Gilman gets big rivalry win at Thorp after two conference defeats

The Gilman Pirates hit shots at key times, did some rebounding work especially late in the second half and had a crucial advantage at the free throw line Tuesday while securing a 55-50 nonconference boys basketball win at rival Thorp.

The win was the first for a Gilman team over Thorp since a 40-33 win on Feb. 6, 2012, snapping the program’s nine-game losing streak to the Cardinals. By improving to 4-7 overall, the Pirates have already surpassed their win total from last season.

Returning to the lineup after a twogame absence, senior Max Ustianowski gave Gilman a big lift inside with 17 points on six-of-nine shooting from the field and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Logan Halida broke out offensively with a season-high 14 points and junior Dawson Grunseth’s recent offensive uptick continued with 10 points, including two first-half 3-pointers.

Thorp had a slight 36-35 overall edge in rebounds, but Gilman got better in that area as the game went on, securing 21 of its boards in the second half. Senior Joey Syryczuk was key in that charge, finishing with a team-high 13 rebounds, 11 defensive, to go with six points.

Gilman never led in the first half, trailing by as much as eight at 21-13, but a 12-5 surge to close it out got the Pirates within 26-25. Ustianowski had an offensive putback, Beau Pockat, who scored eight points, sank a 3-ball, Ustianowski scored on a nice post, Halida’s jumper got a friendly roll and Syryczuk nailed a 3-pointer with three seconds left in that Gilman run.

Ustianowski converted consecutive three-point plays to give Gilman its first lead at 33-31 with 13:56 to go and Grunseth got the lead to four, cutting to the hoop and scoring off a Syryczuk assist. Thorp regained the lead, getting it to 4138, but Halida shot the Pirates back in front for good, knocking down a 3 off a skip pass from Tony Syryczuk and making it 45-43 with a left baseline jumper with 8:15 left.

Grunseth’s steal and score with 2:08 left put Gilman up 50-47 and the Pirates made enough free throws from there to close it out. Gilman made 11 of 19 free throws, while Thorp was just two of nine.

Tony Syryczuk had seven rebounds for Gilman. Pockat had five boards and five assists.

Freshman big man Cooper Rosemeyer led Thorp (2-6) with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Dylan Mattson added 12 points.

Gilman starts a long stretch of Eastern Cloverbelt Conference play tonight, Thursday, at Spencer. The Pirates will finish the first round of league play Tuesday by hosting Columbus Catholic at 7:15 p.m.

Loyal 68, Gilman 23

Undefeated Loyal came into Gilman Friday and had its way with the Pirates, building a 40-10 halftime lead and cruising to a 68-23 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference win.

Gilman hung tough for about the first 10 minutes. Grunseth’s 3-pointer made it a 10-5 game. Tony Syryczuk’s steal and long pass to Pockat got the Pirates within 13-7. It was 17-8 after a Halida free throw when the Greyhounds got into sprint mode and ran away from the Pirates, closing the half on a 23-2 run.

Loyal dominated inside, outrebounding the Pirates 51-17 and scoring 54 points in the paint, where the Greyhounds were 27 of 43 shots. Overall, they were 29 of 46 (63%) on two-point shots and shot 50% overall from the field (31 for 62).

The Pirates were ice cold most of the night, making just 10 of 45 shots from the field (22.2%). They were one of 18 from 3point range.

Halida led Gilman with nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Pockat had five points and three rebounds. Joey Syryczuk added four points, three rebounds and two assists. Grunseth finished with three points and Trevor Vick had a bucket, two rebounds and two assists.

Warriors 71, Pirates 43

On Jan. 7, Gilman got hit with an early 3-point shooting blitz from host Neillsville and then the Warriors got their inside and transition games going, leaving the Pirates with no chance in a 71-43 Eastern Cloverbelt rout.

A 26-0 first-half run by the Warriors put this one out of reach pretty quickly. The teams combined for five straight 3pointers, with Pockat hitting two of them, for a 9-6 score with 13:30 left in the first half. When Vick scored for Gilman nearly nine minutes later, his basket made it 358. Neillsville got a rebound basket at the buzzer to lead 37-8 at halftime. Gilman got plenty of open looks against Neillsville’s 23 zone in the first half, but only connected on three of 23 field goal attempts.

Neillsville led by as much as 38 in the second half before Gilman closed the gap late. Grunseth hit a pair of 3s and scored all eight of his points in the last six minutes. Joey Syryczuk scored all nine of his points in the second half as well.

Pockat led Gilman in scoring with 11 points, including three 3s. Halida scored six points, Connor Nichols hit a late 3, Tony Syryczuk hit a second-half triple and Vick finished with three points.

Playing without Ustianowski, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, the Pirates were no match on the glass against the sizable Neillsville squad, getting outrebounded 55-21. Halida led Gilman with six rebounds, Joey Syryczuk had five and Tony Syryczuk added three. Tony Syryczuk and four assists, while Halida had three. Joey Syryczuk and Pockat both nabbed four steals.

Andrew Hoeser led Neillsville with 15 points and seven rebounds. Adam Hoeser had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Logan Halida