A barrage of 3-pointers in the first seven minutes of Friday’s game against Gillett gave the Oconto Falls High School boys basketball team a solid 17-2 advantage.
The Tigers made a comeback late in the first half, but the combination of seniors Michael Manns and Tyler Hagemeier were too much to overcome in the 63-49 victory for Oconto Falls.
Hagemeier and Manns combined for five 3-pointers in the first seven minutes before Gillett got on the scoreboard.
“We were skipping the ball and we were more patient on offense,” Oconto Falls head coach Kirk Hirst said. “When the first couple hit, the first couple make them, it opens up a little more for you.”
The Tigers had just 4 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, trailing Oconto Falls 19-4 and eventually 24-6.
“We missed some awfully easy shots,” Gillett head coach Todd Carlson said. “Yeah, we only had 4 points; a lot of those were point-blank misses. We just have to get those to go in.”
After senior Brock Warden got rolling en route to 14 first-half points, the Tigers cut Oconto Falls’ lead to 4 late in the half.
Hirst thought his team became lazy on defense after building the large lead, but gave credit to the Tigers for taking advantage of the opportunity during a 21-7 run.
“‘You’ve got to compete. If you’re going to play like that, you’re going to get beat. We’re not good enough to play laziness and complacent and reach,” Hirst said. “I don’t care who we’re playing.”
Nursing a 4-point lead at the break, the Panthers opened the second half with an 8-0 run, starting with a 3 and a layup from Hagemeier and 3-pointer by Manns.
Manns led all scorers with 24 points, while Hagemeier added 21 for the Panthers.
“They both shot the ball well. They are nice players,” Carlson said. “I thought we could do some things to maybe quiet those two down a little bit and make someone else beat us, but I think they kept the pressure on us.”
The Panthers (2-11, 1-9 North Eastern Conference) have won two consecutive games after dropping their first 11 games of the season.
“They have to compete and play hard every possession instead of thinking, ‘I can take this possession off or (that) possession off,’” Hirst said. “You’ve got to play every possession like it is your last, and that’s what we have to do with these kids.”
Gillett remains winless at 0-15 overall and 0-12 in the Marinette & Oconto Conference.
Defensively, Gillett seemed to be slow in closing out on shooters and contesting shots, Carlson said.
On offense, Warden was the only player to reach double figures and led Gillett’s surge late in the first half. The senior guard had a steal and fast break layup, grabbed an offensive board for second-chance points, hit a 3-pointer, and scored on another layup. He was then fouled twice on 3-point attempts, making five of the six free throws.
“He was open, and he looks to shoot when he is open,” Carlson said. “That’s good, and that’s what we want him to do, but I wish he continued that in the second half.”
Warden finished with 16 points.
Gillett (49)
Krause 2 0-0 6, Warden 4 7-8 16, Kahler 0 1-4 1, D. Sexton 2 4-5 8, G. Sexton 1 3-5 6, Long 0 3-4 3, Wiese 1 0-0 2, Taylor 1 5-5 7.
Oconto Falls (63)
Hagemeier 6 2-4 21, Sefcik 2 0-0 5, Peterson 1 0-2 2, Fletcher 2 0-0 4, Huberty 1 3-3 5, Manns 10 0-0 24, Ellman 1 0-2 2.
Gillett 27 22 — 49
Oconto Falls 31 32 — 63
Categories
