Panthers Stay Unblemished To End 2014
By Ken McKenzie
The SPASH Panthers’ boys basketball team ended the 2014 portion of their schedule Wednesday, posting a 74-59 win over Oshkosh North in a game hosted at Concordia University on New Year’s Eve afternoon. They now take their 9-0 record into 2015 play of the Wisconsin Valley Conference and hope to quickly build on their 1-0 mark begun in the WVC.
The game at Concordia in Mequon, WI was the 22nd of 24 games staged over three days at the 10th annual Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout which featured many top prep teams and individuals among the various school divisions of the WIAA.
Facing the predictable 1-3-1 defense of the Oshkosh North Spartans that SPASH has witnessed over several years of common WIAA sectional seeding, the Panthers were workmanlike in their approach in this match-up. With a deliberate passing style and no shot clock to hurry them at the high school level, the talented SPASH team took their time in dissecting that defense and posting their win while minimizing their mistakes in carving up the defense.
Trev Anderson opened the SPASH scoring with a lay in at 6:11 before Joey Hauser hit long three-point jumper from the left corner that bounced high on the rim and then gently settled down through the net, giving SPASH their first lead at 5-4. Hauser was quick to add another trey from the right side arc and a deuce at 3:34 mark of first quarter to give Panthers a 10-6 lead.
Sam Hauser was whistled for second personal foul at 3:32, forcing Coach Scott Anderson to make a substitution to preserve time for his outstanding junior for later in the game. Enter Jamison Kryshak. A minute later the deliberate and patient offense strategy used by the Panthers was rewarded as the perimeter passing found an open Kryshak at the high left arc who calmly let fly the first of what would eventually result in five treys on the afternoon to make a huge contribution to the SPASH offense in execution against the menacing Oshkosh North defense and its various schemes.
Kryshak added a second trey at the 1:30 mark; again after the Panthers maneuvered the ball around the zone, eventually providing a pass for Kryshak to step into and connect with a three-point shot to give SPASH the 16-8 lead. SPASH then yielded a 2X1 breakout hoop and another score by Oshkosh North to close out the quarter at 16-12 advantage.
Ted Kearney made a great save on a possession setting up a Trev Anderson shot on which he was fouled. Anderson made both free throws, then followed up on the next defensive stop as he scored off a rebound and speed transition lay in. Sam Hauser added a left side turnaround jumper and SPASH found themselves with a 22-14 advantage. Kearney engineered a steal in backcourt and layup for 24-16 lead at 5:07 of second quarter.
Jamison Kryshak added another shot from beyond the arc at 3:48 and Joey Hauser was pressured hard on a baseline shot with Trev Anderson following up and drawing a foul, successfully hitting twin free throws. Joey Hauser added another score in transition off a fine assist from Anderson at 2:44 to go up ten, 31-21.
Kryshak added yet another three-pointer at 1:14 and Anderson added a drive in the lane and a three pointer with 3.9 seconds in the half with SPASH taking a 39-30 advantage to the locker room break.
Oshkosh North opened third quarter scoring but Sam Hauser answered for SPASH at 6:38, scoring on a three-point shot off the high left arc. Oshkosh North hit on three of four free throws to cut into the SPASH lead before Kryshak hit his fifth scoring trey at 4:44, this time from the top of the arc to push the advantage back to ten at 45-35.
Sam Hauser unleashed a long pass deep to Joey Hauser who connected at the four minute mark and Sam repeated his quarterback technique again twenty seconds later as he hit Jamison Kryshak on the fly who delivered the lay in. The Spartans scored twice but Trev Anderson then scored in transition and benefited from another Sam Hauser assist to stretch the lead and Sam connected on three-point shot inside the final minute as the Panthers expanded their lead to 56-40 at the end of the quarter.
Oshkosh North offered a little comeback pressure in the final frame with Philip Flory (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln sophomore transfer) finding the range with three treys and two pairs of free throws to finish with 16 points in the game.
Joey Hauser split a pair of free throws with Andrew Ruzek snaring the rebound on the miss to feed Anderson who scored to make it 59-43. Joey Hauser hit a shot from left corner at 6:17, Sam Hauser added a pair of free throws and Mack Journell earned the field goal on a goal tend call on the Oshkosh defender. Anderson added a score in lane traffic and a pairs of free throws on the next trip and a later field goal as SPASH again pushed the margin to 17 at 71-54.
The Panthers hit three of four free throws over the final minutes taking their well earned win back to central Wisconsin and the new year.
Oshkosh North was led in scoring by Blake Marquardt with 20 while Trev Anderson led SPASH with 27, joined in double figures by Kryshak’s 17, Joey Hauser’s 15 and Sam Hauser’s 11.
The Panthers now return to Wisconsin Valley Conference action, traveling to Wausau West on Tuesday, January 6 before returning home Friday (Jan. 9) for to participate in a girls/boys double-header hosting Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln with girls’ game at 6 p.m. and boys to follow at 7:45.