Dons fire away in second half to pull away in season opener
Rib Lake’s Addison Gumz provides the ball pressure while Danielle Mann, Josie Scheithauer and Emily Rodman protect the lane as the varsity defends the JV team during Monday’s practice at Rib Lake Elementary School.
COLUMBUS CATHOLIC 66, RIB LAKE 39
Rib Lake sliced an early 15-point deficit to seven, but a 3-point shooting barrage that started with the last hoop of the first half and carried into the first eight minutes of the second half carried host Columbus Catholic to a 66-39 win in the girls basketball opener for both teams.
The Lady Dons sank eight of 22 tries from 3-point range in the non-conference matchup which was one of the key statistical advantages they had in their win. Rib Lake head coach Wayne Mann on Monday called the team’s rebounding a work in progress to start the season and that showed at times too with Columbus Catholic taking advantage of some offensive rebounds in a game it led from start to finish.
Rib Lake played without four seniors as it deals with some quarantines this week.
“We gave up too many points on second and third shots,” Mann said. “We will need to rebound better on the defensive end. Offensively we came out flat in the beginning of the game and dug ourselves a hole. We couldn’t come back from that.”
The early struggles led to a 19-4 deficit 13 minutes in after Columbus Catholic got its first two 3s of the night from Maggie Callaghan and Hailey Zimmermann. The Redmen finally got into a bit of an offensive groove over the next four minutes and threatened to make a game of it.
Reagan Reinhardt made a free throw to start the run, then Molly Heiser rebounded Reinhardt’s miss on the second attempt and scored. Kamryn Annala saved a possession by getting into a tieup with a Columbus rebounder and it paid off with Danielle Mann hitting a jumper to make it 19-9 at the half’s fourminute mark. After Jenna Kibbel and Callaghan scored for the Dons, Mann scored off an Annala assist, got a friendly roll on a 3-point shot and then sank two free throws with 47 seconds left to pull Rib Lake within 23-16.
But a Sam Casperson 3-pointer stopped Rib Lake’s run, put the Dons up by 10 at the break and their lead never dipped below double digits again.
Mann scored twice early in the second half to keep contact for the Lady Redmen at 33-20, but 3-pointers by Callaghan and Kibbel pushed the lead to 19. Reinhardt sank a triple for Rib Lake, but Kibbel got a three-point play off an offensive rebound and Kibbel and Callaghan drilled 3s again to break the game wide open at 48-23 with 11:51 left. The lead got as high as 30 at 59-29 before Reinhardt and Mann sank some late free throws and freshman Addison Gumz scored the final four of her first five varsity points in the last minute.
Danielle Mann opened the season with a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double and was a solid six of 11 from the field overall. She hit two of three attempts from 3-point range. Reinhardt aggressively looked for her shot while handling the point guard duties and scored nine points. Josie Scheithauer and Heiser scored two points each. Annala had eight rebounds, with Gumz and Heiser adding three apiece.
The Redmen were just 11 of 40 overall from the field, but they did make 14 of 20 free throws.
Kibbel and Callaghan finished with 16 points apiece for Columbus Catholic, while Casperson added 12. Columbus outrebounded Rib Lake 44-29. “On the bright side, we shot 70% from the free throw line, so we need to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket,” coach Mann said. “Rebounding will be a key as the season progresses. Our shooting will improve as we get deeper into the season.”
Rib Lake will have the home court advantage for its next three games. The Redmen open Marawood North play tonight, Thursday, against defending champion Phillips at 7:15 p.m. On Friday night, Flambeau visits for a non-conference game that now tips at 7 p.m. as there is no JV game.
Rib Lake will host Chequamegon in league play Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.
