RIB LAKE GIRLS BASKETBALL - Rib Lake dominates three straight opponents, off to 4-1 start

RIB LAKE GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Rib Lake girls basketball team created turnovers and easy scoring chances, made more of those shots and buried three overmatched opponents as the Redmen are off to their best start since a 5-0 open in 2017-18, sitting at 4-1.

The Redmen improved to 3-0 in the Marwood North Tuesday with a 74-18 drubbing of host Abbotsford. Rib Lake holds first place in the North by a halfgame over 2-0 Phillips in the early going.

Rib Lake created 22 first-half turnovers Tuesday leading to 24 of its points as the team built a 43-6 halftime lead over the Falcons. Abbotsford was within 12-6 when the Redmen ended the half on a 31-0 tear that started with a 3-point shot by Madison Grzanna at the half’s 10-minute mark.

Addison Gumz scored 11 of her gamehigh 19 points in the run, Avery Niemi scored five of her nine points, Tessa Weik added a couple of scores, Emma Tlusty made all six of her free throws and Isabelle Gumz scored the last bucket of the half with 32 seconds left.

The run actually hit 35 points on jumpers by Gumz and Tahlia Scheithauer to start the second half before the Falcons finally ended their long scoring drought.

Weik scored 14 points for Rib Lake, Tlusty had 10 and Megan Komarek went on a late eight-point run. Isabelle Gumz scored six points, Grzanna and Madilyn Blomberg finished with three each and Scheithauer finished with two.

Blomberg and Niemi both had four of Rib Lake’s 20 steals. Weik and Addison Gumz had three each. Niemi had a teamhigh five assists, while Blomberg had four and Scheithauer and Addison Gumz had three apiece.

Rib Lake outrebounded Abbotsford 4234. Niemi led Rib Lake in that department with 10, while Weik had nine and Blomberg grabbed five.

Azalea Atkinson led Abbotsford (0-3, 0-4) with 14 points. Azul Diaz Miranda and Asia Atkinson scored two apiece.

Rib Lake returns to its home court Friday, hosting Edgar in a Marawood Conference crossover at 7:15 p.m.

Rib Lake 78, Flambeau 28

On Monday, the Redmen had no trouble with another young, rebuilding squad when it rolled to a 78-28 win over the host Flambeau Falcons.

The Redmen forced 42 turnovers in this one while committing just 13. They turned those turnovers into 45 points, including 31 in the first half alone. Rib Lake made 21 of 47 first-half field goal attempts (44.7%) while taking a commanding 48-15 halftime lead and led by as much as 52 in the second half.

The Redmen had 30 assists on their 35 field goals. They finished shooting 43.8% (35 of 80), including 31 of 66 on two-point shots.

Weik made seven of 10 shots and led Rib Lake with 16 points. She had five steals. Niemi scored 12 points and had five assists. Addison Gumz had a 10-point, 10assist double-double, plus she tied for the team lead with six steals.

Isabelle Gumz had 11 points and four rebounds. Tlusty had 10 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four assists in a strong all-around effort. She made five of seven shots.

Scheithauer and Blomberg scored five points apiece. Komarek scored four. Grzanna and Kiana Dallmann each added a hoop. Madelyn Anderson hit a free throw and grabbed three boards.

Ashley Lawton led the Falcons (0-2) with six points.

Rib Lake 69, Athens 35

On Nov. 26, Rib Lake got out to a double-digit lead in the first six minutes, cooled off for a stretch and then took off again late in the first half while cruising to a 69-35 home win over Athens in Marawood North play.

Addison Gumz led the Redmen in the rout, hitting eight of 15 shots from the field, including three of five from 3-point range, while scoring 21 points. Dallmann hit double figures for the third straight game to start the season while adding 13.

Rib Lake’s defense flustered Athens throughout, forcing 40 turnovers, which led to a 30-4 advantage in points off turnovers. The Redmen turned the ball over just 14 times. The turnovers and 22 offensive rebounds allowed Rib Lake to get off 77 shots from the field. The Redmen made 26 (33.8%).

Scheithauer sank two 3-point shots and Addison Gumz hit another in the opening six-minute run. Gumz added a free throw and a score off the baseline as Rib Lake jumped ahead 15-2.

Athens answered with a 9-0 run over the next six minutes to pull within 15-11. But Dallmann’s score at the 6:21 mark of the half seemed to get Rib Lake rolling again. Weik’s long pass hit Isabelle Gumz for a layup. Niemi picked up a loose ball in the lane and scored and her steal led to another Isabelle Gumz score. Addison Gumz’s 3, two free throws by Dallmann, one from Addison Gumz and a hard drive to the basket from Tlusty pushed the lead to 30-12. It was 38-15 at the half after Addison Gumz drilled a straight-on deep 3 at the buzzer.

Athens scored the first six points of the second half, but Rib Lake countered with 10 in a row to put the game away. Weik and Addison Gumz got offensive putbacks and Isabelle Gumz hit two free throws, scored off a steal and assisted on a score by the cutting Weik for a 48-21 lead. The lead got as high as 37 in the final minutes.

Isabelle Gumz finished with nine points and had three steals. Scheithauer had six points, five rebounds and four steals. Tlusty added seven points, three rebounds and two steals.

Weik had five points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Grzanna contributed five points. Niemi had a teamhigh six steals while adding two points and two rebounds. Blomberg had a teamhigh nine rebounds. Anderson hit a late free throw to close the scoring.

Danica Diethelm led Athens with 14 points and 13 rebounds.