This story is sponsored by Norm E Lane Farm
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – There is an old cliché that you throw out the records when rivals meet. That is certainly the case in the Wisconsin Valley Conference boys basketball race this season.
Friday night’s game between Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids was no different.
For three quarters it looked like the Tigers were going to roll to their third straight win, but in the end they needed every last second to take down the Raiders.
Luke Zuiker hit a jumper from just past the free throw line as the buzzer sounded to lift Marshfield to a thrilling 49-48 win over Wisconsin Rapids on Friday night at the Marshfield High School Fieldhouse.
The Tigers scored the first seven points of the game and led the entire game until Cort Halbur’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds to go capped a furious 21-9 run by Rapids and gave the Raiders a 48-47 lead.
Marshfield turned the ball over on its next possession but Zach Bassuener missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation and Marshfield rebounded with 3.9 seconds to go.
Following a timeout, Sean Koran tossed a long inbounds pass to Zuiker, who fought off a Rapids’ defender for the ball and drilled the jumper just in front of the buzzer to set off a wild celebration on the floor by the Tigers.
“I think we’ve had that play for a while for last-season shots and Sean just threw a perfect pass, I caught it and I guess, after that … I’m just glad I made the shot,” Zuiker said. “
Marshfield coach Craig Michaelis said it was a great play all around for the Tigers.
“The guys executed it well and showed patience,” Michaelis said. “It was a tremendous pass by Sean and was right on the money where it needed to be. Without that, it doesn’t work. You have to be a little fortunate. Rapids was really close to making a good play and tipping the ball away. Luke catches it, it’s not exactly the way it was drawn up, but he saw and opening and took it and knocks down the shot and salvages a game that they out played us in the last 8 to 10 minutes.”
Elliot Ashbeck scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Marshfield, which improves to 8-4 and 4-2 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after posting its third straight victory and second by a single point in the last week.
Halbur and Brady Goska each scored 12 points for Wisconsin Rapids (4-10, 2-4 WVC).
Marshfield led 23-14 at halftime and pushed the advantage to double digits when Ashbeck hit two of his three 3-pointers in the first 1:20 of the third quarter.
Marshfield led by at least eight until early in the fourth quarter when the Raiders made a run.
Wisconsin Rapids put on a full-court trapping press that caused multiple problems for Marshfield. The Tigers turned the ball over on five of six possessions and the Raiders stormed back to get within 41-38 after a steal and hoop by Bassuener with 4:20 to go.
“The brains were up the floor instead of the task at hand,” Michaelis said. “It was carelessness. I give credit to Rapids. They had no quit in them and that’s how this conference operates. Last week against East we were in a similar situation and clawed our way back by being persistent and staying after it. They did the same tonight. I just feel really fortunate we came out with a win tonight.”
Marshfield regrouped and maintained its lead as Ashbeck hit a pair of baskets. Halbur connected on a 3-pointer and after a Tigers’ miss, Goska made two free throws to tie the game with 1:07 to go at 45-45.
Zuiker responded with a hoop for Marshfield but Brandon Brown missed a free throw with 20.2 seconds to go and Rapids raced down court and Halbur drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner with 13 seconds left to give the Raiders their first lead of the game.
In the end, however, Zuiker got the last word and made the game-winner.
“Offensively we just need to be a little more poised against the press,” Zuiker said. “Last Friday was a close one that probably shouldn’t have happened, it probably shouldn’t have happened tonight, but we’re going to ride with it. We do need to get better though.”
Michaelis said it was just another night in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
“We’re certainly battle tested in some close games,” he said. “You like to take advantage of games where you get a lead and put teams away but it is the nature of this conference. You have to ignore records and who people have played and just be ready on that evening. The familiarity, the rivalries, the intensity that comes with that – you know the personnel, you’ve seen them all the way down to youth programs until now.
“I mean, how many battles have a Goska and an Elliot Ashbeck had over the years in multiple sports. I was very impressed with the way Goska played tonight for them, he was a real leader for them. Halbur knocked down some big shots. We just need to be sharper. When you play with fire enough, you’re going to get burned.”
Marshfield hosts La Crosse Logan on Tuesday and Merrill next Friday to wrap up a four-game home stand.
Tigers 49, Raiders 48
Wisconsin Rapids 7 7 13 21 – 48
Marshfield 11 12 15 11 – 49
WISCONSIN RAPIDS (48): Devon McGill 0-1 0-0 0, Brady Goska 2-11 8-10 12, Cprt Halbur 4-14 0-0 12, Raefe Gross 0-0 0-0 0, Regis Henke 3-6 4-4 10, Josh Biba 1-1 0-0 2, Zach Bassuener 4-9 0-1 8, Garrett O’Neil 2-4 0-2 4. FG: 16-46. FT: 12-17. 3-pointers: 4-13 (Halbur 4-11, Bassuener 0-1, Goska 0-1). Rebounds: 18 (Henke 5). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 4-10, 2-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (49): Luke Olson 1-2 0-0 2, Elliot Ashbeck 10-16 3-5 26, Isaac Accola 0-4 0-0 0, Matt Oestreich 1-2 0-0 3, Luke Zuiker 4-9 0-0 8, Sean Koran 0-2 0-0 0, Adam Voss 0-2 0-0 0, Tanner Dennis-Brown 0-0 1-2 1, Brandon Brown 1-2 0-1 2, Ben Satter 2-2 3-3 5. FG: 19-41. FT: 7-11. 3-pointers: 4-11 (Ashbeck 3-6, Oestreich 1-2, Zuiker 0-2, Voss 0-1). Rebounds: 23 (Ashbeck 8, Zuiker 7). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Olson. Record: 8-4, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference.