The Shawano Community High School boys basketball team was the clear favorite going into Tuesday’s Bay Conference game with Oconto Falls. When the Panthers handed the Hawks 25 extra chances — that is 25 turnovers — the mismatch only grew.
Shawano (11-8, 9-4 Bay) beat Oconto Falls 59-33.
“We’re a good defensive team,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “We pride ourselves on getting stops night in and night out. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing; we’re going to pressure you and get into you and make you uncomfortable a little bit.”
The Hawks were up 17-7 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 32-11 by halftime. Playing mostly bench players in the second half, the Hawks still outscored Oconto Falls, 26-22. Fourteen Shawano players scored in the game.
“That’s a great sign of unselfish basketball,” Kellett said. “The kids were having fun out there and playing together and that’s all I could ask for.”
“I picked these guys (Shawano) to be one of the surprise teams in the conference; these guys are good,” Oconto Falls coach Kirk Hirst said. “You don’t beat West De Pere and Seymour and not be good. But it really came down to us taking care of the ball.”
Jack Lacy, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, led the scoring for the Hawks, getting 13 of his 15 points before halftime. Garret Schlise added seven.
Michael Fifield led Oconto Falls (3-15, 2-12 Bay) with a game-high 16 points.
“We had some guys play really, really well tonight,” Hirst said. “I thought Mike Fifield had a very good game. Probably one of the best games he’s played all year.”
Despite a close loss to West De Pere on Friday, Kellett said his team is hitting its stride at the right time.
“We’re peaking right now,” Kellett said. “Even though we lost to West De Pere — we let one slip — hopefully we can continue this roll that we’re on.”
In junior varsity action, Shawano beat Oconto Falls 54-49 in overtime.
Oconto Falls (33)
Johnson 0 1-2 1, Brye 0 1-2 1, Curl 1 0-0 2, Koppa 1 1-2 3, Salscheider 1 1-2 3, Brunette 1 0-1 2, Kowalczyk 1 3-4 5, Fifield 6 1-2 16
Shawano (59)
D. Frechette 2 0-0 6, Geenen 2 1-1 5, Kneuppel 1 0-0 2, Sleeper 1 0-0 2, Raddant 1 0-0 2, Wilber 1 0-2 2, Sousek 2 0-1 4, Schlise 3 0-2 7, Mueller 1 0-0 2, Lacy 6 0-0 15, Quinn 1 1-2 3, Hintz 1 0-0 2, A. Frechette 1 0-0 2, Gueths 2 1-1 5
Oconto Falls 7 4 9 13 — 33
Shawano 17 15 17 10 — 59
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