ALL-NORTH GIRLS BASKETBALL - Rib Lake puts 2 on first team; 3 more earn All-North hoops honors

ALL-NORTH GIRLS BASKETBALL

Without question, everyone played key role at times during Rib Lake’s best girls basketball season since 2017-18. Five of those players performed well enough to earn post-season awards in the voting for the 2024-25 All-Marawood Conference North Division teams.

In fact, for the first time since 2006-07 Rib Lake has two first-team All-North selections. Senior Addison Gumz and junior Emma Tlusty earned two of the six first-team positions in this year’s vote.

Junior Tessa Weik moved up to the All-North second team and senior Kiana Dallmann and Tahlia Scheithauer received honorable mention for their efforts during Rib Lake’s 16-11 season, which included a second-place 10-6 finish in the North, one game behind Phillips. Scheithauer repeated as Rib Lake’s representative on the North’s All-Defensive Team.

In addition, second-year head coach Austin Edwards was named the North’s 2024-25 Coach of the Year. This winter, Rib Lake improved its overall win total by seven, its conference win total by six and ended the regular season by ending a 13game losing streak to six-time North champion Phillips with a 53-41 win on the Loggers’ home court. That win ended the Loggers’ 57-game winning streak against North opponents.

Rib Lake went on to win the school’s first WIAA regional championship since 1998. The season ended with a 49-39 to state qualifier Owen-Withee in a March 6 WIAA Division 5 sectional semifinal.

Gumz, who got honorable mention last year, was a unanimous first-team choice along with North Player of the Year Kali Heikkinen of Prentice and Mataya Eckert of Phillips, both of whom are now threetime first-teamers. Tlusty’s first-team selection is her first-ever All-North award for basketball.

The two finished as Rib Lake’s top scorers, but that was a role that varied nightly between several players. Both also were tone-setters for the team with their aggressiveness and energy on the perimeter.

Gumz finished with 253 points, an average of 9.7 in 26 games played. That was consistent with her conference average of 10.3 points per game in 15 appearances.

The 5-4 Gumz wasn’t afraid to battle for rebounds, pulling down 3.4 per game, she was a team leader in steals at 3.0 per game and she dished out 1.9 assists per game.

Gumz was Rib Lake’s top 3-point shooter, making 27 of them on 99 attempts (27.3%). Gumz shot 53.7% from the free throw line (36 of 67).

Gumz had a season-high 21 pionts and added four rebounds and three steals in a 6935 win over Athens on Nov. 26. She had 19 points, three rebounds, three steals and three assists in a 74-18 win at Abbotsford on Dec. 3 and had 15 points, four rebounds, three steals and an assist in a 46-31 Marawood crossover win over Newman Catholic on Feb. 6. Gumz had 16 points, six rebounds and four steals in a 72-23 win over Chequamegon on Nov. 21. She had seven points and six steals in a loss at Marathon on Dec. 13, 10 points, five steals and three assists in a key 55-44 win at Prentice on Feb. 11 and seven points and five steals in the Feb. 20 win at Phillips.

In non-conference play, Gumz had a 10-point, 10-assist double-double with six steals in a 78-28 rout of Flambeau on Dec. 2. She had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in Rib Lake’s 62-24 WIAA regional semifinal win at Winter.

Tlusty’s quickness and tenacity made her one of the key pieces of a defense that allowed 40.7 points per game this season. When the Redmen were able to get in transition, she was usually the finisher and wound up averaging 9.4 points per game, including 8.6 per game in 16 conference outings. At 5-5, Tlusty worked for 3.2 rebounds per game and averaged 2.5 steals and 1.1 assists per game.

Tlusty’s aggressiveness resulted in her getting to the free throw line a team-high 121 times. She made made 69 (57%).

Tlusty had 18 points, seven rebounds and seven steals in a 75-39 win at Athens on Jan. 27 and 15 points in the big win at Prentice Feb. 11. She put up strong allaround numbers in the Newman win with 13 points, five steals, four rebounds and two assists and in a 60-18 win over Abbotsford on Feb. 14 with 15 points, five steals, two rebounds and two assists.

