Aubryn Clark nets 1,000th point as Lady Hodags rout Merrill

In basketball, 4.5 seconds can sometimes feel like an eternity. 

That’s how long Aubryn Clark had to contemplate the gravity of the situation Friday night as she drove unabated toward the basket and a place in Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball history. 

There was time to think about the ups and downs of her career so far, time to think about a new injury that threatened to delay her journey again and, most importantly, time to think about the left-handed layup she was about to make to put her name in the record books.

Clark became the sixth player in Hodag girls’ history to reach the 1,000-point mark for her high school career. Playing in her 50th game, the junior reached the milestone on a transition layup with 5:10 remaining in the first half of Rhinelander’s 64-26 victory over the Merrill Bluejays at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

She came into the night needing 15 points to hit the millennium mark and sat on 14 after splitting a pair of free throw chances with 5:24 left in the first half. Clark jumped a pass on Merrill’s next possession, intercepted the ball near her own free throw line and then sprinted toward the basket — and a large student section that erupted when the ball went through the hoop.

“I think when I got to half court, I was like, ‘Oh gosh, you gotta make this,’” she said afterward. “But honestly, I was like, ‘I’m going to make this.’ It felt great, and the students were right there right under the rim, cheering. That felt amazing.”

It’s been a long road back for Aubryn Clark, who was on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau prior to the end of a sophomore season. That was until she landed hard on her back late in a loss against Lakeland last January and sustained an injury that cost her the final 12 games of that campaign. 

Almost exactly one year to the day of that injury — 364 days to be precise — Clark joined Becky Knutson, Allison Carroll, Kenedy Van Zile, Rebecca Lawrence and Ava Lamers as members of the Hodag 1,000-point club.

Aubryn Clark was mobbed by her teammates almost immediately after the basket as they poured from the bench to celebrate. Rhinelander took a full timeout to give Clark a well-deserved curtain call in front of her home supporters. 

    Rhinelander’s Aubryn Clark waves to the crowd during a timeout after scoring her 1,000th career point during the first half of a GNC girls’ basketball game against Merrill at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium Friday, Jan. 9. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

“My teammates were amazing, and the fans were amazing,” she said. “I’m just so thankful for everybody coming out, the little girls and boys, you know, making signs. We had a great students section, great community support. It was just a great feeling in that moment.” 

There was one more hug waiting for as Aubryn Clark made her way back to the bench. That was from her father, and Hodag girls’ basketball head coach Ryan Clark.

“The unseen hours for her, you know, 5:30 in the morning, (my wife) Natalie and I would just hear the ball bouncing in the basement every day — and not because we told her to. She’s just driven. She has a goal,” he said. “I give her a lot of credit because she’s always led with humility, a lot of grace, super teammate. But really proud of her.”

While Aubryn Clark has averaged more than 18 points per game this season, and the Hodags (6-6, 3-2 Great Northern) were heavy favorites against Merrill (1-10, 1-4 Great Northern), there was still plenty of question going into the night, if or how much she would play —let alone if she’d reach 1,000 points in front of the home fans. 

That’s because last Monday she injured her shoulder during a drill in practice going after a loose ball. She would have been unlikely to play the following day against Tomahawk, but icy road conditions prompted the postponement of that game and, more importantly, three more days for her shoulder to heal. 

    Rhinelander’s Aubryn Clark is flanked by RHS alumnae Rebecca Lawrence, left, and Ava Lamers, right, following a GNC girls’ basketball game against Merrill at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium Friday, Jan. 9. The trio are the three most recent 1,000-point scorers in RHS girls’ basketball history. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Aubryn Clark admitted that she was still unable to make a layup in practice on Thursday, and she struggled to do so in warmups prior to the game. There were times she would grimace after a shot or contact, but it was good enough to get the job done. 

“In warmups, it was really hurting me and I was like, ‘OK, I got to do this. I got score my 1,000 at home.’ That’s so important,” she said.

“It just makes it more memorable,” coach Clark added. “She’s a fighter.”

Aubryn Clark got on the board with a pair of free throws less than three minutes into the contest, and then made three straight 3-point attempts, giving the Hodags a 25-8 lead with 10:37 left in the first half. She added with a layup with 8:05 to go that put her within two of the milestone. 

 “I think just when I hit my shots, it was like, ‘OK, I think my shoulder’s feeling good. Let’s just move on,” she said. “Like, don’t think about it when I shoot. Everything’s good.’”

While Aubryn Clark was going for 1,000, her younger sister Teagan was not-so-quietly stealing the spotlight early in the contest. She hit back-to-back 3s to cap off a 29-5 run by the Clark siblings with 9:21 left in the first half and went on to score a game-high 18 points.

“Teagan kind of got us going early with those 3s, shot really confident,” coach Clark said. “She had a little bit of roller coaster first month and a half. She had some really good games, and she had some just not so assertive games. So it’s see her kind of getting her confidence back.”

Rhinelander went on to lead 48-15 at halftime and cruised in the second half with a mix of starters and reserves. Vivian Lamers added 14 points, and Lexi Beran had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, as Rhinelander had four players in double figures scoring for the first time this season. 

Part of the reason is that the Hodags had one of their best offensive nights of the season. Rhinelander shot 42% (22 of 52) from the field — their most efficient performance since a win over Wausau West Nov. 29. Rhinelander was also 9 of 25 from beyond the arc, their best shooting percentage from distance since a season-opening win over Crandon Nov. 20.

“We had great chemistry on the team, offensively,” Aubryn Clark said. “We got our open shot. We were shooting, we were open. We were hustled back on D. Like, it didn’t bother us at all. And it felt good, for T(eagan) and I especially, to shoot better. Everybody else just kind of responds off that — and they shoot pretty well too.”

Merrill, meanwhile, struggled against Rhinelander’s pressure. The Bluejays were 32% (11 of 34) from the field and committed 29 turnovers.  Brenna Jirovec had eight points and Kaela Clerveaux scored seven points to lead Merrill.

Aubryn Clark’s teammates continued to celebrate her achievement, and several fans stuck around for photographs, after the contest. 

“It just felt great to be with the girls. The teammates, they’re just amazing, and they’re supportive in so many ways,” she said. “They were really supportive when I went out last year, and I think they just the celebration, whatever they did in the locker room, that was just like a moment to feel forever just because I’ve been out for a while and felt good to come back.”

With the milestone achieved, the Hodags enter a tough portion of their schedule which sees them on the road for five of their next six contests, beginning tonight at Lakeland. That precedes a rematch with GNC-leading Mosinee this coming Friday on the road. 

“You get to go to Lakeland on the doubleheader night on a Tuesday,” coach Clark said. “Makes the week go a little bit better too. And then we got Mosinee on Friday, which will be really tough.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].