RIB LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL - Bucs score last 7 points to steal one from Redmen

RIB LAKE BOYS BASKETBALL

The Rib Lake Redmen no longer hold sole possession of first place in Marawood North boys basketball after dropping an intense rivalry battle with visiting Prentice Monday 44-41.

In a matchup dominated by each team’s man-to-man defense, the outcome came down to things like turnovers, offensive rebounds and, especially in the last minute, free throws –– all areas the Buccaneers won on the stats sheet and allowed them to improve to 3-2 in Marawood play and pull within a game of Rib Lake and Phillips.

The Redmen (5-3 overall) and Loggers (6-2) now both sit at 4-1 in Marawood play and have a key mid-season matchup looming on Tuesday in Rib Lake. Before then, each team has a Marawood crossover game Friday with Rib Lake hosting Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and Phillips hosting Newman Catholic. Prentice (6-2) hosts Marathon.

Rib Lake had its chances to put Monday’s game away down the stretch but kept the door open and Prentice finally broke in by making five of six free throws in the last 22.6 seconds. The Redmen missed the front ends of three bonus opportunities in the last 39.3 seconds as what was a 41-37 lead after a Talon Scheithauer 3-pointer with 2:51 left got away.

Neither team had what it would probably call a good shooting night as Rib Lake shot 38.6% from the field (17 of 44 overall), including just four of 20 from 3point range, and Prentice shot just 30.4% overall, including 14 of 47 on two-point shots. But a turnover spree helped Prentice score the game’s first eight points. The Bucs only turned the basketball over eight times in the game, while Rib Lake had 13.

Once Rib Lake caught up and took its first lead at 16-15 on a Slade Scheithauer 3-pointer, the lead never got larger than four for either team the rest of the way. A three-point play from Seth Borchardt gave Rib Lake its biggest lead of the half at 2119 with 4:09 left. Prentice scored the next five points held a 24-22 lead at the break.

Jed Henderson rebounded a missed 3 by Talon Scheithauer and put it in to tie the game to start the second half. Henderson’s score off a Borchardt assist gave the Redmen a 28-26 lead with 15:42 left and pinned the third foul on Prentice big man Aidan Hause, who, along with Evan Lord, led the Bucs with four offensive rebounds apiece. Hause, who finished with a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double, did not commit a foul the rest of the night. He and Lord each scored the next basket and Matti Heikkinen rattled in a mid-range jumper to give Prentice its biggest lead of the second half at 32-28.

Talon Scheithauer gave Rib Lake a 3432 with a nice spin move and drive. That was answered by a corner 3-pointer from Prentice’s Heston Hueckman. Henderson’s rebound basket and a long two-point shot from Talon Scheithauer put Rib Lake up 38-35 with 7:10 left. Hagan Isaacson got a third-chance basket for Prentice before Talon Scheithauer ended a long, patient possession by the Redmen with his 3-pointer at the 2:51 mark. A Rib Lake turnover led to a transition chance for Prentice and a Hause hoop with 1:27 left, though he missed the free throw on what could have been a three-point play. Rib Lake turned the ball over again with 1:15 left, but the defense forced a tieup with 45.7 seconds to go to get the ball back.

Rib Lake missed a free throw and Lord hit two clutch bonus throws to tie the game with 22.6 ticks left. A backcourt steal by Hueckman led to Hause’s tie-breaking free throw with 13.7 seconds left. Rib Lake then had two opportunities to tie or win it at the free throw line in the last 12.1 seconds but missed. Eliah Harding’s free throws with 1.2 seconds left sealed it for Prentice.

Talon Scheithauer finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals for Rib Lake, while Jed Henderson continued his double-double streak with 11 points and 14 boards. He blocked three shots. Blake Henderson had a solid outing with seven points and five rebounds.

Borchardt scored six points and had three assists. Slade Scheithauer had three points and two assists. Lucas Cook added a second-half basket, while Ethan Cook had seven rebounds and two assists.

Harding scored nine points, while Hueckman and Lord had six apiece for the Buccaneers, who were seven of 10 at the free throw line, while Rib Lake was three for eight. Both teams had 34 rebounds with 16 of Prentice’s coming on the offensive end.

After the Assumption and Phillips games, which both tip at 7:15 p.m., Rib Lake will head to Northland Pines for a 6 p.m. non-conference game on Jan. 16. The Redmen host Chequamegon to close out the first round of Marawood North play on Jan. 17.