Big 2nd half powers Gillett boys basketball team past Lena

The Gillett Secondary School boys basketball team picked up a 54-31 Marinette & Oconto Conference victory over Lena on Dec. 28 in Lena after dominating the second half.

After trailing for most of the first half, Gillett pulled ahead just before halftime. The Tigers then blew open the game in the second half after going on a 22-0 run.

Austin VandeCorput and Aydin Franti led the second-half charge for Gillett, hitting four field goals each. Jesse DeBauch knocked down a couple 3-pointers to help out.

“We talked about help defense and not letting them cut our faces, and play solid defense — and a little more ball movement on offense,” said VandeCorput on the team’s halftime adjustments.

VandeCorput opened the second half scoring with a 3-pointer. Lena’s Reed Hosking knocked down a shot before Franti answered with a basket.

Anthony Seefeldt hit a pair of free throws for the hosts with just under 15 minutes to play, but the next time the team scored was with 3:52 to play.

At the start of the scoring drought, Gillett got baskets from Lavonzell Smith, Bradin Bjelland and VandeCorput to force a Lena timeout.

Franti hit back-to-back baskets before a free throw from Bjelland and a 3-pointer from DeBauch made it 43-25 about halfway through the final half.

Franti scored off a steal, DeBauch hit another triple and VandeCorput put in two straight baskets to cap the 22-0 run for Gillett.

“Basically, all we had to do was front the post and play the lane in defense because all they wanted to do was drive, and if they couldn’t drive, they’d just throw up a shot and we’re there for the rebound because we’re already in the paint,” said Franti. “We just had to make our defense more aggressive and when our defense gets a good stop, then it’s three-on-two, two-on-one down the whole court and it’s layups after layups every time.”

Lena finally broke its scoreless drought on a Hosking free throw, but the free throw line wasn’t too kind to the hosts for most of the game. The Wildcats made just six of their 16 attempts at the line, including six misses in the opening half when they were leading.

Hosking finished off a 15-point performance with a 3-pointer and pair of free throws late in the contest, but Gillett had already sealed up the win by that point.

Down a couple players, Lena’s Logan Graef believed the team ran out of gas in the final half.

“We started getting burned out and just weren’t staying as well spaced out, not getting the shots that we needed — taking not the greatest shots, forcing stuff that wasn’t there,” said Graef.

The junior added that the team will try and pull the positives from the first half and build on that going forward.

One positive for the Wildcats was jumping out to a 10-4 lead at the start of the game.

DeBauch scored on the opening tip off before Caleb Schlosser knocked down a 3-pointer to get Lena on the scoreboard. Hosking followed with a basket before DeBauch scored again. Hosking converted another shot before Schlosser hit his second triple for the early 10-4 lead.

After a timeout, Gillett got right back within one after VandeCorput hit a shot and DeBauch connected on a triple.

Mason Spice had the game’s next basket on a 3-pointer. After a couple missed free throws from the hosts, Franti buried a triple. Hosking answered with a 3-pointer, but a couple more missed free throws from the hosts helped Gillett go on a 6-0 run to take the lead — Smith, Franti and VandeCorput scored during that stretch.

Graef scored to briefly tie it, but a three-point play from Smith gave the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way. VandeCorput made back-to-back baskets, but Lena got back within four at halftime after a free throw from Seefeldt and bucket from Wyatt Dean.

Gillett 25 29 — 54

Lena 21 10 — 31

Gillett (54): Aydin Franti 0-0 13, Bradin Bjelland 1-2 3, Lavonzell Smith 2-3 8, Austin VandeCorput 0-0 17, Jesse DeBauch 0-0 13.

Lena (31): Mason Spice 0-0 3, Reed Hosking 3-7 15, Logan Graef 0-3 2, Wyatt Dean 0-0 2, Caleb Schlosser 0-0 6, Anthony Seefeldt 3-6 3.

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