Hodag Hoops finds groove late at Ashland

The box score will show the Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team cruised to a 75-41 victory on the road Monday night in a non-conference contest at Ashland. However, for the better part of the first half, the game was anything but a walk in the park.

The Hodags trailed by as many as eight in the first half before Devon Feck scored back-to-back 3s as part of a 13-0 run to end the half. He scored 19 points, and Abe Gretzinger had 23 to lead all scorers, as the Hodags finally pulled away from the Oredockers in the second half. 

But it was that shaky first-half start that gave coach Derek Lemmens pause for concern as his team gets set to face Medford tonight in the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium to open Great Northern Conference play.

“Defensively, we weren’t very good, I’d argue, most of the night — especially in man to man,” he said. “I was really disappointed again. We can continue to struggle with guarding the basketball, keeping guys in front, keeping them out of the lane. And then off ball, it’s slips in our positioning and not being in support spots. It’s really not where I want to be right now, especially with a team like Medford coming up on Friday.

“(Offensively) I think we were settling for quick shots. We weren’t running really quality actions. And then we missed a couple easy ones. And let’s be honest, that’s a nice Ashland team. They’re a little young and inexperienced, but they’ve got some really nice pieces. So, you know, all that put together kind of led to a slow, and a little dangerous, start.”

The Oredockers used a 16-4 run to take a 17-9 lead less than eight minutes into the opening half, and the lead still sat at 25-20 with four minutes remaining before the Hodags finally hit their groove.

The Hodags were 0 for 7 from 3-point range before Feck’s back-to-back makes put Rhinelander up 26-25 with 3:30 left. Gretzinger had a couple of finishes in the post and Jatyn Barkus added a triple as Rhinelander led 33-25 at halftime. 

“They moved the ball and they got a couple rhythm looks,” Lemmens said. “And like we said, once the ball starts going through, the basket seems to get big bigger. You got to give it a chance to go through a few times and get that mojo. We were really settling early. And once we found the bottom of the basket, that little stretch there, it felt like everything was going to go in.”

Gretzinger scored on a putback on Rhinelander’s first offensive possession of the second half and the lead never dipped below double figures the rest of the way. Feck hit an elbow jumper with 10:25 remaining that kicked off a 20-0 run that gave Rhinelander a 65-34 advantage with 6:24 to play.

While the Hodags were making shots, Ashland struggled after Rhinelander jumped into a 1-3-1 zone in the second half. The Oredockers committed 19 turnovers — including 12 after halftime — as the Hodags began to stretch the margin. 

“Once they got behind the eight ball, they felt the need they had to do something. And I thought we were better, positionally,” Lemmens said. “I think Abe and guys that were on the top were very disruptive. Our middle, Evan (Shoeder), got his hands on the basketball and was attacking dribblers. Then once they start to turn over, the pressure goes to them. It energizes us as well. So we’re feeling the energy and their energy is draining and we just kind of pulled away.”

The 1-3-1 served as a game-changer for the Hodags a number of times during last season’s GNC championship run, but Lemmens said it’s something his team cannot rely on to be successful.

“Our 1-3-1 has the ability to be disruptive. I mean, we have a lot of length. We have a lot of athleticism,” he said. “If we play it well, which is a big piece, it can be a nice thing to have in our pocket. But it’s not something that we can we can plan on having night in and night out. You know, we’ve got to get better in our man-to-man.”

    Rhinelander’s Evan Shoeder attempts a jump shot over Ashland’s Gavin Greene during the second of a non-conference boys’ basketball game in Ashland Monday, Dec. 1. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Gretzinger did most of his damage inside on Monday, going 11 of 16 from the field as he scored a career high. He was one of four Hodags in double figures to go along with Feck, Barkus (14 points) and Shoeder (11).

“(He was) just demanding the ball in the post, fighting for position. Guys gave it to him in good spots,” Lemmens said of Gretzinger, a 6-3 junior. “He was energy tonight and he was aggressive and he was strong. And, he was a real difference maker.”

Despite the slow start, the Hodags finished the night 52% from the floor on 30 of 58 shooting and were 6 of 15 from distance. 

Gavin Greene led three Oredockers in double figures, scoring 14 points. Jayden Popovich had 12 and Kourage Lauren added 10. Ashland finished 33% (15 of 45) from the field and hit just two 3-pointers in the contest. 

Now attention turns to tonight’s GNC opener against the Raiders at the Miazga Gym. It’s a rematch of last season’s de facto GNC championship game, won by the Hodags 51-43 in Medford back on Feb. 27. While both teams are adjusting to new pieces, Lemmens said he expects a hard battle from coach Ryan Brown’s Raider squad. 

“Our defense right now has me a little nervous because Medford, year in and year out, they move the ball well,” he said. “They slip. They have great actions. They run really good offense. And so if we can’t guard things like that, we’re going to have to outscore them. And we’ve got to be a little more patient on offense and let them break down. (They’re) another team that is always solid on defense, and they’re not just going to break down. We got to get a couple passes and let things happen.”

The game will be the second half of a boys-girls doubleheader against the Raiders in Rhinelander. The boys’ game will start approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the girls’ game, which begins at 6 p.m. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].