STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The Rhinelander High School varsity boys basketball team ended up playing overtime for the second game in a row when the Hodags won their non-conference contest Friday at Merrill, 55-47.

After RHS blew an early 12-point lead, the first and second halves both ended up being even with both teams deadlocked at 22-22 at intermission and 42-42 after the second half. The Hodags then flew past the Bluejays in the extra 4 minutes, 13-5, after beginning the overtime on a 6-0 scoring run that featured a 2-point basket and subsequent 3-pointer by Owen White, who fouled out with 3:07 to play.

White led RHS with 16 points, followed by Junior Howard with 14 points and Reeve Craig also scoring in double figures with 11 points. The team ended up shooting 18-45 (40 percent) overall and 7-19 (36.8 percent) from 3-point range while also making 12-16 (75 percent) from the charity stripe.

The Hodags, who began the new year Jan. 7 with a 64-62 overtime loss in conference play to Medford, are now 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Great Northern Conference. RHS’s next game is a conference matchup Tuesday at Antigo.

Hodags 55, Merrill 47

Hodags         22           20           13 – 55

Merrill          22           20             5 – 47

Hodags: Easton Senoraske 3, Reeve Craig 11, Reese Flores 4, Owen White 16, Junior Howard 14, Matthew Reinthaler 4, Bryce Schickert 3. 3-pointers: Howard 3, White 2, Senoraske, Craig. Free throws: 12-16. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: White.