BY RICK ARGALL
MMC STAFF
The Merrill Varsity Girls returned to action on Monday night, Jan. 15, 2024, after several cancellations due to inclement weather, to take on non-Conference opponent Medford on Merrill’s home court. Merrill entered the game with an 8-5 overall record and a 1-3 mark in Conference play.
The Lady Jays got on the board first with a 2-point basket by Sophie Wendorf (12 pts, 2 FG, 2 3pts, 2 FT) in a back-and-forth seesaw affair that saw multiple lead changes throughout the game. Medford built a six-point lead midway through the first half. But Merrill rallied to tie the score at 17-17 after a Mia Ott basket (21 pts, 7 FG, 1 3pt, 4 FT) from the free throw line) at the 9:30 mark of the first half. After trading baskets, the Lady Jays finally took the lead 33-32 on a Mia Ott basket with 3:25 remaining in the half. As the clock ticked down under one minute, #21 Haley Rindt (12 pts, 5 FG, 2 FT) scored twice in the paint to close out strong and take momentum to the locker room leading 37-34.
The second half started with a 3-pointer from Sophie Wendorf and pushed the lead to 40-37 for Merrill. Solid defense by both teams kept the scoring low as both teams kept trading baskets and the lead kept changing midway through the second half. Mia Ott hit a 3-pointer at 8:58 of the half to give the Lady Jays the lead at 53-51, prompting a timeout by Medford. The tightly-contested matchup went down to the last several minutes as Medford built a 4-point lead (60-56) with 4:02 remaining in the game. After a timeout, Grace Reimann (8 pts, 4 FG) hit a huge basket for Merrill, closing the gap to 60-58 with 1:42 left in the game. After several made free throws by Medford, the Lady Jays rallied late to get within one possession (63-60) on another basket by Grace Reimann. With 3.4 seconds remaining, Medford was able to get the ball inbounded and ran out the clock as the Merrill rally came up short at the end. The scoreboard read 63-60 as the final horn sounded.
The Lady Jays were lead by Mia Ott (21 pts), Haley Rindt (12 pts), Sophie Wendorf (12 pts), and Grace Reimann (8 pts). Merrill returns to the court on Friday Night, Jan. 19, hosting Conference rival Marshfield at 7:15 p.m.
Box Score
Medford 63 @ Merrill 60
