Marines Top Maroons in M&M Matchup

After a couple of quiet offensive games, Marinette sophomore Riley Kieffer broke out with a 22-point display to lead the Marines past Menominee 54-33 on Saturday.
Kieffer scored 15 or more points in seven of Marinette’s first eight games, but had scored single-digit totals in the last three games, including a three-point display in a win over Northland Pines on Thursday.
She got the scoring started for Marinette early on Saturday, making two free throws and a layup to give her team a 4-0 advantage out of the gates.
She had eight at halftime, helping the Marines to a 20-13 lead.
The first four Marinette points of the second half were scored by sophomore forward Olivia Hanson.
Rylee Hansen had a steal and a breakaway layup right after that made it 26-15.
“She’s the heart of our defense. We have a lot of people that play very well defensively, but when Rylee Hansen’s here, you see a different energy,” Marinette coach Zac Barker said. “She allows everyone else to do their jobs behind them. She kind of carries our team on the defensive end.”
Kieffer then hit two 3-pointers to give her team a 35-18 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Marinette scored 19 points in the final eight minutes to finish off the M&M game win.
It was a bit of a struggle offensively for Marinette, but once things started to open up, it snowballed from there.
“Once we got some outside shots falling and were able to do some things in transition, we started to be able to put the ball in the hoop,” Barker said. “But if we struggle hitting outside shots and we’re just one-dimensional trying to score in transition, it’s hard to put points on the board.”
Menominee got 15 points from Anna Axtell and 13 from Hanna Drifka. Other than that, no player scored more than two points.
A lot of the Maroons’ offensive difficulties can be attributed to a suffocating Marinette zone.
“In that first half, we kind of played into their hands, exactly what they wanted us to do. When we’re in situations like that, we didn’t make the best decisions,” Menominee coach Lucas Chouinard said. “We have to be stronger with the ball and our passes. Their hands were in the lane, they were getting deflections, that’s what they wanted to do, and they were successful doing that.”
Marinette’s Chloe Seymour scored nine, Kaya Bodam scored six, and Madison Kunick got five. Bryanna Torkko, Olivia Hanson, and Rylee Hansen scored four apiece.
Cougars Cage Bulldogs
in Non-Conference
Tilt 56-38
Coming into Tuesday’s non-conference matchup, the Coleman Cougars knew they had to set the tone early.
Peshtigo hadn’t played a game since Dec. 17 and had just four practices in that period, while the Cougars took on tough opponents from Lourdes Academy and St. Mary Catholic last week.
Peshtigo’s rust and Coleman’s sharpness certainly showed early on Tuesday, as the Cougars raced out to a 13-0 lead and led 28-15 at halftime.
“The girls started off pretty good. They knew they had to get uptempo right away to set the pace and that’s what they did,” Coleman coach Kevin Zeitler said. “They have a great group of athletes, so we figured we had to pressure them and get on them right away so they couldn’t get comfortable and settle in and that’s what the girls did.”
Peshtigo cut into the lead a little bit early in the second half, making it 34-25 on a basket by Akira Smalls. Nine was as close as it would get, with Coleman going on another run to make it 46-27 with a 3-pointer by Kiersten Jensen.
The lead hit 20 on a triple by Aubrey Bintz shortly after, and it was just about over from there, finishing 56-38.
Bintz led all scorers with 17 points. Bre Hanrahan hit three triples to finish with nine and Cameron Zeitler scored seven.
“Coleman’s a very fine team. They run some very nice offensive stuff, they’re very patient, they’re very deliberate, and they’re very well coached,” Peshtigo coach Jeff Sunstrom said.
Smalls scored 12 to lead Peshtigo. Brooklyn Phillips finished with nine, including eight in the first half. Peshtigo was clearly a bit off the pace after such a long layoff.
“We’ve been off a long time and it showed,” Sunstrom said. “It was a decision I made as the head coach that we would give them some time off during the holidays. We didn’t practice all that much. I think we practiced a total of four days over the two weeks. I thought we were playing really well before we went into the break and I wanted to give them a break.”
Next up for Coleman (9-3 overall, 6-0 M&O Conference) is Suring on the road Thursday (6-6 overall, 4-2 M&O Conference).
The Bulldogs (4-6 overall, 3-2 Packerland) head to NEW Lutheran/Providence Academy (6-4 overall, 3-1 Packerland) for a Friday matchup.
“Now we’ve got to come back. No one is going to feel sorry for us,” Sunstrom said. “We’ve got to get ready to play, and we’re playing a big conference game this Friday.”
Marinette Returns
From  Holiday
With Win Over
Northland Pines
Marinette’s defense didn’t miss a step after more than a week off in a 34-14 win over Northland Pines on Wednesday.
The eight days between its 43-39 win over Wrightstown on Dec. 20 and Wednesday’s win didn’t benefit the Marine offense, but they shut down Northland Pines’ offense to the tune of a 19-5 first-half advantage and a 15-9 second half.
Marinette’s Chloe Seymour scored 11 points. Kylie Veriha had seven and Mackenzie Hebert got five.
Rock’s 26 Leads
Niagara Past
Three Lakes
Josie Rock’s 26 points carried Niagara past Three Lakes on Wednesday.
Rock led all scorers, helping Niagara pull away from its three-point halftime lead. Morgan Borchardt scored 15, and both Erin Lukowicz and Mallory Sanicki scored five.
Three Lakes’ Kallie Volk scored 16 and Kailyn Fogerty got 10.
Marines Drop NEC
Contest to Vikings
Marinette was handed a stinging 51-44 North Eastern Conference loss by Denmark on Tuesday night.
Marinette’s leading scorer was Bryanna Torkko with 11 points. Riley Kieffer scored nine and both Chloe Seymour and Rylee Hansen scored seven apiece.
On the other side, Kiarrah Micolichek scored 16 and Abbey Hummel scored 14.
Marinette drops to 5-2 in NEC play, falling off the pace of 7-0 Freedom, which handed Fox Valley Lutheran its first conference loss on Tuesday.
Denmark is 3-4 in NEC play with the win.
The Marines will take on that tough Freedom team at home Friday night, with first tip set for 7 p.m.
Wildcats Win
Thriller Over Gillett
Lena resumed the M&O Conference season with a bang on Wednesday with a 48-47 win over Gillett.
The Tigers led the game early in the second half. They took a 23-17 advantage into halftime and scored the first three points of the second half on a triple by Carleigh Kaczmarek.
Lena pulled to within a point at 29-28. After another burst by Gillett, the Wildcats would finally tie the game at 38, setting up a photo finish.
Kaczmarek’s 22 points led the Tigers, and Cilena Guns added 19. While the duo scored 41, it wasn’t enough to overcome Lena’s five scorers.
All five of Lena’s scorers had at least five points. Eva Brooks led the way with 18, followed by nine apiece from Natalie McNurlen and Whitney Potter, Claire Brooks’ seven, and five by Chaela Rabas.
Zephyrs Blow Past
Coleman 73-35
The St. Mary Catholic Zephyrs are on another level from any other team Coleman has played this season, and they showed it in a 73-35 win on Thursday.
The Zephyrs, now 10-1 on the season, scored 37 in the first half and led by 18 at the break.
Cameron Zeitler scored 17 points and Maddie Hinther scored seven for Coleman.
St. Mary’s Audrey Norville and Chloe Vogel scored 16 each for the Zephyrs.
Tigers Nipp Panthers
in Non Conference Play
Chilton clipped Oconto Falls 44-41 in non-conference action on Tuesday night.
Natalie Schleter’s 16 points paced the Blue Devils and Rylie Shallow had 10. Anna Vandenlangenberg scored seven.
Next up for Oconto (9-3 overall) is NEW Lutheran/Providence Academy at home Thursday night.
The Blue Devils are 5-0 in Packerland Conference play, while NEW is 3-1.
Blue Devils Beat
Panthers 48-40
Addisyn Viestenz dropped 23 points to push Oconto past Oconto Falls on Friday night.
Viestenz made seven of 18 field goals and seven of her nine free throw attempts, also securing nine rebounds. Hannah Thomson led the team in rebounding with 11 and scored seven points. Rylie Shallow scored six on a 3-5 shooting night.
Oconto Falls’ leader was Maddy Maloney, who scored 18 points. Amber Otto scored seven and Morgan Moynihan had six.
Oconto Cruises Past
Crivitz 53-24
Oconto defeated Crivitz 53-34 on Wednesday, dropping the Wolverines’ record to 1-8 on the year.
Addisyn Viestenz had a game-high 16, followed by 10 from Anna Vandenlangenberg and eight by Natalie Schlueder.
Alexis Martin had 11 rebounds. Gracie Simon and Alyse Viestenz had three assists apiece.
For Crivitz, Taryn Tracy scored a team-high 13 and Kirsten Pusick had 10.
The Wolverines’ matchup with Florence was postponed Tuesday, meaning the Wolverines will have had a week off when they go to Gillett on Thursday.
Gillett is 5-3 overall with a 3-3 M&O Conference record.