Hodag Highlights: Girls, boys basketball host Lakeland

Leah Jamison fires an open 3 in the first half, making four in the game for 12 points. Bob Mainhardt photo

Bob Mainhardt photos

RHINELANDER – Going into the home game against Lakeland last week, all the Hodags girls would have to do to earn a share of the conference title would be to defeat a team that destroyed the Hodags in Minocqua by 44 points. 

The game plan was to slow the game down, use the clock on the offensive end and create openings for quality shots and then make the shots. Defensively, force some bad shots, get the rebounds and go to the offense.

Lakeland did not cooperate, however, as they forced turnovers and turned them into points. The Hodags had no answer when the T-Birds did miss, as their height was an advantage in getting more than one shot on a miss and score. The Hodags had trouble making shots and trailed 26-9 at half but it was not out of reach.

The T-Birds came out and built on the lead they had forcing more turnovers, but the Hodags did score 25 in the second half and lost by 26 with a final score of 60-34 earning the girls from Lakeland their second straight conference title. The Hodags have second place wrapped up while they play Mosinee Friday, a team they have a two-game lead over.

Tuesday the girls played Shawano in Shawano and were not able to come back from an opening run by the Hawks and lost 69-47.

Aubryn Clark was the high scorer for the Hodags with 16 points followed by Leah Jamison with 12.

Hodag boys basketball hosted the T-Birds in the second game of the double header last Friday night. Their job was to defeat Lakeland to still have hopes of a share of the conference crown. The boys need to win out in conference, three games, to accomplish that feat. The game was close throughout with ties and lead changes until half way through the second half when the Hodags took the lead for good but it was still tight.

The Hodags made only four 3s on the night. The home team led 26-25 at the half and eventually won 65-55 although the last four points came quickly, with under 10 seconds to play as Will Gretzinger stole the ball and went the length of the court for a basket and then stole the inbound pass and scored with under three seconds left to give the Hodags the win. Leading all scorers with 25 was Will Gretzinger and the only other player in double digits with 10 was James Heck.

The boys traveled to Shawano to face the Hawks on Tuesday night and were victorious 72-55. The Hodags were in control for the majority of the game as four players scored in double digits. Seth Nofftz with 20, Devon Feck 14, Will Gretzinger added 13 and Truman Lamers scored 11. The boys next travel to Mosinee on Friday.