Shawano gets 1st Bay win over Panthers

Courtney Vomastic’s back-to-back 3-point shots were the jolt the Shawano Community High School girls needed Friday. The 5-foot-10 senior’s shots gave the Hawks an 18-11 lead late in the first half, and the Hawks went on to post a 40-30 win over visiting Oconto Falls. It was Shawano’s first win over the Panthers since they rejoined the Bay Conference in 2007. Shawano coach Ryan Koenig was relieved to get the victory. “In the three years I have been here, we have not beaten them,” he said. Vomastic’s consecutive 3-pointers both excited and relaxed the Hawks. “It definitely hyped us up, and we had the momentum come our way and gave us more energy,” Vomastic said. “I was surprised. I couldn’t believe it.” “That gave us our gap, and we never looked back,” Koenig said. “It let us relax and let us play solid basketball in the second half.” Mixing zone and man-to-man defenses, Shawano (4-8, 3-5 Bay) clamped down on Falls’ leading scorers, Liz Manns and Bailey Wolf, and held the Panthers to no field goals in the second period and two in the third period. “We had a couple of people playing man, and a couple of people playing zone, so we threw something at them that they have not seen this year to mix things up,” Koenig said. Oconto Falls coach Mike Kaczmarek Jr. said the Panthers (5-7, 3-5 Bay) could not crack the Hawks’ defense. “We just did not shoot well tonight. Then they take Liz Manns and Bailey Wolf out of the game like they did, putting defenders on them,” Kaczmarek said. “We just couldn’t find a way to score.” Manns, who averaged 13.6 points per game heading into the game and is the Bay’s leading 3-point shooter, was held to three points. Wolf finished with six points. Vomastic led all scorers Friday with 10 points. The Hawks’ leading scorer on the season, Sara Hokenstad, took a tumble on the court midway through the third period and did not return. Oconto Falls (30) Helmle 0 5-6 5, Manns 1 1-2 3, Wolf 2 1-2 6, Schroeder 1 0-0 2, Virtues 3 0-2 6, Krueger 3 0-0 6, Kratz 1 0-1 2 Shawano (40) Monfils 2 1-2 5, Morgan Klitzke 0 1-1 1, Megan Klitzke 2 2-2 6, Vomastic 2 2-2 10, Boda 3 2-2 8, Ainsworth 0 3-4 3, Hokenstad 2 0-0 4, Dunnam 1 1-2 3. Oconto Falls 9 3 5 13 — 30 Shawano 10 8 10 12 — 40