This story is sponsored by: WDLB-AM 1450 and WOSQ-FM 92.3 radio
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The defending WIAA Division 1 state champion Stevens Point boys basketball team proved again why it is the No. 1-ranked team in the state again this season with a dominant second half performance.
The Panthers (16-0, 8-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference) made 17 of 26 shots from the field and 7 of 11 shots from 3-point range in the second half to turn a 10-point halftime lead into a 83-54 rout of Marshfield in a Wisconsin Valley Conference game Friday night at The Boson Company Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield (8-7, 2-5 WVC) played with the Panthers over the first 12 minutes of the first half, leading three different times.
A 3-pointer by Adam Fravert made it 17-16 for Marshfield with 9:33 to go in the first half before Sam Hauser scored to put the Panthers back on top.
Two free throws from Tyson Slade gave Marshfield a 19-18 advantage with just less than 6 minutes left in the half, but from that point on, it was all Stevens Point.
Trevor Anderson and Jamison Kryshak made back-to-back 3-pointers to spark an 11-0 run over the next four minutes.
Alec Hinson hit a 3-pointer to stop the run for Marshfield, but Joey Hauser had a three-point play with 32 seconds to go in the half to give the Panthers a 32-22 lead at the break.
“It was kind of the same thing that happened (at Point in a 79-50 loss on Dec. 11),” Marshfield coach Scott Scheuer said. “I knew we would bring energy. I like my guys and I think we have some guys that can play, we just haven’t been able to put those pieces so they connect. SPASH does a lot of things well and they create a lot of things.”
After a Grant Michaelis basket for Marshfield started the second half, Point outscored the Tigers 24-2 over a 7-minute stretch to put the game out of reach.
Joey Hauser scored 11 of his 18 points in that span, which including a pair of 3-pointers and a three-point play.
Sam Hauser, who finished with a game-high 24 points, hit two baskets, including a 3-pointer, to push the lead to 61-29 with 9:05 remaining.
Marshfield held its own the rest of the way, but the game was well out of reach by that point.
“When they (Sam Hauser and Trev Anderson) were freshmen we beat them here and I told them after that ‘this may be the last time you lose a conference game,’” Scheuer said. “That may happen. If someone beats them I am going to be really, really surprised.”
Anderson scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half and connected on all five of his free throw attempts in the second.
Ethan Posteluk and Fravert each scored 12 points, and Hinson added 11 for the Tigers, who made 7 of 19 3-pointers but shot just 39 percent overall and committed 15 turnovers.
Marshfield is at Wisconsin Rapids as part of a girls-boys doubleheader on Tuesday. The girls game starts at 6 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 7:45 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and wdlbwosq.com.
Panthers 83, Tigers 54
Stevens Point 32 51 – 83
Marshfield 22 32 – 54
STEVENS POINT (83): Beau Rostenthal 0-0 2-2 2, Ted Kearney 0-0 0-0 0, Jamison Kryshak 1-3 0-0 3, Sam Hauser 10-16 2-3 24, Joe Fasula 1-2 0-0 3, Trevor Anderson 7-13 6-7 21, Mack Journell 3-5 0-0 6, Keon’te Williams 1-1 1-3 3, Joey Hauser 6-11 3-4 18, Drew Blair 1-1 0-0 3. FG: 30-52. FT: 14-19. 3-pointers: 9-21 (J. Hauser 3-3, S. Hauser 2-7, Anderson 1-5, Kryshak 1-3, Fasula 1-2, Blair 1-1). Rebounds: 30 (J. Hauser 9). Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: none. Record: 16-0, 8-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (54): Ethan Posteluk 5-9 0-0 12, Trevor Schwecke 0-2 0-0 0, Ethan Voss 1-4 1-2 3, Tyson Slade 0-1 2-2 2, Chase Freeck 0-1 0-0 0, Alec Hinson 2-7 5-7 11, Grant Michaelis 3-8 0-0 7, Isaac Huettl 0-0 0-0 0, Nathan McGrath 2-2 2-2 7, Adam Fravert 5-12 1-1 12, Jon Hardinger 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Stewart 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 18-46. FT: 11-14. 3-pointers: 7-19 (Posteluk 2-5, Hinson 2-4, Fravert 1-2, Michaelis 1-4, McGrath 1-1, Slade 0-1, Freeck 0-1, Voss 0-1). Rebounds: 21 (Schwecke 4). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: none. Record: 8-7, 2-5 Wisconsin Valley Conference.