This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Basketball can be a game of runs and Friday night’s game between Marshfield and Merrill was a perfect example of that.
Both teams had big runs in the second half before Marshfield closed with another, outscoring the Bluejays 16-3 over the final 4½ minutes to earn a 47-30 victory in Wisconsin Valley Conference girls basketball action at the Chips Hamburgers Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield improves to 13-4 overall and 6-1 in the WVC, keeping pace with first-place Stevens Point (7-0) atop the standings. Merrill is now 11-7 and 3-4 in conference play.
Merrill took its only lead of the game at 10-9 on a 3-pointer by Maddie Drew with 7:45 to go in the first half.
The Tigers responded with nine-straight points, which included five from Dani Minsaas, a 3-pointer by Ashley Grancorvitz and a basket off an offensive rebound by Cami Wucherpfennig.
Mia Ott and Drew had 3-pointers for Merrill to close out the half and Marshfield led 19-16 at the break.
Marshfield came out of the locker room and went on a 12-0 run to seemingly take control. Minsaas, who finished with a game-high 18 points, ahd five in the run, which also included a pair of hoops from Ayana Bousum.
The Bluejays didn’t quit, however, and Marshfield went into a funk on both ends of the court. Five defensive fouls led to seven free throws and Alayna Pozorski made another 3-pointer for Merrill, which countered with an 11-0 run.
Marshfield missed 11-straight shots before a Minsaas basket ended the Bluejays’ run and started a final push by the Tigers.
A 3-pointer from Bousum and a hoop from Grancorvitz helped the Tigers end the game on a 16-3 run, holding the Bluejays without a basket for more than three minutes.
Grancorvitz had nine points and seven rebounds for the Tigers, who started its four seniors – Wucherpfennig, Minsaas, Kaci Abney and Sam Kilty – on Senior Night.
“We’ve been together for awhile and it’s really nice,” Kilty said. “We have a lot of fun times, but we can really get down and get at each other. We’ve had to do the little things and get after each other. Focus on the wins, not the losses.”
All seven of Merrill’s made baskets from the field were 3-pointers as it shot just 7 of 27 overall and committed 20 turnovers, including eight in the final six minutes. Mia Ott had 13 points to lead the Bluejays.
Marshfield will travel to Oshkosh West for a nonconference game Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.
Click here to view the Wisconsin Valley Conference girls basketball standings
Tigers 47, Bluejays 30
Merrill 16 14 – 30
Marshfield 19 28 – 47
MERRILL (30): Maddie Drew 3-4 0-0 9, Maddy Ott 0-2 0-2 0, Alayna Pozorski 2-4 1-2 7, Sophie Wendorf 0-3 0-0 0, Mia Ott 2-9 7-10 13, Prayla Pyan 0-4 1-2 1, Addy Schmelzter 0-1 0-2 0. FG: 7-27. FT: 9-18. 3-pointers: 7-14 (Drew 3-4, Pozorski 2-2, Mi. Ott 2-4, Ma. Ott 0-1, Pyan 0-1, Wendorf 0-2). Rebounds: 25 (Pozorski 4, Wendorf 4, Mi. Ott 4). Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: none. Record: 11-7, 3-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (47): Sam Kilty 0-2 0-0 0, Zaida Kolbeck 2-9 2-4 7, Kaylie Charron 0-0 0-0 0, Dani Minsaas 7-14 3-5 18, Kaci Abney 1-1 0-0 2, Ashley Grancorvitz 4-13 0-0 9, Raella Schueller 0-3 0-0 0, Ayana Bousum 3-9 0-0 7, Cami Wucherpfennig 1-3 2-2 4. FG: 18-54. FT: 7-11. 3-pointers: 4-25 (Kolbeck 1-5, Ashley Grancorvitz 1-6, Bousum 1-6, Minsaas 1-7, Kilty 0-1). Rebounds: 32 (Grancorvitz 7). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: none. Record: 13-4, 6-1 Wisconsin Valley Conference.