Lady Hodags face tough road as WIAA playoffs commence

Given that the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team is the higher seed and the home team, most would consider the Hodags the favorite against sixth-seeded Green Bay Southwest as the WIAA tournament commences at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodag coach Ryan Clark doesn’t necessarily see it that way, however, and said he knows his team will be in for a battle no matter how many games it plays in the tournament.

Rhinelander comes in on a bit of a slide, having dropped its final three games of the regular season to enter the playoffs with a 16-8 record. Yet, the Hodags played strong competition going into the playoffs, finishing against GNC champion Lakeland, a strong Shawano squad and Mosinee. After last Tuesday’s 18-point loss at Shawano, coach Clark said it was exactly the kind of test his team needed to simulate how the games in the WIAA tournament will go in a talent-loaded eastern half of the D2 sectional.

“Now it makes more sense, this is the physicality we’re going to see,” he said after the Shawano contest. 

That begins tonight against a Green Bay Southwest squad that comes in with a nearly identical record as the Hodags (15-9, 11-7 Fox River Classic) and on the opposite end of the D2 enrollment spectrum. The Trojans, with 1,145 students, are just 55 students beneath the D1/D2 cutline, while Rhinelander, at 747 students, is in the bottom quarter of the D2 field.

Regardless, Rhinelander gets a home playoff game for a third straight year and has its highest regional seeding since earning a 2-seed when it won the regional title in the 2019-20 season.

“I love that we get to bring Southwest up to our area, make them drive 2 1/2 hours. It’s going to be a great, great environment at Rhinelander,” coach Clark said. “For the seniors, they get at least one home playoff game in front of a big crowd. I’m really happy for them.” 

Handicapping the Trojans takes a bit of guess work because they shared no common opponents with Rhinelander during the regular season. In terms of indirect comparisons, Southwest had and eight-point loss early in the season to Appleton Xavier, a team that closed its regular season with a nine-point loss to Lakeland and a four-point win over Shawano — two teams the Hodags lost to during the regular season. Southwest also scored a 10-point win over Menasha, which scored wins by five and two points over Shawano in Bay Conference play.

“It’s hard to gauge them on film, but they’ve played some good teams relatively tight,” coach Clark said.

Individually, the Trojans possess some height, with three of their starting five checking in at 5-9 or taller. That includes leading scorer Addison Pytleski, a 5-9 senior who is averaging 16.4 points per game and has connected on just under 46% of her attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, 5-9 senior Alex Sludzinski comes in averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. The team also has a rim protector in 6-0 junior Emma Szarowski, who has blocked just under three shots per game.

“Southwest worries me a little bit because they’re just bigger kids. I think they’re probably just a little bit better than us. Hopefully we can get off some open shots,” coach Clark said. “They’re a man defense, but they will run a half-court trap. They’ll do that at times. They’ve done it in every game I’ve watched. Four seniors and a junior that start, not a whole lot of depth, but I would just say a little bigger, a little more physical and obviously have played much better competition in the conference.”

    Rhinelander’s Aubryn Clark drives with the basketball during the second half of a GNC girls’ basketball game against Mosinee at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium Friday, Feb. 16. The Hodags come into tonight’s playoff game at home against Green Bay Southwest looking to snap a three-game losing streak and to get out of a recent offensive funk. Clark’s scoring average over the last 10 games is nearly four points off the pace of her first 14 games, and the Hodags have been held to less than 30 3-point attempts in each of the last four games. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

After last Friday’s loss to Mosinee coach Clark admitted the team that has relied on the 3-pointer much of the year will need to find more efficient ways to score. As defenses have honed in on Rhinelander’s tendencies, some of the Hodags’ production has declined. Leading scorer Aubryn Clark has averaged just 18.0 points per game over the final 10 contests and has not scored more than 30 since nearly breaking the school record in a 41-point effort at Ashland Dec. 28. 

Teams are also limiting Rhinelander’s perimeter shooting. The Hodags have been held under 30 3-point attempts in each of their last four games after attempting 30 or more 3s in 14 of their first 20 games. That included only 19 3-point attempts in Friday’s loss to Mosinee, the Hodags’ second lowest output of the season.

“Early in the year we could spot up and get open 3s. We’re not able to do that,” coach Clark said after Friday’s game. “Teams are just running us off the 3-point line. They’re guarding us how I would guard are team, and then shadowing Aubryn. I’ll have to figure out a way to counter that the best I can.”

Tougher challenges lie ahead should the Hodags get past tonight’s matchup. Barring an upset, a date with second-seeded Marinette (20-4, 16-2 NEC) would await Saturday night in the regional final round. The winner of that game will likely face the unenviable task of facing the No. 2 team in Division 2, Green Bay Notre Dame, in the sectional semifinals next Thursday. 

As of early in the week, Clark said he had not done much advance scouting yet on Marinette, instead focused most of his attention to tonight’s game against the Trojans.

“I think we can play with them,” he said. “The size and the rebounding is a little bit of a concern overall. I think it should be a good battle.”

The game tips off at 7 p.m. Because it is a WIAA tournament game, admissions will be charged. Tickets are $6 for adults, $1 for kids age and under 6, will be available at the door one hour prior to tipoff. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].