Hodag Highlights: Lady Hodags bounce back with dominant win over Lakeland after tough loss to Rice Lake

The Rhinelander High School girls basketball team had a week of extremes, suffering a lopsided defeat to one of the state’s best before rebounding with an impressive victory of their own. On Tuesday, the Hodags hosted the Rice Lake Warriors, the No. 2-ranked team in Division 2, and the gulf in talent was on full display from the start. While Rhinelander drew first blood on a three-pointer by junior Aubryn Clark, the Warriors quickly took control and never looked back, building a commanding 33-17 halftime lead.
Much of the night’s attention centered on Rice Lake senior Addie Sheplee, a UW-Madison recruit who entered the game needing just 17 points to reach the 2,000-point milestone for her career. The Warriors’ star, who is averaging a remarkable 28 points per game this season, fell just one point shy of the mark at the break before completing the milestone early in the second half on a layup, sending the Rice Lake bench into celebration. Sheplee is one of two Warriors with Division I offers, with a teammate holding the unique distinction of having received offers in both basketball and volleyball from UW-Green Bay. The final score was 72-32, a 40-point defeat that left the Hodags searching for answers heading into the weekend. They found them quickly.
Coming off that difficult loss, Rhinelander turned around and delivered a strong performance Friday night in the opening game of a doubleheader, defeating Lakeland 57-33. The Hodags trailed briefly after Lakeland scored first and held an early edge, but Rhinelander settled in and took a 21-16 lead into halftime. From there, the Hodag defense took over. Their full-court pressure generated turnover after turnover, fueling a fast-break offense that steadily extended the lead until the final buzzer.
Aubryn Clark was the story offensively, pouring in 22 points to lead all scorers. Her sister Teagan added 15, and Vivian Lamers rounded out a balanced attack with 10 points of her own, giving Rhinelander three players in double figures. The Hodag girls will look to carry that momentum as the playoffs begin. Their next contest is a Friday night home game against the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between Antigo and Pulaski.