Second-half comeback runs out of steam in loss to Blackhawks

RIB LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL

The Rib Lake Redmen made a hard second-half charge Monday, but their slow start put them in a hole that was too deep to climb out of it in a 57-42 loss to visiting Owen-Withee in non-conference play.

The Blackhawks led by as many as 16 in the first half before settling for a 36-21 halftime lead. But Rib Lake came out of the locker room energized and opened the second half with a 16-5 run that cut the lead to 41-37 with nine minutes still remaining.

That, however, was as close as the Redmen got while falling to 1-2 overall. Owen-Withee got its first win after three competitive losses to start the season.

“I felt like we dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half,” Rib Lake head coach Todd Henderson said. “Just a few too many turnovers and the shots weren’t really falling and they were for them. Then we started making some runs and we just couldn’t quite get over the hump. We’d get within five or six, they’d get it back to 10. We’d get within four, it’d go back to 10. Each team would make some runs. We just couldn’t quite get it all back.”

The Redmen got a huge game from junior guard Tanner Vlach, who scored 15 of his career-high 18 points in the second half.

“He got out of kind of a shooting slump he was in,” Henderson said. “He’s definitely capable of shooting like this. It was nice to see him make some shots. Defensively too, he does a good job of reading the offense and can time passes well and get some steals.”

The difference maker, however, may have been Owen-Withee’s length. The Blackhawks’ starters were all 6-2 or taller and their size and wingspans gave Rib Lake problems throughout the game with rebounding and getting into passing lanes and creating turnovers out their full-court and half-court zones.

“There were too many battles for rebounds where we’d get position but just didn’t come up with the ball,” Henderson said. “Our guys felt like it was physical. Those are things you have to overcome.”

Owen-Withee jumped ahead 6-0 and 12-2 with 3-pointers from Roy Stinson and Tyler Weaver pushing the lead to 10. Stinson’s second 3-ball answered a Vlach triple and he got an offensive rebound to make it 17-5. Rib Lake started to get some offensive traction after that, breaking down Owen-Withee’s 1-2-2 zone to get good looks inside or free-throw opportunities. But the Blackhawks kept answering as the gap stayed in double digits.

Vlach’s 3-pointer capped a good opening possession to the second half for Rib Lake and finally put momentum into the home team’s hands for an extended stretch. Vlach assisted on a Logan Blomberg bucket and hit two free throws to pull Rib Lake within eight. Michael Borchardt’s rebound basket answered a Klabon score, then Vlach scored off a turnover to make it 38-32 with just over 13 minutes to go.

Klabon buried a 3 out of a timeout, but Vlach came back with one of his own. Then he scored off a Blomberg assist to make it a four-point game. Rib Lake’s success forced Owen-Withee to switch zones and then switch all together to man-to-man. Rib Lake went from its firsthalf 2-3 to a 1-3-1 in a move that paid off in the first nine minutes.

“We tried to make some adjustments at halftime and just reminded the guys how we wanted to attack their 1-2-2 and I feel like they did a better job of that,” Henderson said. “We were getting into transition. I feel like we play better when we’re up tempo. We did a good job in the 1-3-1 just getting in their passing lanes and forcing them to take some shots they didn’t want to take forced some bad passes and we got a few turnovers.”

What Rib Lake didn’t get was a key rebound with the deficit still at four. After a series of offensive rebounds, Blackhawk Logan Amacher finally scored to stop Rib Lake’s run. Weaver hit a high-post jumper, Elliot Ackerman got a steal that led to a Klabon hoop off an Amacher assist and Klabon sank the dagger, a 3-pointer that pushed the lead back to 13 at 50-37 with about 6:30 to go that basically sealed it.

Blomberg finished with eight points before turning an ankle and leaving the game with 4:13 to go. Jordan Yanko worked hard to score seven points inside, six of which came in the first half. Borchardt scored six points and Sam Gumz added three.

Klabon led Owen-Withee with 19 points, 14 of which came after halftime. Amacher scored 12 and Caleb Geldernick, a 6-5 forward, added nine.

Rib Lake will be challenged again this week with a Marawood Conference crossover tonight, Thursday, against Marathon (3-0) and a Tuesday Marawood North battle with Chequamegon, who is off to a 4-1 start. Both games tip at 7:15 p.m. at Rib Lake High School.

Edgar 63, Rib Lake 39

Rib Lake simply got outshot in Thursday’s 63-39 Marawood crossover loss at Edgar.

The Wildcats were a sizzling 10 of 22 from 3-point range, while the Redmen were just one of 15 and that 27-point advantage pretty much told the story.

“We struggled to score,” Henderson said. “I think we outrebounded and we had less turnovers. But they were just on. They had nine different guys that scored. It was just balanced. A couple of guys started hitting shots and it was contagious. They shot well. They played hard. It just wasn’t our night. When you win the turnover and rebound battle, you think you’re going to be OK. But we just struggled to hit the 3s in their gym.”

Six of Edgar’s 3s came in the first half as the Wildcats bolted to a 40-18 lead. Ashton Schuett hit a pair of 3s and scored all 11 of his game-high total in the half.

The Wildcats cooled off somewhat in the second half, but Leyton Schuett addwill ed two more 3s to finish with three for the game and nine points.

Karter Butt also had nine points for the Wildcats.

Rib Lake did well inside, making 15 of 34 two-point shots (44.1%) and outscoring Edgar 28-22 in the paint. The Redmen had a 34-30 edge in total rebounding.

Yanko scored six first-half points and finished with eight. Borchardt added seven points, Gumz and Vlach scored six each and Andrew Wudi and Blomberg scored five apiece. Jackson Blomberg added two free throws.

Yanko also led Rib Lake with nine rebounds. Borchardt and Blomberg had six each, Vlach had five and Wudi had four. Wudi and Blomberg had three assists apiece. Wudi had two steals.