Sharper second half pushes RL past the Pirates
RIB LAKE 75, GILMAN 41
The Gilman Pirates refused to fold in the first half Monday night, but the Rib Lake Redmen worked out their first-half kinks after halftime and pulled away for a 75-41 victory in this year’s non-conference boys basketball matchup between the cross-county squads.
The Redmen got good scoring balance with four players in double figures and had one of their better shooting nights of the season at 40% from the field (28 of 70). Rib Lake’s defense had a hand in Gilman committing 25 turnovers, which led to 19 points and the Redmen, at times, beat Gilman in transition, which has been a season-long issue for the winless Pirates.
Gilman hung tough behind 10 points and six rebounds –– including four offensive boards –– from junior forward Caleb Marion in the first 18 minutes. He finished with team highs of 12 points and eight rebounds.
“In the first half I don’t know if we were trying too hard because we just weren’t in a good rhythm or good flow,” Rib Lake head coach Todd Henderson said. “We had a few too many turnovers and stuff. We stepped up and played better in the second half. It seemed like it was better as a unit, better team basketball, better defense.”
Rib Lake improved to 10-9 as it heads into its last five games of the regular season, starting with a non-conference game at home tonight, Thursday, against Crandon. Gilman is 0-19 with four regular-season contests remaining, starting with a trip to Loyal tonight.
The Redmen jumped ahead 9-2 in Monday’s game with five quick points from Tanner Vlach and four from Dominic Quednow. Marion scored off a baseline inbound play and hit a short shot over Rib Lake’s Andrew Wudi to pull the Pirates within 11-6. Quednow upped his point total for the half to nine and Rib Lake got 3-point shots from Michael Borchardt and Jackson Blomberg in a 14-2 run that opened up a 25-8 lead with 6:05 left in the half.
But Gilman responded. Dalton Wisocky hit a perimeter jumper off a Marion kickout, Marion hit two free throws and Max Ustianowski hit his first 3-point shot of the season. Marion had a chance at a three-point play with 2:02 left. He missed the free throw, but his bucket got Gilman within 29-19 before Blomberg restored order for the host Redmen by sinking a 3-pointer from the right corner off a Wudi kickout pass with 57 seconds left to give Rib Lake a 32-19 halftime lead.
Sam Syryczuk scored for Gilman to start the second half, but Blomberg sank another triple and the Redmen slowly, but steadily extended their lead from there. A little 7-0 run that included 3s from Quednow and Dalen Gebauer made it 46-25 before Brayden Olynick hit a trifecta for the Pirates. A 17-6 surge opened up a 63-31 advantage and the lead stayed in the 30s from there.
Blomberg continued his month-long scoring binge and led Rib Lake with 17 points. He added seven rebounds and three steals. Blomberg has averaged nearly 18 points in his last eight games. Quednow was one shy of his season high with 16 points, plus he had six rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Borchardt had a solid outing with 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Vlach chipped in with 11 points and had five rebounds and four assists.
Wudi and Talon Scheithauer scored six points apiece for the Redmen. Wudi had five rebounds and four assists. Scheithauer had five rebounds and two steals. Gebauer had five points and two boards. Freshman Ethan Cook had a late bucket as well.
For head coach Bobbi Marion’s Gilman crew, Dalton Wisocky scored eight points, including six in the first half. He added five rebounds. Olynick hit two 3-pointers and scored six points. He had five rebounds. Trevor Vick got on a little second-half run with a couple of 3s and finished with 8 points and seven rebounds.
Ustianowski had three points and two rebounds, Sam Syryczuk had two points, four rebounds and two assists and Sawyer Winger hit two free throws in the final seconds. Anthony Syryczuk had four assists and three rebounds for the Pirates.
“They’re better,” Henderson said of the Pirates. “They’re improving from where they’ve been the last couple years.”
Rib Lake has won six of its last nine games and played well against some tough competition in its recent losses, which it hopes is a good sign with tournament play now less than three weeks away.
“Hopefully we’ll keep playing well and peak at the right time here,” Henderson said.
