Dennis Wilson Leader Correspondent
Photo by Jody Ward Shawano Community High School junior Hailey Buschman scored 11 points, including six of seven free throws, for the Hawks during a 64-27 victory over Oconto Falls at the Sundrop Shootout on Wednesday.
With three players in double figures, the Shawano girls basketball team cruised to a 64-27 victory over Oconto Falls in the Sundrop Shootout on Wednesday, the first girls game to ever be played in the annual tournament.
Shawano went on a 22-2 run to begin the game and never trailed throughout the game. The Hawks were particularly deadly from the free-throw line. They were 18 for 22 from the charity stripe, which accounted for a large part of the commanding lead.
“In the past we have been a second-half team, so we really wanted to focus this year in getting out to better starts in games,” Shawano head coach Ryan Koenig said. “I really challenged them in here. I told them, ‘It’s our shootout, it’s the first girls game ever and we’re the hosts, so let’s go out and be ready to go right away,’ and the girls really responded to that.”
The Panthers had no answer for Brandi Gueths. The 5-foot-11 senior had her way with the Oconto Falls defense, leading all scorers on the night with 15 points, with most of those points coming either within 10 feet of the basket or the free-throw line.
“We really started working as a team and we were moving the ball around,” Gueths said. “I was able to get a lot of open looks and once we started moving the ball around there were a lot of open gaps which helped me get some good passes in the post.”
Hailey Buschman (11 points) and Tori DePerry (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Shawano.
History was also made with this game. In the nine years of the Sundrop Shootout, this was the first time ever that girls teams were invited to the now three-day event.
“It’s just great to be in an event like this and play on the court that the UWGB women play on,” Koenig said. “It was a very special time for our girls program. To be the first girls team to play in this tournament and get the ‘W,’ it’s special for these girls and it’s a memory they will have for a very long time.”
Gueths was equally excited to be a part of history.
“It’s an honor to be the first girls team to play in this tournament,” Gueths said. “We have been trying to get in for many years now and it was awesome to play in our own tournament on the big court.”
Shawano (64)
Kennedy Klemens 1-2 3; Kendra Kristof 0-0 2; Rachel Reed 0-0 2; Hailey Buschman 6-7 11; Tori DePerry 4-6 10; Hannah Wendorff 1-2 7; Carrie Young 0-1 6; Brandi Gueths 7-8 15; Gracyn Habeck 4-4 6; Avery Dreier 0-0 2.
Oconto Falls (27)
Kennedy Kratz 0-2 6; Breanna Sadowski 1-2 1; Morgan Helmle 0-0 3; Samantha Shallow 1-2 1; Kaelyn Allen 0-0 2; Katelyn Albrecht 0-0 5; Olivia Steffens 0-0 3; Kari Albrecht 0-2 6.
Shawano 41 23 — 64
Oconto Falls 11 16 — 27