Tlusty scored a season-high 19 points in Rib Lake’s 74-17 regional quarterfinal win over Flambeau. She set the tone for her year with 13 points, four assists and three steals in Rib Lake’s season-opening 68-66 loss to Columbus Catholic on Nov. 19 and was a key spark in a 57-45 win over crosscounty rival Gilman on Jan. 2 with 16 points, three rebounds and two steals.

Tlusty and Gumz join sophomore Mady Ernst of Chequamegon and senior Kendra Timmers of Phillips as first-time members of the first team.

Weik, who got honorable mention last year, is on the second team with senior Danica Diethelm of Athens, Jalen Brunell of Chequamegon and Lily Miller of Phillips. She was Rib Lake’s leading rebounder this season at 7.3 per game and averaged 8.1 points per game, including 8.3 per game in Marawood play. She hit double figures in scoring 10 times and scored nine on three more occasions. She had four doubles-doubles with points and rebounds and just missed four more.

Weik also was a solid passer out of the post area, averaging 2.2 assists per game and had 1.9 steals per game. Her 15 blocked shots led the team.

Weik had 14 points and 13 rebounds along with five steals, three assists and a block in the big win at Phillips. 14 points and nine rebounds in the team’s early wins over Chequamegon and Abbotsford. She had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the 57-43 loss at Marathon. Weik had 10 points and 11 rebounds to go with four steals and three assists against Division 5 statechampion Wisconsin Rapids Assumption Jan. 10 in 67-36 loss. She had nine points and seven rebounds at Owen-Withee Feb. 17 and nine points and nine rebounds in the sectional loss to a Blackhawks team that was tough inside. Weik had 11 points and nine rebounds in a 55-47 nonconference loss at Ladysmith on Jan. 13. and 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 65-34 win at Mellen on Jan. 9.

Scheithauer didn’t score a lot, just 3.0 points per game, but she was invaluable on the defensive end with her ball pressure in the perimeter, particularly in the 1-2-2 zone Rib Lake often played. The 5-3 junior averaged 3.2 steals per game and was among the team leaders in rebounds at 3.7 per game. She dished out 2.2 assists per game as well.

Her best game was at Athens when she poured in 17 points and had six steals and six rebounds. She had eight points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists at Prentice. She had two points, nine steals, eight rebounds and four assists in the Feb. 14 home win over Abbotsford; six points, five rebounds and four steals in the Nov. 26 win over Athens and six points, four steals, four assists and three rebounds at Marathon. Scheithauer had eight steals in a 49-41 loss to Prentice on Dec. 20, six steals against Chequamegon Nov. 21, and five steals and five assists in a 61-44 home loss to Phillips on Jan. 7.

Scheithauer joined Miller, Abbotsford’s Nevaeh Treankler and Prentice’s Kylie Orysen on the All-Defensive Team.

Dallmann provided instant scoring typically as Rib Lake’s first player off the bench. She ranked among team leaders at 7.9 points per game and added 2.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 assists per game in 26 appearances.

Her 20-point outing was the team’s second-highest scoring output of the season and included seven steals, four assists and three rebounds in the win at Athens. In league play, she hit double figures with 13 points in the home win over Athens, 10 points in a win over Edgar, 10 points in the home loss to Phillips, 13 points in the win at Prentice and 12 points in the Phillips win, along with five rebounds. She opened the year with 16 points in the loss to Columbus and had 15 points at Mellen.

Academic All-State

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association announced its team and individual Academic All-State awards last week. Nomination information was provided to member coaches.

Individual Academic All-State awards required nominated players to hold a grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale). Redmen hitting that mark include Madelyn Anderson, Madi Blomberg, Dallmann, Addison Gumz, Isabelle Gumz, Megan Komarek, Avery Niemi, Scheithauer, Tlusty and Weik.

The team’s combined grade point average of 3.904 just missed the top three in Division 5, trailing New Auburn (3.975), Wild Rose (3.93) and Pittsville (3.907).

Addison Gumz First Team

Emma Tlusty First Team

Tessa Weik Second Team

Kiana Dallmann Hon. Mention

Tahlia Scheithauer Hon. Mention All-Defense