Scoring uptick for Gilman in second halves of last two losses

GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL

Two games in two nights resulted in two losses for the Gilman Pirates, capped by a 73-38 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference defeat at Spencer Tuesday night.

Playing for first time in Spencer’s new dome facility, the Pirates, much like the night before against Bruce, got behind quickly as the Rockets shot ahead 16-2 behind some points off turnovers and transition and a 3-pointer from Kaleb Brandt.

The Pirates never recovered from that, trailing 38-13 at the half. But also like the previous night, they got some things going offensively in the second half they could draw some confidence from going forward.

Spencer improved to 1-2 in league play and 2-5 overall with the win. Gilman is 0-4, 0-5. A huge challenge awaits the Pirates on Tuesday when they visit Columbus Catholic (1-0, 5-0), who is ranked second in the state in Division 5 in this week’s WisSports.net coaches poll.

Sophomore Caleb Marion, just like the previous night, got some things done inside in the second half and led the Pirates with 10 points. He scored six in a stretch where the Pirates shaved a 48-18 deficit to 54-31. Grady Kroeplin had five points in that same stretch, scoring on a strong drive to the rim, hitting one of two free throws after getting fouled on an offensive putback and then grabbing a defensive rebound and taking it the distance for a lay-in.

Branden Ustianowski scored eight points for Gilman, six of which came in the first half. Joey Syryczuk also scored eight points and knocked down the team’s lone 3-pointer of the night, which wound up being Gilman’s last points. Zack Marion scored four of the team’s first five points and finished with five. Dalton Wisocky added two early free throws in the second half.

Spencer had five players with at least nine points in its winning effort.

Luke Roehrborn scored the first five points of the game and had 10 points by the time Spencer had opened up a 27-8 lead. He finished with 13. Caleb Rucker hit two second-half 3-pointers and finished with 10 points. Carson Schmidt also had 10. Kaleb Brandt scored six of his nine points in the first half and Noah Schultz also scored nine, six of which came in the second half.

Tuesday’s game in Marshfield is Gilman’s last before Christmas, but the Pirates have added a non-conference game between holidays. They’ll go to Birchwood for a varsity-only game on Thursday, Dec. 30.

Bruce 81, Gilman 38

On Monday, Gilman continued to struggle with turnovers and Bruce, at times, was able slice through Gilman’s zone defenses, particularly along the baseline. But the Pirates, when they did take care of the ball, showed some significant offensive improvement over their previous three games in an 81-38 home loss to the 3-0 Red Raiders.

Caleb Marion powered in eight of his nine points in the second half, doing all his damage down low in the paint, and Wisocky scored all seven of his points in the second on outside shots, including a 3-pointer.

Syryczuk and Dominic Franzen also hit 3-pointers in Gilman’s 24-point second half, a total higher than any full game the Pirates had played prior to Monday night.

“We played well in spurts,” head coach Bobbi Marion said.

Unfortunately, one of those spurts did not happen early as Bruce tore out to a 19-2 lead in the game’s first seven minutes. For the most part, the Red Raiders capitalized on Pirate turnovers to build that lead. Syryczuk sank a 3-pointer and Caleb Marion made one of two free throws to get Gilman within 21-8 with 8:51 left in the half, but an 8-0 run put Bruce up by 21 at 29-8 before Zack Marion scored inside for Gilman. Bruce went on to lead 41-14 at halftime.

According to Bobbi Marion, while the Pirates know they have to cut their turnovers down to remain competitive, it’s the ones that occur in the front court –– after they’ve broken opponents’ pressure –– that were most frustrating on Monday.

“We have to slow down and not be in so much of a hurry,” she said.

After giving up an opening hoop to Bruce’s Matthew Popowich to start the second half, Gilman got on its best stretch of basketball for the night. Caleb Marion scored twice in a row and Wisocky answered a Chris Brockman 3 with a jumper to make it 46-20. Marion finished again, Kroeplin sank three of four free throws, Syryczuk hit his second triple of the night and Caleb Marion added his fourth and final hoop before fouling out late in the game to make it 60-30 before Bruce went on another surge to put the running clock into effect in the last eight minutes.

Kroeplin, a junior, made his season debut for the Pirates and finished with five points. Coach Marion said his athleticism and energy will be a definite plus for Gilman going forward.

Behind Caleb Marion’s nine points and Wisocky’s seven, senior captain Zack Marion scored all six of his points in the first half. Ustianowski had a tough night getting shots to fall and finished with two points before fouling out late.

Popowich led four Bruce players in double figures with 20 points. Jake Thome and Brockman scored 17 apiece and Ryan Popowich added 13.

In conference play Thursday, the visiting Colby Hornets came out firing, putting up 55 first-half points on 22 made field goals en route to an 88-18 win.

It wasn’t just layups Colby was hitting either. The Hornets sank seven 3s in the half to run out to a 55-11 halftime lead.

Gilman, on the other hand, only got six shots to fall from the field the entire night, four of which were 3s. Syryczuk knocked down two of them for a team-high six points. Wisocky hit one to finish with five first-half points. Zack Marion hit one in the second half for his only points. He played through an ankle sprain suffered in pre-game warm-ups. Ustianowski scored three points and Caleb Marion hit a first-half free throw.

Richard Streveler scored 14 of his game-high 16 points in the first half for Colby, who are 3-0 in league play after beating Greenwood Tuesday. Tevin Rue, Brody Decker and Joe Streveler all scored 13 points each and Kaden Wiese added 11.

Gilman’s Grady Kroeplin flies through Bruce’s Brady Trott and Chris Brockman and draws a foul during the second half of Monday’s non-conference loss.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS