The Superior High School girls basketball team scored 20 points in the second quarter Thursday to defeat the Marshfield Tigers 44-31 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional game.
The Spartans (17-6) now play Eau Claire North (22-2) in the sectional championship at 3 p.m. Saturday in Marshfield. The Huskies advanced with a 43-40 win over La Crosse Central.
After Thursday's game, the Spartan girls were boiling over with excitement.
"It's just pure exuberance," said SHS coach Dan Schulz. "In the same sense, we're focused and ready to go Saturday."
Marshfield, the No. 1 seed, played without leading scorer Taylor Varsho Thursday. Varsho, who averaged more than 21 points per game, tore her ACL during practice earlier in the week.
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The Tigers clearly missed their standout junior, but senior Alyssa Brenner did her best to fill in.
After Superior's Hailey Kontny took the ball through the lane to give the Spartans a 4-2 lead about three minutes into the game, Brenner hit a pair of 3-pointers to give Marshfield its first lead. Eleni Seitz then added a layup in the final seconds to put Marshfield up 10-4 after one quarter.
Jessica Lindstrom started the second quarter with a shot inside for Superior, and Sammy DeMeyer added two free throws to get Superior within two. A minute later, DeMeyer stepped in for a steal, was fouled on the breakaway layup and made both free throws to tie the game at 10-10.
The Tigers regained a 13-10 lead on a 3-pointer from Leah Ripp, but Kontny answered with two quick baskets to give Superior the lead for good.
Superior finished out the quarter with 10 more points to lead 24-20 at halftime. Abby Clemons gave the Spartans the momentum heading into the break with an offensive rebound and put-back to beat the buzzer.
In the third quarter, Seitz cut Superior's lead to two before DeMeyer again came up big for Superior. The junior dribbled inside for a tough shot and then followed with a steal and layup to make it 28-22.
"Sammy gave a really gutsy performance," Schulz said.
DeMeyer has been battling a high ankle sprain and likely suffered a contusion on her elbow in Thursday's game.
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"She'll be putting ice on three or four places tonight, and then she'll be ready to go again Saturday," Schulz said.
At about the six-minute mark, Lindstrom hit Superior's first 3-pointer of the night to give the Spartans a nine point lead, and Superior stretched its lead to 12 before ending the quarter up 38-28.
Neither team scored in the first four minutes of the final period, and Lindstrom's shot off the glass at 3:27 proved to be the only field goal of the quarter. Superior added four more points at the free-throw line, all from Kontny, while Marshfield went 3-for-6 at the line for its only points of the quarter.
For the game, Superior was 10-of-14 on free throws, while Marshfield was 6-of-10.
Brenner led all scorers with 15 points and made four shots from behind the arc.
DeMeyer led Superior with 13 points, followed closely by Kontny with 12 points and Lindstrom with nine. Raya Kosey added six points for the Spartans and Clemons had four.
Superior 4 20 14 6 -- 44
Marshfield 10 10 8 3 -- 31
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Superior -- Sammy DeMeyer 13, Hailey Kontny 12, Jessica Lindstrom 9, Raya Kosey 6, Abby Clemons 4.
3-point goals -- Lindstrom, DeMeyer.
Marshfield -- Alyssa Brenner 15, Eleni Seitz 10, Leah Ripp 3, Courtney Bauer 2, Tiffany Stargardt 1.
3-point goals -- Brenner 4, Ripp.
