way that this is played but when we talk up north, that much body, that much physicality, it's a foul. Our guys struggled with that, especially early on. We're just not used to it but, as the game went on, they adapted better."
The Hodags finished the night shooting 35% (13 of 37) from the field.
Kyle Brown, returning after missing last Tuesday's playoff win over Ashland, scored 11 points for the Hodags. He hit a pair of 3s early and a Truman Lamers free throw gave Rhinelander a 7-6 lead with 11:36 left in the first half.
It was all Fox Valley Lutheran from there.
Knoll answered with five straight points - a 3 and then a transition layup off a steal - sparking a 10-0 run that gave the Foxes the lead for good. The Hodags went more than 5 1/2 minutes without a field goal before Lamers, who scored a team-high 13 points, made a runner in the lane through contact. From there Fox Valley closed out the final 6 minutes in change on a 16-4 run to take a 19-point lead at the break.
"I thought early on they came out a little slow, and we had some opportunities to make get them on their heels a little bit that we didn't cash in on but, once they started rolling, they were a freight train and we couldn't stop them," Lemmens said.
Rhinelander never got any closer in the second half as its season came to an end with a 9-16 record.
"Those seniors, there's a lot to be proud of. We got a nice home win to send off the season at home and guys played hard. They gave it their best. That's just a good team," Lemmens said. "They went on a really good team's court, and they fought them. They were just a classy group of guys. They played hard. They respected their opponent. They respected the game and, at the end of the day, someone has to lose. They played better. They are better."
The Hodags had ups and downs this season, trying to replicate last year's magical run to the sectional semifinals. Rhinelander did finish fourth in the Great Northern Conference, but lost seven straight at one point during the second half of the season and struggled to keep pace with the upper echelon of the GNC.
Rhinelander had only three seniors dressed for the game - Brown, Jordan LeGere and Kaleb Winter. With a number of underclassmen who logged starting or rotational minutes this year - and some turnover with the top teams in the GNC, Lemmens is hopeful his team can get back toward the top of the GNC sooner than later.
"We have a lot coming back, and we have two guys that never really got on the court for us that are coming back that we expect to be big contributors and a little bigger," he said. "We're excited about where we're going in the next few years and that we have coming up. I think we have some talented freshmen. We have some talented young people in general and just some physicality and some size. This year, we were always battling bigger people. Hopefully, moving forward, we have a few advantages here and there with the size department."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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