Redmen start doable home stretch with win at Tomahawk

RIB LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL

While it hasn’t been easy lately for the Rib Lake Redmen, who had lost eight of their previous nine games, there is a window to gain some momentum before WIAA Division 5 tournament play begins and the Redmen took the first step Tuesday with a 52-40 win at Tomahawk.

The Redmen controlled play virtually from start to finish, building a 30-15 lead and holding that lead in double digits through the second half. They led 48-30 before emptying the bench in the final moments. The Hatchets made a little run at that point but they didn’t have nearly enough time to seriously threaten Rib Lake’s lead.

Rib Lake put three scorers in double figures, led by Logan Blomberg with 16 points. He hit seven of 10 shots from the field, including two of three from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, three steals an an assist.

Michael Borchardt hit five of 10 shots and grabbed three rebounds while scoring 13 points. Jackson Blomberg scored 12 and had three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Blomberg and Borchardt each knocked down a 3.

Jordan Yanko scored six points and pulleddownfiverebounds.TreyKlemann made three of four free throws and had three rebounds. Andrew Wudi had a bucket and a team-high six rebounds. Tanner Vlach had three assists and Sam Gumz had four rebounds.

Rib Lake shot a solid 42.9% from the field (21 of 46), including 17 of 35 on two points shots. Of those shots, 33 came inside the paint. The Hatchets, who fell to 3-19, were just 13 of 54 from the field (24.1%), including eight of 30 on twopoint shots and five for 24 on 3s.

They were led by Gavyn Palmer, who scored 13 points despite fighting foul trouble. Another of Tomahawk’s top players, Tyler Welke, was limited by foul trouble and only scored two. Jaxson Werner scored 10 points.

Now 5-15 overall, Rib Lake will close the regular season with a stretch of games it feels it can get. It starts Friday at Abbotsford in a Marawood North rematch of a Dec. 21 game the Redmen won 66-56. The Redmen host Pittsville in nonconference play Monday at 7:15 p.m. The Panthers are 7-12 and in the middle of the Central Wisconsin Conference South pack. Prentice comes to Rib Lake Feb. 24. The Redmen were right with the Buccaneers until the last four minutes of a 75-63 loss on Jan. 27.

Tigers 81, Redmen 38

Not much went right for Rib Lake on Friday in an 81-38 loss to visiting Stratford in a Marawood Conference crossover.

The Tigers, who sit in second place in the Marawood South at 12-2 and are 18-3 overall, scored 23 points off 16 Rib Lake turnovers, made 23 of their 30 field goals in the paint were a solid seven of 18 from 3-point range in a solid all-around performance.

Stratford’s defensive pressure resulted in just 27.5% shooting from the Redmen (14 of 51), including five of 22 from long range. Even when Rib Lake got the ball inside, it wasn’t easy to score as the team made just six of 19 shots in the paint.

Stratford outrebounded Rib Lake 42-29 and turned the basketball over just six times. Rib Lake got nine points from Jackson Blomberg, eight from Borchardt and six from Vlach in the loss, which dropped the team to 3-11 in Marawood Conference play. Borchardt had three rebounds. Vlach had two assists and two rebounds and made two 3-point shots.

Logan Blomberg and Wudi scored five points apiece. Blomberg had four rebounds and two assists. Wudi had two assists. Both knocked down a 3.

Yanko had a hoop, a team-high seven rebounds and two assists. Gumz had a bucket and six boards. Klemann added a free throw and four rebounds.

Camden Daul had a big outing for Stratford, scoring 22 points and adding nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. He scored 12 of his points in the first half to help Stratford pull out to a 41-22 lead. The Tigers slammed the door with a 40-16 scoring advantage in the second half.

Caden Bruesewitz scored seven of his 12 points in the second half.