Redmen get into offensive groove, collect first win

RIB LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL

The Rib Lake boys basketball team provided the Chequamegon Screaming Eagles with a rude welcoming to the new season Monday, jumping out to a 36-20 halftime lead and cruising from there to a 65-51 Marawood North win in Park Falls.

The game was the first of the season for Chequamegon, who delayed the start of the season for most of its winter athletic programs due to COVID concerns.

It also marked the first time Rib Lake found the win column after six losses to start the year.

While the overall shooting percentage may not have shown it (34.9%), the Redmen got the offensive punch they’ve been looking for by hitting nine 3-point shots and outscoring Chequamegon 27-6 from the 3-point arc.

Junior guard Logan Blomberg broke out in a big way Monday, hitting five of 11 longrange shots and seven of 16 overall from the field to score 19 points for Rib Lake. He added six rebounds, four assists and four steals in, by far, his finest performance of the early season.

Senior Ryan Patrick collected his third straight double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. He added two assists and a steal. Sophomore Tanner Vlach was two for seven from long range and added 11 points, three steals and two assists in the win. Another sophomore guard, Michael Borchardt, hit double figures for the first time in a varsity game, hitting four of five shots to score 11 points.

While the outside success was key, Rib Lake was successful inside as well. The shot chart showed the Redmen making 12 of 26 shots in the lane and outscoring the Screaming Eagles 24-0 on points in the paint. Rib Lake forced 21 turnovers and committed a season-low 11.

Trey Klemann, Jordan Yanko and Andrew Wudi all chipped in with four points apiece and Matthew Siroin added a free throw. Yanko and Klemann each pulled down four rebounds, while Wudi dished out three assists and grabbed two boards. Brock Thiede had four assists and two steals. Chequamegon outrebounded Rib Lake 43-39.

Rib Lake made 13 of 35 two-point shots and nine of 28 from behind the arc. The Eagles were 18 of 40 from short range and just two of 15 from long range.

Rib Lake (1-5, 1-6) hosts Gilman on Monday in a 6 p.m. non-conference matchup. The Redmen will host Wisconsin Rapids Assumption at 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 8.

Athens 54, Rib Lake 31

Facing a team that had a distinct size advantage, the Rib Lake Redmen more than held their own defensively and in rebounding but shooting struggles on the offensive end prevented them from staying with Athens in a 54-31 loss on Dec. 22.

Despite shooting just 28.3% from the field overall (13 of 46), the Redmen hung around through the middle of the second half before the Blue Jays went on a 15-2 surge to seal the win and improve to 3-1 in Marawood Conference play and 5-1 overall. Athens is tied with Prentice atop the North Division.

Rib Lake slipped to 0-5 in the Marawood and 0-6 overall.

Patrick recorded his second straight double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds, helping Rib Lake earn a 39-34 rebounding edge. Rib Lake also held Athens to 37% shooting from the field (20 of 54).

But Rib Lake turned the ball over 20 times and Athens scored 16 points off those turnovers. The Redmen turned just eight Athens miscues into two points. The Redmen made just two of 22 shots from 3-point range, which made it hard for them to break down the 2-3 zone Athens employed most of the night.

Athens jumped out to a 15-2 lead and held Rib Lake without a field goal for almost 11 minutes to start the game. The lead got to 24-9 when the Redmen started to chip away. Patrick got a stickback off a missed 3-pointer by Borchardt, and he scored off a Vlach assist and some good high-low work from those two to make it 24-13. Cobie Ellenbecker made two free throws and sophomore big man Aiden Janke got a steal and go for Athens, but Borchardt’s three-point play late kept it close at the half at 28-16.

Rib Lake cut a 16-point lead to 32-20 on two Patrick hoops and then cut a 39-20 lead to 39-27 with 8:35 left. Patrick scored inside, Thiede nailed a right-corner 3-pointer and Wudi hit Klemann with a transition lob to cap the 7-0 run.

But a pull-up jumper by Athens standout Cooper Diedrich and his steal and lay-in turned the momentum toward the Jays for good. Ellenbecker scored on a left-handed drive before Klemann score again. Michael Komarek scored for Athens, Dayne Diethelm knocked down a triple and Kody Lepak and Komarek added hoops to extend the lead to 25 before Rib Lake’s Ryan Buehler finished the game with his first varsity basket with 12.5 seconds left.

Blomberg scored five points for the Redmen, Klemann added four and Borchardt and Thiede scored three apiece. Vlach grabbed five rebounds, Borchardt had four while Blomberg and Klemann had three each. Wudi and Vlach had two assists apiece. Wudi had two steals.

Janke and Lepak led Athens with 12 points each and Diedrich added 10.

Rib Lake’s Logan Blomberg attempts a 3-point shot from the right corner during the first half of last week’s loss to Athens.DONALD WATSON/THE STAR NEWS