MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL - Raiders struggle against state-caliber contenders
MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL
A Menomonie team that fell one point short of a return trip to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament last season showed Tuesday at Raider Hall why it expects to be in contention again this coming March during its 87-29 runaway from the Medford girls basketball team.
The ninth-ranked Mustangs looked to push the basketball at every opportunity, were able to work the ball inside almost at will, forced 26 Medford turnovers and shot 60.7% from the field while easily improving to 5-0.
The Raiders had one good stretch offensively while trying to dig out of a quick 24-4 hole but otherwise, it was another tough night of lessons learned for the young squad as it fell to 2-5.
Menomonie scored 50 of its points in the paint, led by 20 from 5-10 junior Brooklynn Birt, who was eight of 10 from the field. The Mustangs scored 36 points off turnovers, 23 points in transition and outrebounded the Raiders 35-18 in their dominant performance.
Medford’s best run cut the early 20-point deficit to 10. Aliyah Pilgrim started it with a 3-pointer, which was followed by a 3-pointer from Toryn Rau and then another Rau basket on what could have been a three-point play, but the free throw rimmed out. Rau assisted on a basket by Taylor Klingbeil to suddenly make it 24-14.
The momentum, though, was shortlived. Menomonie scored the next eight points and, after Breanna Kraemer rolled in a short jumper for Medford, Birt scored six straight points and senior Sammy Jacobsen added four more to make it 42-16 before Raider Kayla Baumgartner got a three-point play with 1:53 left in the half, which ended with Menomonie leading 49-20.
Making just three of 15 shots from the field, Medford was outscored 38-9 in the running-clock shortened second half.
Baumgartner led Medford with eight points and five rebounds. Rau had seven points, three assists and two rebounds. Klingbeil and Kraemer scored four points each and Pilgrim and Rylee Hraby added three points apiece.
Jacobsen, Mary Berg and Elizabeth Kyles all hit double figures for Menomonie with 15, 13 and 11 points respectively.
The early-season gauntlet Medford is facing doesn’t let up in the next week. The Raiders host GNC contender Mosinee Friday at 7:15 p.m., then head to New London Tuesday for a 7 p.m. nonconference game with the 6-0 Bulldogs. On Dec. 15, Medford hosts 3-1 Rice Lake, whose only loss was a close 72-69 defeat to Menomonie Nov. 28.
T-Birds 63, Raiders 33
On Friday, Medford made some things happen offensively early at defending Great Northern Conference and WIAA Division 2 sectional champion Lakeland, but the T-Birds broke free with a big run late in the first half and cruised to a 63-33 win in Minocqua.
Thunderbirds’ star Kristina Ouimette was her basically unstoppable self with 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals and Ava Evenhouse hit double figures with 10 points for Lakeland, who improved to 2-0 in league play and 4-1 overall at the time. Ouimette scored 19 of her points in the first half, which ended with Lakeland leading 40-17.
The Raiders got several open looks offensively in the half, particularly when they were able to work through the high post against Lakeland’s zone. Hraby hit a 3-pointer and Kraemer, who most often filled that high post spot, scored off a Pilgrim assist to put Medford up 5-4. Hraby and Kraemer scored inside to keep Medford within 14-9. Kraemer scored again and Klingbeil sank two free throws to make it 20-13.
But that’s when the game got away from the Raiders as Lakeland went on a 12-0 run before Hraby finally knocked down a 3-ball to make it 33-16. Lakeland closed out the half on another 7-1 spurt that included a steal and score by Evenhouse and a 3 from Ouimette.
Rau hit two 3-pointers from the left corner for Medford early in the second half, but by then it was 47-23. From there, a 16-1 Lakeland run blew the game wide open.
Hraby’s eight points led Medford, while Rau and Kraemer finished with six points apiece. Laney Hraby sank a late 3 and finished with four points. Bailey Eloranta also sank a late 3. Klingbeil finished with three points. Pilgrim, Rachel Wesle and Jolie Steliga scored one point apiece.
Klingbeil led Medford with 10 rebounds. Rau had five and Wesle and Rylee Hraby had four. Pilgrim and Klingbeil had three assists apiece. Medford shot just 18.2% overall from the field (10 of 55).
McDonell 73, Medford 27
On Thursday, Medford also showed some early spark at Raider Hall against defending WIAA Division 5 state champion McDonell Central. But some good shots didn’t go down in the early going and the Raiders were just five of 29 from the field in the first half.
McDonell’s bigger and stronger front line played a key role in the Macks shooting 26 free throws in the half. They made 17 while taking a 42-14 halftime and ultimately cruising to a 73-27 win.
Though it wasn’t always perfect, the Raiders were able to handle McDonell’s pressure in the opening moments and got a 3-pointer from Kayla Baumgartner and a Baumgartner score off a backdoor cut and assist from Kraemer to pull Medford within 9-6 after McDonell had jumped ahead 7-0.
McDonell then went on a 12-0 run to go up 21-6. Scores by Rau and Kraemer kept Medford within shouting distance at 2312 when McDonell hit the Raiders with a 19-2 closing run to the half to put it well out of reach.
Baumgartner led the Raiders with 11 points and added eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Rau had seven points and five rebounds. Kraemer had four points and three boards. Madison Clarkson knocked down a late 3-pointer. Rylee Hraby had two points, three rebounds and three assists.
McDonell, who improved to 2-0 at the time, was led by senior guard Emily Cooper, who scored 18 points and had six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Freshman EllaMay Cooper added 12 points, four rebounds and two steals. Six-foot senior Aubrey Dorn added nine points, six rebounds and three assists.
