WIAA DIV. 2 GIRLS BASKETBALL - Warriors quiet Raiders’ upset bid with big start to second half

WIAA DIV. 2 GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Medford Raiders hung tough for a half Friday, but Rice Lake hit them with a 12-3 knockout punch right at the start of the second half that created all the separation the third-seeded Warriors needed in their 57-34 WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal win.

The basic storyline was pretty similar to the teams’ non-conference meeting in Medford back on Dec. 15. Then, the struggling Raiders were only down nine at the half before the Warriors opened the second half with a 20-3 run in an eventual 6538 win.

This time, the sixth-seeded Raiders came into Rice Lake with much more confidence riding a four-game win streak and wins in six of their last seven games. They scrapped to stay within 21-18 through the first half. Though the second-half starting run by Rice Lake was a little smaller Friday, it was just as damaging.

Medford’s season ended at 13-13 under second-year head coach Chad Fronk. Rice Lake’s run ended one night later at 18-8 with a heartbreaking 70-69 loss at second-seeded Lakeland (24-2) in the regional final. Lakeland faces top-seeded Menomonie (23-3) in Marshfield tonight, Thursday, in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal with sixth-seeded Green Bay Southwest (17-9) or top-seeded and second- ranked Green Bay Notre Dame (25-1) waiting for the winner in Saturday’s 1 p.m. sectional final at Wausau East.

Ultimately, Rice Lake’s physicality and experience were too much for the young Raiders, who turned the basketball over 23 times, leading to 27 of the Warriors’ points.

Medford got some timely 3s, played solidly on the defensive end and got Rice Lake into some early foul trouble to hang around in the first 18 minutes.

Kayla Baumgartner had five early points, including a 3-pointer to give Medford a 7-6 lead and Breanna Kraemer’s free throw with 12:59 left put the Raiders in front for the last time at 8-7. Toryn Rau’s 3-pointer from the right wing tied the game at 11-11.

Rice Lake took the lead for good with an inside score from 6-1 center Addison Schmidt and a reverse lay-in from 6-2 sophomore Adaline Sheplee, but that lead didn’t get larger than six before the half.

Rice Lake’s top player, senior Eliana Sheplee, scored twice to make it 19-13. Baumgartner hit a little turnaround hook shot. As the half wound down, the Raiders got well into the bonus and Rice Lake starters Adaline Sheplee and Anna Lipke had three fouls each, while Eliana Sheplee had two. Medford made three of six free throws in the last 2:05 to stay within three.

The first part of Rice Lake’s early second-half punch was swift. Schmidt scored off a pick and roll with Eliana Sheplee on the Warriors’ first possession. Medford turned the ball over and Adaline Sheplee scored a reverse layup on the baseline. The Raiders missed a 3 and Adaline Sheplee hit one. Less than a minute into the half, it was 28-18.

Raider Aliyah Pilgrim banked in a 3-pointer and the Raiders got a stop, but, after a miss, Lucie Habas hit a 3 and Eliana Sheplee hit a long two-point shot to make it 33-21 and swing the momentum fully to Rice Lake’s side.

Rice Lake gradually built on its lead from that point on, stretching it to 50-28 on a rebound basket by Eliana Sheplee with about eight minutes left. The Raiders shaved the lead to 16 at 50-34 on a Baumgartner 3, which followed a blocked shot on the other end by Kraemer, but that wound up being Medford’s last basket of the 2023-24 season.

Baumgartner led Medford with 14 points. Taylor Klingbeil added eight and Rau scored six. But the offense was limited after that with Pilgrim scoring three, Laney Hraby scoring a second-half basket off a Kraemer assist and Kraemer scoring a point.

Klingbeil led Medford with six rebounds and three steals. Baumgartner had two assists.

Eliana Sheplee led the Warriors with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Adaline Sheplee and Schmidt scored 11 apiece. Schmidt had nine rebounds and Adaline Sheplee also had four assists.

Medford shot 29.3% from the field (12 of 41), while Rice Lake hit 44.4% of its shots (24 of 54). Rice Lake outrebounded Medford 41-22. The Raiders did turn Rice Lake over 18 times.

Medford says goodbye to four seniors, Kraemer, Rachel Wesle, Madison Clarkson and Bailey Eloranta, while the majority of the rotation should return. The team’s late-season momentum and the returning experience certainly builds optimism for Medford’s program heading into next winter.