MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL - There were good stretches, but Nordin, Hawks too much in opener

MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Medford Raiders got on a run in the middle sections of the game and pulled themselves within one score Tuesday, but early and late success by the host Shawano Hawks allowed them to pull away for a 6548 non-conference win on opening night of the girls basketball season.

Ultimately, Shawano’s first-team All-State player from a year ago, 6-2 wing Leah Nordin was too much for Medford to handle. Nordin scored Shawano’s first 12 points, had 19 at the half and finished with 35 points to lead the Hawks, who are coming off a 17-9 season in 2023-24.

Medford got 15 points from Kayla Baumgartner, 14 from Taylor Klingbeil and nine more on three 3-pointers from Aliyah Pilgrim, but it wasn’t enough to keep over the entire 36 minutes.

“We just went cold,” Medford head coach Chad Fronk said. “Then I think we got a little frustrated when we weren’t hitting shots.”

The key stretch came after Medford pulled within 34-31 on a Klingbeil 3pointer with 15:20 left. Defensively, the Raiders’ Rylee Hraby and Jolie Steliga took charges in a 90-second span to keep it close at 36-31, but Nordin took the ball to the rim for an easy score, Ella Stuber, who had 19 points for the Hawks, scored off a turnover, Nordin sank a pull-up jumper, Stuber drilled a 3-ball and Nordin got an offensive putback.

Just like that, it was 47-31 with 9:42 left and Shawano maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way, with the lead getting as high as 20 at 62-42 on another Stuber 3.

Klingbeil scored right off the opening tip to give Medford its lone lead of the game. Nordin’s 12-point run was followed by a Stuber triple and her two free throws, putting Medford in an early 17-5 hole just over six minutes in.

But then the Raiders got some shots to fall, got some stops and made a game of it.

Baumgartner hit Klingbeil with a long outlet pass for an easy bucket and then sank a 3. Hraby drilled a 3. Laney Hraby answered a Nordin score with a bucket off a Hraby assist and Baumgartner knocked down another long-range shot to get the Raiders within 19-18.

Shawano opened the lead back up to 29-21 by the half and Nordin scored to open the second half for a 10-point edge. Nordin’s 3 answered a Klingbeil hoop to make it 34-23.

Baumgartner’s three-point play with 16:34 left got the Raiders’ second big run of the game started. Klingbeil hit a jumper from the elbow and then hit her 3 at the 15:20 mark to make it a one-score game. But that was the last time the Raiders would be that close.

Laney Hraby finished with four points, Rylee Hraby scored three, Toryn Rau, who fought foul trouble throughout the game, hit a second-half free throw and junior Laura Wegerer got her first varsity basket late in the game for Medford.

Klingbeil, Pilgrim and Baumgartner had six rebounds apiece. Baumgartner had five assists and Pilgrim had four.

The shooting percentages were close between the team. Shawano shot 37% overall, while Medford shot 32%. The Raiders were actually better from 3-point range at 26% (nine of 35) compared to 19% (four of 21). Shawano just took 73 shots compared to Medford’s 53, aided by 22 offensive rebounds and 19 Medford turnovers.

“I don’t think the score was indicative of how the game went,” Fronk said. “I thought we played well most of the game. Obviously you’re not happy with a loss, but I like this team.”

The Raiders, who will play 10 of their first 11 games away from Raider Hall, are at Chippewa Falls tonight, Thursday, for a non-conference game with the Cardinals, who they beat 55-48 last year. The Raiders then get a week off before facing Three Lakes-Phelps in day one of the Rhinelander holiday event on Nov. 29 at