Mounders play catch-up against Regis, take huge win over Boyceville
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Amber Hayden
For the Mounder boys, it was a long week as they faced the Regis Ramblers in Eau Claire last Monday evening, and returned home Thursday to host Dunn-St. Croix opponent, Boyceville.
Splitting the games, a loss to Regis and a win over Boyceville, the Mounders remained tied at 4-3 with Mondovi for fourth place in the Dunn-St. Croix boys’ standings and are 6-8 for the 2018-19 season.
Elk Mound headed to Eau Claire on January 21 for a non-conference contest against the Ramblers and battled to catch up all evening. The Mounders struggled to get anything going as they lost by a 23-point margin and a score of 71-48.
But the Mounders didn’t stay down long as they welcomed D-SC cellar dweller, the Boyceville Bulldogs, last Thursday evening, January 24, and attacked the basket well and got to the foul line to take a win 68-44.
Elk Mound welcomed Dunn-St. Croix rival the Colfax Vikings last evening, Tuesday, in their second meeting of the season. Elk Mound will then hit the road for a pair of games, going to Plum City for a conference game against Elmwood/Plum City this Friday, February 1 and at Bloomer on Monday, February 4.
Regis
The Mounders headed back out on the road last Monday evening, January 21, to take on the Cloverbelt’s second-place Regis Ramblers in what was, according to head coach Michael Kessler, a game of catch-up all evening.
“Our kids competed all night,” Kessler stated. “Regis shot extremely well in the first half from beyond the arc, their hot shooting built a sizable lead as the first half went on and we were playing catch-up the rest of the way.”
The Ramblers built a 39-26 halftime advantage and then expanded on it in the second half, outscoring the Mounders 32-22 for the 71-48 non-conference victory.
With the continued absence of Marcus Kinblom, who according to Kessler is still out with an injury, several Mounders were left to step up and fill his shoes on the court.
One player that was a welcomed bright spot for Elk Mound was Blaze Todd. Against Regis, Todd had his best offensive game of the year with his season and career high of 16 points. Todd hit the nets for five doubles and a triple as well as going three-of-eight from the line.
The Mounders, however, had a tough time silencing Regis’ Abe Rocksvold and JP Wolterstorff as the pair of Ramblers hit four threes respectively against Elk Mound with six of them coming in the first half.
“Our kids got it within 11 at one point in the second half, but that was the closest we got,” coach Kessler explained.
Seniors Brett Lew and Colton Ward put up a combined 14 points. Lew sank three doubles and a pair of foul shots for eight points and Ward had six points on a trey, a double and was one-of-two from the line.
Teammates Ryan Bohl, Rian Flynn and Jake Mentzel each hit the net from outside the arc in their only points against the Ramblers.
Adding to the points for Elk Mound were teammates Ben Heath and Cole Steinhorst with two points apiece and Nate Lew was one-of-two from the line.
ELK MOUND 48, REGIS 71
Elk Mound….….….……26 22 – 48
Regis…….….……..…….39 32 – 71
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)
Elk Mound — R. Bohl 1-0-0-3, R. Flynn 1-0-0-3, N. Lew 0-1-2-1, C. Ward 2-1-2-6, C. Steinhorst 1-0-0-2, B. Heath 0-2-0-2, C. Hanson 1-2-4-4, B. Lew 3-2-1-8, J. Mentzel 1-0-1-3, B. Todd 6-3-2-16.
Regis — D. Haselwander 2-0-0-5, J. Edge 1-1-1-3, B. Paulsrud 4-0-1-10, C. Osborn 3-2-2-8, A. Haselwander 0-2-0-2, A. Rocksvold 6-2-0-18, J. Wolterstorff 4-1-2-13, W. Jordahl 1-0-2-2, M. Merkel 1-0-1-2, H. Reinders 1-0-2-3, J. Wolterstorff 1-0-1-2, J. Koestler 1-0-0-3.
THREE-POINTERS EM — R. Bohl 1, R. Flynn 1, C. Ward 1, J. Mentzel 1, B. Todd 1; R— B. Paulsrud 2, A. Rocksvold 4, J. Wolterstorff 4, H. Reinders 1, J. Koestler 1.
Boyceville
After a rough start to the week, the Mounders returned home on January 24 to take on D-SC’s Boyceville Bulldogs in what would be a double-digit win for Elk Mound.
“After a slow start, our guys really played well,” said coach Kessler. “I thought we attacked the basket well and got to the FT line a lot.”
Elk Mound took a 12-point halftime lead and then finished with a dozen more points than Boyceville in the second half to post a convincing 68-24 victory over the Bulldogs who remained winless in D-SC play.
After sitting out the past two games, Marcus Kinblom returned to the starting line up for Elk Mound and scored eight points on three doubles and a two-of-two performance from the charity stripe.
Senior forward Brett Lew topped the Mounders’ scoring chart with 16 points against the Bulldogs. Lew put down ten of his 16 points in the first half alone and bucketed three doubles, a lone trey, and was seven-of-nine from the line.
“We got some great minutes from Cole Steinhorst, Ryan Bohl and Chase Rhude,” Kessler also explained. “We really got out and pushed the ball in transition, and that led to some transition baskets.”
For Ryan Bohl his night could not have ended more perfect as he hit a season and career high with 11. Bohl was a beast from outside the arc, sinking three triples as well as going two-of-two from the foul line.
Steinhorst had a stellar night as well as he earned his 2018-19 season high for the Mounders with eight points in his minutes played as he finished with a pair of doubles went four-for-four at the foul line.
Cade Hanson tallied six points and Colton Ward chipped in for four.
Twelve of Elk Mound’s fourteen players put points on the board in the two 18-minute halves, and according to Kessler, the Mounders’ ability to generate turnovers in the half-court trap led to quite a few buckets for Elk Mound as well.
Blaze Todd, Rian Flynn and Ben Heath each had three points against the Bulldogs, Todd and Flynn hit the net from the outside for three and Heath had a double and was one-of-two from the line.
“Overall it was nice to see the kids battle from start to finish,” Kessler stated.
Contributing two points apiece for Elk Mound were teammates Max Marquardt, Michael Jenson and Jake Mentzel, with each sinking a bucket from the inside.
Boyceville had three players in double digits as Brendan Sempf led the Bulldogs with 17 points, Logan Knudtson had 12 and Jaden Reisimer finished with ten.
ELK MOUND 68, BOYCEVILLE 44
Elk Mound….….….……31 37 – 68
Boyceville…….…..…….19 25 – 44
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)
Elk Mound — R. Bohl 3-2-0-11, R. Flynn 1-0-3-3, C. Ward 1-2-0-4, M. Marquardt 1-0-3-2, C. Steinhorst 2-4-2-8, B. Heath 1-1-0-3, M. Jenson 1-0-1-2, C. Hanson 2-2-0-6, B. Lew 4-7-1-16, J. Mentzel 1-0-1-2, B. Todd 1-0-2-3, M. Kinblom 3-2-0-8.
Boyceville — J. Reisimer 4-0-1-10, B. Sempf 5-3-3-17, C. Sempf 0-2-4-2, L. Knudtson 5-0-3-12, H. Nye 0-1-0-1, C. Klefstad 1-0-4-2.
THREE-POINTERS
EM — R. Bohl 3, R. Flynn 1, B. Lew 1, B. Todd 1; BV— J. Reisimer 2, B. Sempf 4, L. Knudtson 2.