Merrill Varsity Boys Basketball split games

Merrill loses to Mosinee in OT
On the road at Mosinee on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, the Merrill Varsity Boys Basketball Team fell 62-57 in overtime to the Conference leaders in the second overtime loss to Mosinee this season.
“Another overtime loss to Conference leader Mosinee, the second of the season, both games filled with what if’s, but there isn’t much you can do about the outcome now. You just pick yourself up, correct a few things, and use it as fuel for your next game,” said Merrill Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach Troy Pieper.
Despite the loss, Pieper praised his team’s performance in a hostile environment.
“I’m proud of the guys effort tonight. It was a packed gym, great atmosphere, and the guys played their hearts out, and the situation and energy in the building wasn’t too big for the guys. It was a playoff atmosphere for sure, and tonight showed me a lot about our team and the growth we’ve made this season,” he said. “I’m confident we can handle any situation in the playoffs, no matter if we are on the road or at home.”

Mosinee took an eight-point lead into halftime after a late first-half run.
“It was a back-and-forth game, they went on a little run toward the end of the first half to take an eight-point lead at the break, and I thought we got a little sloppy and loose with the ball down the stretch. I think the halftime break came at a good time so we could regroup a little,” Pieper said.
Merrill’s defense dominated the second half, holding Mosinee to just 26 points.
“The second half our defense was as locked in as it’s been all year. We only allowed 26 points in the second half, and 10 of those came in Overtime, and a handful of the OT points were because we were forced to foul at the end,” he said.
Free throw shooting proved costly for the Bluejays.
“We again had three guys in double figures, we did a lot of good things, and in the box score it shows that; however, the free throw line was our demise tonight. We went 0-7 in the second half from the line,” Pieper said.
Box Score
Merrill 57 @ Mosinee 62 (OT)

Merrill rebounds with win against Northland Pines
On Monday, Feb. 2, the Bluejays defeated Northland Pines 49-40 in a defensive battle. Merrill led 19-18 at halftime.

“It was a defensive game. Both teams played really well on the defensive end, but I don’t think it was a case of bad offense. Both teams were pretty efficient on that end, as well. It was just a low possession game which results in a low scoring game,” Pieper said.
“I think it might have been our best complete game of the year. We played well all night. Sure, there were some hiccups here and there, but the energy, effort, and execution were there for the majority of the game,” he said.
Pieper highlighted the defensive performance of Eli Burtman, who finished with three blocks.
“The first time we played Pines their big guy had 26 points. I sort of challenged Eli to own the paint tonight, and he did that. Their big guy only had 8 points,” Pieper said. “Eli finished the game with three blocks, and just owned the paint all night. I was proud of him and his effort tonight.”
Box Score
Merrill 49 @ Northland Pines 40

A tough Merrill loss to Shawano
On Tuesday, Feb. 3, Merrill fell to Shawano 44-58. The Bluejays trailed 17-23 at halftime.
“I have to give credit to Shawano. Their defense was aggressive all night, they made us uncomfortable, and we never really adjusted to their style, and it caused us issues all night,” Pieper said.
Despite the loss, Pieper sees value in the experience heading into playoffs.

“I think playing a team like this will help us for playoffs. We have to be able to execute on offense even when teams put a little ball pressure on you. We will learn from this and be better next time. I’m sure of it,” he said.
Box Score
Merrill 44 @ Shawano 58

Merrill dominates Tomahawk at Hoops for Hope game night
On Friday, Feb. 6, the Bluejays dominated Tomahawk 82-23 in what was more than just a basketball game. Merrill led 49-16 at halftime.

“Tonight was more than the game, it was our Hoops for Hope night, and this year we raised some money for one of our high school teachers who is currently battling breast cancer, Emily Bonack,” Pieper said.
“Nights like this make you realize Merrill is the only community I want to live in. [It was] unreal the amount of donations, the amount of people who came to the game, and just the outpouring of support Emily was shown tonight is really special,” he said.
Despite the distractions that come with special events, Pieper said his team remained focused.
“As for the game, nights like this where we have so much going on outside of the game itself, it can be distracting for the players and coaches. I thought my staff and the players were locked in from the start tonight. We really dominated the game, starting the game on a 27-0 run to set the tone,” he said.
Cooper Wendorf led the offensive charge.
“Cooper was feeling it from the start, scoring early and often. He finished with 28 points in just 20 minutes of game action. That’s an efficient dominating performance,” Pieper said.
The lopsided score allowed Pieper to give playing time to his entire roster.
“Nights like this are nice, because everyone gets some decent minutes. Tonight I thought Cam Wallin came in aggressive, he really made the most of his minutes, and when you get those chances to try to earn more minutes, it’s nice to have a nice energy and effort out there, and Cam did that tonight,” he said.
Looking ahead to the final stretch of the regular season, Pieper noted the team’s playoff positioning.
“Now we enter the final stretch of games before the playoffs — this week two games on the road at Medford Tuesday and at Rhinelander Friday, then we finish up with a couple of home games. Where it stands now in the updated computer seeding thing, we would be a 5 seed and earning a first round bye. This would be our first first-round bye since I’ve been here, so that would be a cool accomplishment for the boys to reach,” he said. “However it will end our streak of hosting a playoff game, as we would get a bye but have to go on the road in the second round, which is a little bittersweet, but the rest and prep time is worth the streak ending.”
Box Score
Merrill 82 @ Tomahawk 23