Back-to-back tough nights for Pirates against Blackhawks, Loggers

GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL

After losing their first Eastern Cloverbelt Conference game of the season on Saturday, the Owen-Withee Blackhawks came back with a vengeance Tuesday, racing to an 80-25 win over the host Gilman Pirates.

The Pirates had some limited offensive success in the first half and for awhile seemed poised to surpass their full game total from the teams’ first meeting of the season of 17 points by halftime.

But the Pirates stalled offensively after the second of Caleb Marion’s baskets made it 28-13 with 8:50 remaining in the first half. Gilman did not make another shot from the field until a Brayden Olynick putback with 9:05 left in the game. By that time, the Blackhawks had bolted out to a 70-17 lead.

Owen-Withee improved to 7-1 in league play and holds a half-game lead over 6-1 Columbus Catholic and Colby. Gilman (0-8, 0-15) visits Colby tonight, Thursday, for another difficult league matchup. Columbus Catholic beat Owen-Withee 63-51 Saturday night on the Blackhawks’ home floor.

Caleb Geldernick was a huge problem for the Pirates. The 6-4 senior had several steals out of Owen-Withee’s 1-2-2 zone pressure and several assists. He also finished with a game-high 21 points. Logan Amacher, another 6-4 senior, totaled 18 points and hit the 1,000-point milestone for his career with his final point of the night, a free throw with 12:26 to go that made it 64-15. Carter Klabon also hit double figures for the Blackhawks with 14 points, 12 of which came in the first half.

Dalton Wisocky had Gilman’s first two scores and Sam Syryczuk hit a 3-point shot to keep Gilman relatively close at 17-7 just over five minutes in. Olynick scored on a nice baseline reverse before Marion’s back-to-back baskets. But Owen- Withee finished the half on a 19-1 run, highlighted by an Amacher dunk. Owen-Withee (13-2) then opened the second half with another 23-1 run.

Olynick led the Pirates with nine points, Wisocky had eight and Marion had four. Syryczuk finished with three and Anthony Syryczuk added a free throw.

The Pirates are back at home Tuesday when they host Greenwood, a team they very nearly beat back on Jan. 9. The Indians stole that one, scoring late for their only lead of the game for a 50-49 win. The Pirates host Neillsville on Feb. 3. Both home games tip at 7:15 p.m.

Phillips 68, Gilman 14

In Phillips Monday, the host Loggers got on an early roll offensively and the Pirates couldn’t crack the codes to anything the Loggers did defensively in a 6814 blowout that was decided quickly.

Whether Phillips played man-to-man or a 1-3-1 zone in the first half, the Pirates got very few open looks on the offensive end. The Loggers’ Drew Hauschild got hot right off the bat, scoring seven points in a game-opening 10-0 run and, before long, Phillips (4-11) led 20-2 and was off to the races.

Hauschild scored 13 of his game-high 17 points in the first half as Phillips took a 47-6 halftime lead. Sam Syryczuk and Wisocky had the Pirates’ only field goals of the half.

Marion had a second-half three-point play and led Gilman with four points. Sam Syryczuk and Wisocky scored three each. Sawyer Winger hit a baseline jumper in the second half and Olynick and Adam Draeger each added a free throw.

Brayden Revak scored 13 points for the Loggers, who put 10 players into the scoring column.