MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL - Nearing end of tough stretch, Medford shows fight at New London

MEDFORD GIRLS BASKETBALL

It wasn’t a win, but Tuesday’s game at New London certainly was one of growth for the Medford girls basketball team, who forced the now 7-1 Bulldogs to play a full 36 minutes before they sealed a 60-46 non-conference win.

Nearing the end of a challenging seven- game early-season gauntlet, the Raiders scrapped for stops, rebounds and loose balls in their man-to-man defense and they finally got some shots to fall. The result was a game where Medford stayed within single digits of a quality opponent until the last five minutes and showed, as head coach Chad Fronk said a couple of weeks ago, they are not that far away when they execute like they are capable of.

The Raiders’ only lead was 1-0 on a Kayla Baumgartner free throw just four seconds into the game, but they answered every little spurt New London made in the first half to try to pull away.

The Bulldogs put Medford in an early danger zone, pulling ahead 13-5 following a 3-point shot by Jenna Handschke. Medford’s answer came in the form of 3-point hits from Laney Hraby and Baumgartner to quickly cut the lead to two. Hraby hit her second triple and Rachel Wesle put back a Breanna Kraemer miss to get Medford within 19-18. Rylee Hraby answered a Caitlin Stroesenreuther 3 with a baseline jumper that kept Medford within 2220. Baumgartner’s free throws with 57.2 seconds left held the Raiders within 27-23 at the half.

New London started the second half with an 11-2 run to go up 38-25 but, again, Medford didn’t fold.

Madison Clarkson swished a 3-point shot from the left wing and, after two Macy Reybrock baskets for the Bulldogs, Toryn put back a Clarkson miss and then she got her own rebound and turned it into a three-point play to make it 42-33 with 11:06 to go. Wesle made one of two free throws, then Clarkson hit Taylor Klingbeil right down the middle on a press break for a layup that cut New London’s lead to 42-36, forcing the Bulldogs to call a timeout with 9:44 left.

The Bulldogs did what veteran teams do, executing out of the break and regaining control, scoring five straight points. Medford made one last push, getting a 3-pointer from Klingbeil and a steal and score from Aliyah Pilgrim to make it 4941, but an offensive rebound by Reybrock and Kenna Mix’s big 3-pointer with 4:14 left put the Bulldogs’ lead at 13 and it stayed in double digits the rest of the way.

Baumgartner and Rau led Medford with 11 points each. Laney Hraby’s 3s gave her six points, while Clarkson and Klingbeil scored five each. Rylee Hraby and Wesle scored three apiece. Pilgrim added two.

Shelby Glodowski led New London with 16 points. Stroesenreuther and Reybrock hit double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Medford, now 2-7 overall, has one more game left in this challenging run, hosting Big Rivers Conference contender Rice Lake Friday at 7:15 p.m. At 0-3 in the Great Northern Conference, Medford aims to get win number one Tuesday when it visits Antigo.

Mosinee 62, Medford 34

Defensively, Medford gave itself a chance to hang with Mosinee by shutting the Indians down for a long stretch in the first half Friday, but another ice-cold start from the field prevented that in a 6234 GNC loss at Raider Hall.

Mosinee jumped out to a 14-1 lead, but after a Laney Hraby 3-pointer, Medford chipped away, getting within 15-7 on an offensive putback by Baumgartner and 20-10 after two free throws by Klingbeil with 8:41 left in the half.

That was in the midst of a six-minute field goal drought for the Indians that left the door open for the Raiders. But the Hraby and Baumgartner makes were the only two Medford had from the field in the entire half, instead leaving the Raiders down 29-10 at the half.

Taelyn Jirschele drove for a score and hit a 3-pointer to start the second half, giving Mosinee a 34-10 lead. Medford finally got a few looks to fall with two Baumgartner scores, a putback by Klingbeil and a Rylee Hraby 3 to stay within 4120. Clarkson scored off a Kraemer assist and Clarkson hit a 3-pointer that made it 46-26 with just under seven minutes to go, but the Raiders got no closer.

Jirschele hit six 3s and almost outscored Medford herself by scoring 31 points. She also had six assists and six rebounds.

Baumgartner led Medford with nine points and 13 rebounds. She had two steals and two blocked shots. Klingbeil and Clarkson scored five points apiece. Klingbeil had six rebounds and three steals. Laney Hraby scored four, Rylee Hraby and Bailey Eloranta each added a 3-pointer. Pilgrim and Wesle scored two points apiece and Rau hit a secondhalf free throw. Rau had seven rebounds, while Kraemer had six.

Medford forced 21 turnovers, hung with Mosinee in rebounding where the Indians had a 49-41 edge and the Indians didn’t shoot great, making 23 of 63 shots from the field (36.5%). But the Raiders just couldn’t find the mark, going 10 for 56 (17.9%) and 26 turnovers hurt as well. The Raiders had chances at the free throw line too, but were 10 of 26 compared to Mosinee’s eight of 16.