MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL - Beating Shawano is too tall of a task in hoops season opener

MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL

Medford’s defense allowed the Raiders to hang around for awhile, but the offense never got going and Shawano’s standout sophomore Leah Nordin did, scoring 28 points in the Hawks’ 55-28 season- opening win Tuesday at Raider Hall. The 6-foot Nordin, who averaged nearly 21 points per game as a freshman, scored 12 of Shawano’s points in the first half, which ended with the Hawks leading just 19-9. But she took over in the second half, wreaking havoc at the top of Shawano’s 1-3-1 zone defense and scoring inside, outside and in transition when the Hawks pulled away, building as much as a 30-point lead in the second half.

With another 6-footer, senior Abigail Bristol, in the mix, Shawano’s length made it difficult for Medford to get many good looks inside for much of the night. The Raiders struggled to hit anything from the outside, getting a banked-in 3-pointer early from Madison Clarkson and then nothing else from behind the arc until senior Bailey Eloranta knocked down two triples from the right corner in the last three minutes.

Shawano started in a man-to-man, but went to the 1-3-1 in the latter stages of first half and carried it into the second half. Medford’s young squad wasn’t consistently able to find the gaps in that zone and, too often, paid for trying to pass over Shawano’s taller defenders, especially Nordin. Breanna Kraemer’s inside score and Clarkson’s triple had Medford within 6-5 early. Kayla Baumgartner’s first varsity points came on two free throws with 6:44 left in the half and Rylee Hraby won a loose-ball battle, leading to an Aliyah Pilgrim assist on a baseline jumper by Toryn Rau and a 14-9 score with 4:45 left in the half. Medford’s offense went silent after that for the rest of the half and Shawano started the second half with an 8-2 spurt that put the Raiders into a 16-point hole at 27-11.

Freshman Taylor Klingbeil got her first varsity bucket on a baseline inbound play, but Nordin’s 3 and a score and steal by Trinity Popelka got Shawano going on another run that made it 42-17 and put the game out of reach.

Rau, Eloranta and Baumgartner led Medford with six points apiece. Kraemer scored four, Clarkson had three, Klingbeil scored two and Jolie Steliga added a late free throw.

Bystol added nine points for the Hawks.

Medford is at Hayward tonight, Thursday, for a 7:15 p.m. non-conference matchup with the Hurricanes, who dropped their opener 72-46 at Rice Lake Tuesday. The Raiders are back at home Tuesday to face Chippewa Falls at 7:15 p.m.