This story is sponsored by: American Family Insurance – Randy Le Moine Agency
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – As the Auburndale boys basketball continues on its quest for a third-straight Marawood Conference South Division championship, it is getting every team’s best shot.
Thursday was no different. Despite coming into the game with just three conference wins, Assumption battled tough throughout the game before the Apaches finally pulled away late to win 54-44 at Auburndale High School.
Auburndale, ranked third in this week’s WisSports.net Division 4 state coaches poll, remains unbeaten and improves to 15-0 and 10-0 in the Marawood South, two games ahead of second-place Marathon with six conference games remaining. Assumption drops to 5-10 and 3-7 in the conference.
Auburndale, uncharacteristically committed 19 turnovers, which had coach Chad Weinfurter perplexed, but he was still pleased with the way the Apaches pulled through in the end, forcing 18 turnovers of their own.
Auburndale never trailed after the first quarter, but led by only two before Matt Nikolay scored two baskets in the final 37 seconds of the half to put the Apaches ahead 31-25 at the break.
Assumption made 6 of 6 shots from 3-point range in the first half to keep it close.
“You want to win that turnover battle, just like in any sport,” Weinfurter said. “I thought they shot unbelievable in the first half. For us to have a six-point lead at that point, that was a big deal. We were able to hold them off all night. They are a much better team with (Chase) Lamp (who had four 3-pointers and 12 points for the Royals). The first time we played them, they didn’t have him. He’s an outstanding player.”
With Assumption playing a 1-1-3 zone with the intent on limiting center Austin Hawkins from getting as many touches as usual, it was left to some others to carry the load early.
Tom Sabel knocked down three 3-pointers and Nikolay hit those to big shots before the half.
“Tom was huge in the first half tonight,” Weinfurter said. “He’s really been working hard on his shooting and it’s starting to pay off. I am real happy for him. Matt hit two big two-point shots – we talked about penetrating there – and I thought he did a real good job of that.”
The Apaches scored the final six points of the third quarter and held Assumption scoreless for nearly 7 minutes to push the lead to 42-32.
Assumption closed to within five and missed a 3-point attempt that could have cut it to two turned into a long rebounds and a basket by Hawkins on the other end.
Josh Paltz, who led Assumption with 19 points, converted a three-point play to cut Auburndale’s lead to 46-42 with 2:10 remaining, but the Royals would not make a basket the rest of the way.
Hawkins scored eight of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to put it away for the Apaches.
Auburndale shot 56 percent (22 of 40) from the field in the win, continually breaking the Royals’ pressure in the second half.
“I told the kids that the games get tighter as the year goes on, the second time you play teams, that’s just the way it is,” Weinfurter said. “I think our kids are learning to compete in closer games, which is a good thing for us.”
Auburndale plays at nonconference game at Wild Rose on Saturday.
Apaches 54, Royals 44
Assumption 12 13 7 12 – 44
Auburndale 13 18 11 12 – 54
ASSUMPTION (44): Casey Steele 2-2 0-0 6, Josh Paltz 7-10 3-5 19, Chase Lamp 4-10 0-0 12, Kyle Roenius 1-7 0-0 2, Jared Haas 0-0 1-4 1, Sylas Swank 1-2 2-2 4. FG: 15-31. FT: 6-11. 3-pointers: 8-17 (Lamp 4-10, Paltz 2-5, Steele 2-2). Rebounds: 10 (Swank 4). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-10, 3-7 Marawood South.
AUBURNDALE (54): Tom Sabel 3-4 0-0 9, Matt Nikolay 2-5 0-0 4, Blake Anderson 1-6 2-2 5, Isaac Castellano 1-2 2-2 5, Zach Staats 2-5 0-0 4, Austin Hawkins 10-13 1-3 21, Ben Bolder 3-5 0-0 6, Josh VanShoick 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 22-40. FT: 5-7. 3-pointers: 5-13 (Sabel 3-3, Anderson 1-5, Castellano 1-2, Staats 0-1, Nikolay 0-2). Rebounds: 20 (Hawkins 7). Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: none. Record: 15-0, 10-0 Marawood South.