Abby falls to conference rival Rib Lake
The Abbotsford Falcons girls basketball team (1-8; 0-3 MNC) dropped their last two games, falling to the Chargers last week and then Rib Lake at home on Tuesday night.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 89-19
The Abbotsford Falcons girls basketball team ran into a juggernaut in the form of the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Chargers, falling 89-19 in a non-conference road game last Friday.
The Falcons had no answers for the one-two punch of the Chargers Emma Herb and Abi Fraaza, the Central-Wisconsin East Conference’s top two scorers and rebounders.
The Chargers came into the meeting with a perfect 8-0 record, and played every bit like a top flight team, racing out to an early 62-7 lead in the first half.
The Chargers turned the ball over just seven times, while pilfering Abby’s pockets for 20 steals. The Chargers crashed the glass time and time again, holding a 31-10 advantage on rebounds, and dished out 29 assists as four different players scored in double digits. Herb and Fraaza led the way with 24 and 17 points.
Abby’s offense struggled mightily, with not one player in double digits, though seven different Falcons found their names’ in the scorers column.
In the second half the Falcons held Wittenberg-Birnamwood to under 30 points, but Abby’s early deficit, coupled with cold shooting, resulted in the Falcon’s seventh loss.
Senior Maggie Seefluth led the Falcons with five points. Alea Graff and Mya Ruesch scored four points apiece, with Graff pulling down a team high three rebounds.
Bridgett Pogodzinski scored three points with limited minutes, making her comeback after sitting the first month out with injury. Jayden Falteisek scored two points, pulled down three rebounds and had one block. Brittany Fuentes round things out with one point.
Rib Lake, 39-36
Two teams came into Tuesday night’s contest in search for some much desired mid-season momentum.
The Falcons hosted Marawood - North rivals Rib Lake on Parents’ Night, but the home court held little advantage for Abby as points were few and far between in the first half.
Not that Rib Lake was lighting it up on the scoreboard either, with each team struggling to maintain possession of the ball with turnovers on both sides of the floor.
The Redmen did hold one advantage, and that proved to be the deciding factor in the game, and that was height. The Falcons struggled with their smaller line-up to feed the ball inside against the taller team.
Rib Lake was able to get several baskets inside to drop, while the Falcons were forced to settle for long-range two pointers and deep triples.
Catie Clement hit one trey, and Maggie Seefluth had a pair of baskets, but the Falcons went into the break down 21-12.
Abby was sharper in the second half, doubling their first half output with improved shooting from Down Town.
Seefluth hit a pair of threes, followed by Clement and Jayden Falteisek. But while the offense was flowing, the Falcons struggled to get defensive stops, and crucial turnovers at critical junctures gave Rib Lake too many chances to score, and despite Abby pulling to within one possession in the final minute, the shots refused to fall, and the Falcons’ losing skid extended to seven.
Six different Falcons scored on offense, with Clement and Seefluth leading the way with 11 and 10 points. Sophomore Alea Graff had a solid game with six points. Falteisek, Mya Ruesch and Bridgette Pogodzinski all scored three points apiece.
The Falcons will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 10, when they square off with the Stratford Tigers on the road. Tip-off is at 5:45 p.m.
