MEDFORD BOYS BASKETBALL - Raiders do some long-range bombing in win over Red Robins

MEDFORD BOYS BASKETBALL

The 3-point shot has long been a big factor in the Medford Raiders’ offensive approach but maybe never more than Tuesday when they knocked down 19 of them in an 81-55 win over Antigo at Raider Hall.

On their Senior Night, Jason Woller and Sam Hierlmeier both hit two long balls in the first half to spur Medford to a 38-30 halftime lead. In the second half, Medford dropped 11 triples on the Red Robins who simply couldn’t keep up as they fell to 3-6 in GNC play.

The Raiders, meanwhile, got back to even with Rhinelander atop the GNC at 72, while Mosinee sits a half-game back at 6-3. Medford improved to 11-8 overall heading into Northland Pines Friday, which the Raiders don’t expect to be an easy road game.

Medford made just six two-point shots in Tuesday’s win and were 12 of 16 from the free throw line.

Antigo came in a 2-3 zone, something Brown said the Red Robins hadn’t done all year, but it’s a defense opponents likely saw the Raiders struggle with at Onalaska two weeks ago and it’s not surprising teams would try it against them.

“I thought we got great shots in the first half,” Medford head coach Ryan Brown said. “They were really collapsing to try to keep the ball out of the middle and even when we got the ball to Hayden Koester they all collapsed hard to try to take that dive away. But we got great shots.

“We said at halftime, ‘this is just like our one-more passing drill where you guys just knock 3s down. Go out there with confidence. When you catch that ball, let it rip.’ Making 19 3s makes coaching easy and puts a lot of points on the board.”

The first of Woller’s 3-pointers was followed by Hierlmeier’s first one, which could’ve been a four-point play, but his free throw spun out. Nick Krause added a triple for a 9-0 run that gave Medford a 127 lead. Another senior, Charlie Gierl, got his first 3-pointer to go and that was followed by the second triples for Woller and Hierlmeier and an offensive putback by Devin Dassow off a Hierlmeier miss that made it 25-13.

“I’m so proud of (the seniors), especially Sam,” Brown said. “The injury that he had in football right before our season really impacted him. He’d been working hard all summer. Other guys got opportunities to step up into roles. But for him to come out there tonight, honestly we started out a little slow and he made a couple of 3s in that first half that we needed for momentum.

“Jason too, he’s filled that role all year for us, so it was nice for our seniors to have a great night,” he added. “We told them just go out and enjoy it, but make it a great team night. I thought they did. They all contributed, they all made plays and were able to walk off the floor with smiles on their faces, so it was a good night.”

Antigo didn’t go away. Led by Gus Schuessler’s 15 points the Red Robins kept it close in the first half. A Gierl 3 and two Will Daniels free throws with 8.9 seconds gave Medford its eight-point margin at the half.

The Red Robins got their deficit down to 43-37 on a three-point play by Scott Hagerty with 15:51 left, but Daniels was left alone at the top of the key and drilled two 3-balls, Krause hit a pair as well and Dassow scored inside to quickly shoot the lead out to 58-42. Gierl and Krause both hit two triples and Woller got his third of the night and, just like that, it was 75-51 with six minutes left.

Gierl led Medford with 19 points. Krause’s four second-half 3s gave him 16 points. Woller set a career high with 15 points and Daniels added 11. Dassow and Hierlmeier both finished with nine points as Hierlmeier capped the scoring with his third 3-pointer. Senior Hayden Koester was limited to two free throws, but he and Dassow were Medford’s leaders in a dominant rebounding effort by the Raiders.

“Overall I was really happy with our effort and execution,” Brown said. “I thought Antigo was improved. They were setting good screens and running some good stuff. We had four guys in double figures and two more with nine. A lot of guys contributed, a lot of guys played well and that’s what it takes this time of year to win against good conference teams.”

Schuessler led all scorers with 21 points. Simon Beck added 11 for the Robins, who fell to 9-10 overall.

After Friday’s game at Northland Pines, Medford will hit the road again Tuesday for a non-conference test at Menomonie and will be at Tomahawk for GNC play on Feb. 21.

Saturday’s non-conference game with Rice Lake was postponed due to the snowstorm and the schools are trying to work out a make-up date in the limited time that remains in the regular season.