BOYS HOOPS: RIB LAKE 66, GILMAN 38 - Redmen assert themselves after half, sail past Pirates

BOYS HOOPS: RIB LAKE 66, GILMAN 38

The improved Gilman Pirates made an impression on visiting Rib Lake with some hard work that kept them in the first half of Tuesday’s non-conference boys basketball matchup.

But, when Rib Lake cranked up its intensity a notch or two in the second half, the Redmen showed they are still clearly the superior small-school squad in Taylor County.

The Redmen hit Gilman with a key 7-0 spurt to take a double-digit lead into halftime and then hammered the Pirates with a 25-6 blast coming out of the break to win handily 66-38 in the start of a busy January for both teams.

Rib Lake’s energizer this year, Dominic Quednow, could not be stopped, going for 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting and adding seven rebounds, while Jackson Blomberg knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points. He dished out six assists.

The win was Rib Lake’s fourth straight and its sixth win in seven outings, boosting the Redmen’s record to 7-2. Rib Lake has won nine straight times in this on-and-off rivalry, dating back to the 2007-08 season, and none of those games have been particularly close.

This one was close for 17 minutes. “We kind of feared the first half might be a little rough having come off Christmas break where we didn’t have a game,” Rib Lake head coach Todd Henderson said. “We were supposed to have a game against Florence but it got canceled. We didn’t practice a whole lot over break just to give the guys some time off.

“That first half was a little rough. I thought we weren’t communicating well on defense, especially in the man-to-man. We were just out of sync there. We took a couple quick 3s.”

Rib Lake quickly jumped ahead 14-4 and 20-8, but Gilman got a spark with a Sawyer Winger steal near midcourt that turned into a basket for Tony Syryczuk. Winger hit a baseline floater then, after a Donovan Sutherland basket for Rib Lake, Brayden Olynick put back his own miss and Joey Syryczuk scored off an assist from Tony Syryczuk to pull the Pirates within 22-16. Tony Syryczuk later fed Olynick for another assist and Caleb Marion scored off a Rib Lake turnover, getting the transition assist from Dalton Wisocky to make it a 26-22 game with 2:30 left in the half.

“I thought our first half effort was really pretty good, besides some key possessions where we didn’t make it back on defense and they made us pay for that,” Gilman head coach Tyler Pockat said. “You have to give them credit. They move the ball very well in transition offense. We knew it was going to be a really tough game for us. They are well-coached and they have a nice group of athletes that can push the floor and finish well.”

The Pirates got a stop and had a chance to draw even closer, but missed a good look in the lane. A patient Rib Lake possession was capped by Quednow’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 51 seconds left, Jed Henderson got a layup off an inbound pass from Andrew Wudi with 27 seconds and Sutherland made a big play at the buzzer, hitting a fallaway rebound bucket from the left baseline. Just like that, it was 33-22 and some wind was taken out of Gilman’s sails.

“We talked about that at half of being so close,” Pockat said. “Down by four to down 11 in 45 seconds was a buzz kill for us. That’s on me as the coach, I have to do a better job managing the game.”

Blomberg sank three 3s and scored 13 points in Rib Lake’s knockout run to start the second half, while Quednow had eight points and an assist on one of Blomberg’s baskets as the lead shot to 5626 nine minutes in.

“In the second half we came out and buckled down on defense,” Todd Henderson said. “We communicated better. Guys just worked hard and I think we did a better job rebounding too. We were a little more patient on offense, looking to get to the hoop more. We wanted to get some turnovers and stops and we reminded them to get out and run. Get the ball ahead, get the ball up and down the court. Our guys do a great job when they get a chance to do that.”

From the start, it appeared it was Rib Lake’s full intent to speed the game up on Gilman whenever possible.

“We’ve made that a goal all season,” Henderson. “If we can play fast and get to the hoop before the other team sets up their defense it’s a lot easier to score. We have the athletes that like to get out and run. That style of basketball is fun to watch too.”

Without a doubt nearly halfway into the season, Quednow has become a player for Rib Lake who sets that fast-paced tone.

“He really has worked hard and he is a kid that has one of those motors that goes,” Henderson said. “He kind of reminds you of one of the (NFL’s) Watt brothers. He just goes and goes and he’s not afraid to stick his nose in there for loose balls and get rebounds. He can take the ball hard to the hole. He kind of sets the tone energy wise bringing that hustle.”

Sutherland hit double figures for Rib Lake with 12 points. Talon Scheithauer, Seth Borchardt and Jed Henderson scored four apiece and Jeremy Wiitala got a basket off a Wudi assist for his first varsity points.

Sutherland had six rebounds, while Blomberg and Wudi had four. Scheithauer had five assists and three steals. Wudi had four assists.

Gilman, now 2-7, got 10 points from Winger, eight of which were scored in the second half. Joey Syryczuk scored six, Logan Halida, Marion and Olynick scored four points each and Max Ustianowski, Tony Syryczuk, Beau Pockat, Trevor Vick and Talyn Podolak had a basket apiece. Gilman outrebounded the Redmen 40-28. Halida led the Pirates with seven rebounds, while Joey Syryczuk, Olynick and Ustianowski had five apiece. Tony Syryczuk had four assists, while Wisocky had two.

“Our defense in the second half was not good at times and we missed some key assignments that really ended up hurting us,” Pockat said. “Again, any time a team regroups at the half and challenges you like they did, you gotta give them credit. That’s a very solid team. Overall, we did rebound well at times and did see positives that we will take away from the game. I think all of us can learn from that one, and we will.”

“They’re a much-improved team from last year,” Henderson said of the Pirates. “They’re working hard. I think (Pockat) is doing a good job of getting effort out of them and convincing their guys to keep getting better and improving. They obviously are.”

Rib Lake aims to maintain its lead in the Marawood North as it returns to conference play this week. The stretch starts with a crossover matchup Friday at Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. That is game two of a girls/boys doubleheader that will start at about 7:15 p.m. Rib Lakes travels to North rivals Phillips and Chequamegon Tuesday and Jan. 12.

Gilman starts a stretch of four games in eight days when it visits Loyal for a 7:15 p.m. tip time on Friday. The Pirates will be at Lake Holcombe Monday and they host Spencer and Bruce back-toback nights Jan. 11 and 12.

Rib Lake’s Jed Henderson rejects a shot by Gilman’s Adam Draeger late in the second half of Tuesday’s non-conference game won by the Redmen. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS