Hanging with Tigers is too tall of a task

RIB LAKE GIRLS BASKETBALL

Friday night was a tough one all the way around for the Rib Lake girls basketball team, who was on the wrong end of a 76-23 score at Stratford.

Rib Lake found itself in a physical mismatch from a size standpoint, ran into some injury issues and had little chance of staying with the Tigers, who improved to 10-6 overall and have a solid 8-3 Marawood Conference record in the league’s South Division.

“Stratford is just too tall for some of our vertically challenged players,” Rib Lake head coach Mike Wudi said. “Breanna Ackley had a great shooting night from the outside because, at 6-2, shooting over 5-3, 5-5 or 5-7 is just not a fair fight. Emily Hughes at 6-1 is a strong post player and we simply could not stop her inside.”

Ackley led all scorers with 23 points. She scored 13 of those points in the first half and was deadly from both inside and outside as she hit four 3-pointers.

Hughes was eight of nine from the field while scoring 17 points, nine in the first half and eight in the second.

Stratford took control by building a 37-13 halftime lead and then outscored the Lady Redmen 39-10 in the second half.

Lauren Pelnis led the way with eight points and grabbed five rebounds. Reagan Reinhardt hit a 3-pointer and scored seven points before leaving the game with an ankle injury. Nellie Hopkins scored four points and grabbed three rebounds. Jolee Gehrke and Rebekah Strobach scored two points apiece. Gehrke had two rebounds and a steal. Strobach had two steals and an assist. Molly Heiser contributed two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

“Losing two starters with likely season-ending injuries that night did not help,” Wudi said, noting junior forward Tia Bube left with a knee injury. “Offensively we actually moved the ball well, had good spacing and limited turnovers (13). We simply did not hit mid-range or outside shots.”

Rib Lake made seven of 33 two-point shots and one of seven 3s. The Redmen did a good job of getting to the free throw line and made six of 15.

Stratford was a highly-efficient 25 of 33 on two-point shots and, for good measure, hit seven of 18 3-pointers. The Tigers outrebounded Rib Lake 35-17 and only turned the ball over four times.

Rib Lake lost 46-21 to Gilman in non-conference play on Tuesday to fall to 2-10 overall. No longer playing a JV schedule due to reduced numbers, Rib Lake hosts Prentice Friday and then goes to Abbotsford and Tomahawk Monday and Tuesday. The Redmen are scheduled to make up a game at Auburndale Feb. 4.