RHS Sports recap: Tuesday, Dec. 30

Boys’ basketball: Rhinelander 69, Waupaca 44

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team led wire-to-wire on Tuesday, defeating Waupaca 69-44 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. 

The Hodags opened on a 14-2 run and, after Waupaca cut the lead to four, finished the first half on a 9-4 run to take a 29-20 lead to halftime. The Hodags scored the first 11 points of the second half and the lead never dipped below 15 points after that. 

Jatyn Barkus had 16 points to lead the Hodags, Abe Gretzinger scored 12 and Evan Shoeder had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Max Olson scored 16 off the bench to lead Waupaca. 

Rhinelander (7-1, 3-0 Great Northern) returns to action Jan. 6 at Tomahawk

Girls’ basketball: Menomonie 54, Rhinelander 44

The offense went cold down the stretch for the RHS girls’ basketball team Tuesday. The Hodags were held scoreless over the final 7 minutes, 27 seconds and fell at Menomonie 54-44.

Rhinelander shot just 5 of 24 from the field in the second half of the contest, and trailed 48-44 when the scoring well ran dry. Aubryn Clark scored 16 for the Hodags, bringing her within 15 points of the 1,000 career plateau. 

Jordan Ohman led Menomonie with 27 points and Emmi Marlett chipped in 14. 

Rhinelander (5-6, 2-2 Great Northern) hosts Tomahawk Jan. 6.

Boys’ hockey: Manistique, Mich. 7, Rhinelander 1

Things went the wrong way late for the RHS boys’ hockey team on Tuesday. The Hodags allowed six goals over the final 8:46 of regulation and fell to Manistique, Mich. 7-1 in the first day of a holiday tournament at the Rhinelander Ice Arena. 

Carson Plehn scored for the Hodags 2:49 into the contest. The Emeralds answered late in the first period and the scored remained 1-all until Manistique’s late scoring binge that included a pair of empty-net goals. 

Manistque outshot Rhinelander 38-32 in the contest. Connor McGee made 31 saves in defeat. 

Rhinelander (0-9-0, 0-4-0-0 Great Northern) faces Kingsford, Mich. Wednesday at the RIA.

Due to an early holiday deadline, full reports will be published in the Tuesday, Jan. 6 edition of the River News.