Serving Algoma, Casco, Kewaunee, Luxemburg and all of Kewaunee County
KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Algoma coach Eric Schneider had a lot to smile about in an 87-28 thrashing of Chilton Tuesday, one night after his team couldn’t cool home cooking in a 73-62 loss at Two Rivers.
“A little bit of a heartbreak last night,” said Schneider, whose Wolves led 50-49 in the season opener Monday after a Braeden Leist floater in the lane. “They got hot late, and we just couldn’t match that.”
Juniors Parker Lischka and Leist combined for 33 points in the loss, while Chase Romdenne added nine and Lane Cochart hit a pair of three-pointers.
Leist had three 3s. A Lischka triple gave the Wolves a 20-16 lead midway through the first half, but the Purple Raiders went on a 23-12 run to go up 39-32.
Algoma battled back after intermission with a Carson Leist rebound hoop and a Lischka three-pointer, then took the lead, 48-46, at the 12:25 mark with a triple from Cody Kirchman.
Two Rivers would answer by draining six 3s over the next seven minutes.
“We maybe didn’t rotate and close fast enough,” Schneider said. “There are things to work on. But we did a lot of good things, too.”
At Algoma, everything started with defense. While no official stats on steals were kept, the Wolves were well into the double digits. Braeden Leist alone had at least seven or eight.
Twelve players scored. Lischka and Leist combined for 37 points, while sophomore Charlie Prokash and freshman Griffin Robinson added nine each.
Robinson sank three of four three-point attempts in limited action off the bench.
“With the pressure that Two Rivers put on us, I was maybe a little gun-shy to put a freshman in there,” Schneider said. “But tonight he proved that he can belong with the group on a varsity level. He’s a great shooter; we see that in practice every day. Trying to figure out, rotation-wise, how we can get him on the floor some more.”
The third-year coach said everyone did a great job moving the ball around and contributing at a high level.
“That’s the message in the locker room, team before individual players,” Schneider said.
He’s been especially pleased with the maturity of Lischka, a first team All-Packerland selection as a sophomore last year.
“He seems like he’s staying with the role I want him to play,” Schneider said. “He’s going to be our No. 1 (option), obviously. His athleticism is unmatched by most, but he’s being unselfish, working the ball around, getting everybody involved. That’s what it’s going to take.”
Pre-season favorite Kewaunee opened Packerland play with a convincing 61-21 win at home over Gibraltar.
The Storm led 42-7 at intermission, with junior Gabby Stangel scoring all 16 of her points in the first half. Jade Kroll had a game-high 18.
Kewaunee used its pressure defense to force 25 turnovers, including 20 steals.
Offensively, the Storm committed just three turnovers and sank 26 field goals, six free throws and one three-pointer.
In other action, freshmen Lauren Loucks (14) and Bristol Schmidt (8) combined for 22 points in Algoma’s 54-43 in at NEW/Providence, and Luxemburg-Casco played tough defense in a 43-36 win over Marinette.
Senior Sierra Slaby added 10 points and junior Jadyn Nellis 7 for Algoma, with Slaby dropping a pair of three-pointers. Brianna Bray scored 11, including three triples, for the Spartans. Sienna Blohowiak added 10, including two 3s.
The Wolves won in thrilling fashion, stealing a non-conference win Nov. 26 at Fulwiler Fieldhouse.
Algoma rallied from a 13-point deficit but still trailed by two late.
She would break a 60-60 tie in overtime with another hoop.
Sierra Slaby had a team-high 18 and Mattson 15 for Algoma, while Brianna Bray had a game-high 19 and Sienna Blohowiak added a dozen for the Spartans.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here