Hodag Highlights: Heartbreak in Antigo as Lady Hodags fall to Shawano 50-47 in sectional semi-final

A season of grit and determination came to a painful end for the Rhinelander High School girls basketball team on Saturday night, as the Lady Hodags fell to the Shawano Hawks 50-47 in a tightly contested WIAA Sectional Semi-Final.
It was a rematch of an earlier-season meeting in Shawano, where the Hawks had edged out a narrow victory on their home floor. Saturday’s showdown, played on neutral ground in Antigo, had the feel of a game that could go either way from the opening tip — and it very nearly did.
Rhinelander came out with purpose, scoring first and holding the lead for stretches of a first half defined by physical, defense-first basketball. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively, but it was Shawano’s Leah Nordin — a University of Wisconsin-Madison recruit — who began to impose her will as the half wore on. Nordin’s relentless attack helped the Hawks claw their way to a 25-24 lead at the break.
The second half followed a similar script. Rhinelander surged back in front, igniting hope on the Hodag bench and among their traveling fans, but Shawano answered each time. The Hawks reclaimed the lead and refused to let it go, even as the Hodags kept battling in what was becoming a physical contest at both ends of the floor.
For Rhinelander, the shots that normally fall simply wouldn’t go down on this night. Open looks rimmed out, drives that typically convert came up empty, and the Hodags’ offense never quite found the flow that had carried them through the season.
Then came the moment that will linger all offseason. With 22 seconds remaining and the Hodags within striking distance, a Shawano player stepped clearly on the out-of-bounds line before releasing the ball — a violation the officials failed to call. The play resulted in a made basket and a foul, a three-point swing that pushed the Hawks’ lead to four.
Vivian Lamers refused to let the Hodags go quietly. With seconds ticking away, she battled inside for a put-back basket, pulling Rhinelander to within three at 50-47. But time was not on their side. The Hawks ran out the clock and the Hodags’ season was over.