This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WESTON – D.C. Everest seized control with a 15-0 run in the second half and held on after a wild finish to knock off Marshfield 45-42 in a WIAA Division 1 boys basketball regional final Saturday night at D.C. Everest High School.
D.C. Everest (17-7) moves on to a sectional semifinal against Superior (21-2) on Thursday at Marshfield High School. Marshfield’s season ends with a 13-11 record.
Everest’s 6-foot-8 senior center Jared Gjerston scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half as the Evergreens came back from a 22-12 halftime deficit.
Marshfield led 32-23 after a 3-pointer by Luke Zuiker, who led the Tigers with 23 points, at the 2:45 mark of the third quarter. For the next 8:45 minutes, things went terribly wrong for Marshfield.
Evergest scored the final six points of the third quarter and the first nine of the fourth. Gjertson scored seven points in the 15-0 run that pushed the Evergreens to a 38-32 lead with 2:50 left in the game.
Marshfield missed 10 straight shots during the stretch before Alex Strege nailed a 3-pointer with 2 minutes to go.
“We took some poor shots and we missed some good shots,” Marshfield coach Bill Zuiker. “We had such good shot selection in the first half, and for most of the game, but we took some inexplicable long balls. You don’t have to play careful, but you have to play smart. There were then some that we usually make that we didn’t. It was just an offensive drought that got us again.”
Everest’s inability to make key free throws down the stretch kept Marshfield alive.
Zuiker made two free throws, scored a basket, but missed a free throw for a potential three-point play, then converted a three-point play as the Tigers whittled the lead to one at 43-42 with 10.8 seconds left.
Everest missed one of two free throws to give the Tigers a chance, but Zuiker was called for an offensive foul in the back court with 5 seconds left.
After Gjertson made one of two from the line again, the Tigers had to go the length of the court in 4 seconds and Luke Olson missed a desperation 3-pointer as time expired.
D.C. Everest stifled the Tigers’ offense in the second half, holding Marshfield to just 7 of 23 shooting and 3 of 11 from 3-point range.
“Giving up the lead, we couldn’t play zone anymore, and it was effective for us,” Bill Zuiker said. “I wanted to alternate it a little bit, but once you give up the lead, it’s tough to play a zone. That offensive drought caused us defensive difficulties.”
Marshfield used a 10-2 run in the first quarter to take a 15-5 lead. Zuiker hit two 3-pointers in the final 1:40 of the quarter.
The Tigers didn’t score for nearly the first 4 minutes of the second, but were able to maintain their 10-point lead on a 3-pointer by Olson and a basket from Tanner Dennis-Brown late in the period.
Everest made just 5 of 17 shots in the first half and committed six turnovers, but were able to get back in the game by making 8 of 11 shots in the third quarter.
Evergreens 45, Tigers 42
Marshfield 15 7 10 10 – 42
D.C. Everest 5 7 17 16 – 45
MARSHFIELD (42): Jeff Allison 0-0 0-0 0, Isaac Accola 1-6 0-0 2, Matt Oestreich 1-3 0-0 3, Luke Zuiker 7-20 5-6 23, Luke Olson 2-5 0-0 5, Tanner Dennis-Brown 2-4 0-0 4, Alex Strege 1-3 2-2 5. FG: 14-41. FT: 7-8. 3-pointers: 7-19 (Zuiker 4-8, Strege 1-3, Oestreich 1-2, Olson 1-4, Accola 0-2). Rebounds: 18 (Zuiker 8). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: Oestreich, Zuiker. Record: 13-11.
D.C. EVEREST (45): Zach Finnegan 4-10 7-8 16, Nick Sierakowski 1-2 0-0 3, Jon Rohr 1-4 1-2 3, Grant Van Grinsven 0-2 0-0 0, Josh Nielson 1-6 0-0 2, Jared Gjertson 8-11 5-10 21. FG: 15-35. FT: 13-20. 3-pointers: 2-15 (Finnegan 1-3, Sierakowski 1-2, Rohr 0-3, Van Grinsven 0-2, Neilson 0-5). Rebounds: 25 (Gjertson 10). Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: none. Record: 17-7.