Jared Schmeltzer
Reporter
In a non-conference meeting with the Antigo Red Robins on Tuesday night, Dec. 17, the Merrill girls basketball team took the battle to the red birds and came out victorious, topping Antigo 42-35.
According to Merrill head coach Joelene Weix, both Merrill and Antigo had some offensive struggles in the first half of action, however the girls were able to find success in the second half.
“Both Teams found it difficult to put the ball in the basket in the first half.” said coach Weix. “We had trouble finding the soft spot of their zone and making Good decisions in the first half. In the second half of the game we had more success moving the ball and creating good looks at the basket.”
A low scoring first half would end in a score of 17-14, with the Jays holding on to the lead. Merrill’s leading scorer this year, Courtney Krueger, had some struggles putting the ball through the basket, however she did a great job of finding open teammates to take the load off her shoulders. The second half saw a confident Krueger dish out seven assists, including a few to Merrill’s leading scorer of the night, Reese Mrachek.
“Mrachek made some perimeter shots that helped open things up offensively,” added Weix. “Our defense overall played well. Prebeg did a nice job on the boards, grabbing 15 throughout the game. We also did a good job making some free throws down the stretch that secured the win for us.”
The second half saw the Bluejays take the win, outscoring Antigo 25-21. Despite a poor 26% shooting performance for Merrill, the Jays now sit with a 2-3 record, including a 1-1 WVC (Wisconsin Valley Conference) record.
Reese Mrachek was the leading scorer for Merrill, totaling 19 points, two rebounds and an assist. Other top performers for Merrill include: Courtney Krueger (7 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB and 4 STL), Ashley Prebeg (6 PTS, 15 REB and 3 BLK) and Claire Drew (4 PTS and 7 REB).
The Jays will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 27, as they travel to Menomonie for a tournament, starting at 2:45 p.m.