Jacy Zollar sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader photo by Jacy Zollar Bowler High School sophomore Brooke Theix drives up the court during Tuesday’s 51-25 win over Almond-Bancroft. Theix scored four points for the Panthers.
Bowler High School senior Reanne Kietlinski scored 25 points to lead the Panthers to a 51-25 blowout over Almond-Bancroft on Tuesday.
After scoring 16 first-half points, Kietlinski opened the second-half with a 9-0 run before the Eagles found their first basket off a jumper from their leading scorer, Angela Rogers (12 points), with nine minutes to play.
Almond-Bancroft (4-11, 1-5 CWC-South) scored just nine second-half points, and Bowler head coach Ted Kietlinski points to the team’s faster pace for their ability to hold the Eagles.
“We worked really hard at practice the past couple days on what I call our ‘sprint mentality,’ especially defensively,” he said. “We struggled in previous games to get back fast enough to stop those easy baskets, and tonight we did much better. That made a big impact in the final score tonight.
“We didn’t perform our best offensively, kids missed shots they wouldn’t normally miss, so that defense was really what allowed us to win this ball game.”
Reanne Kietlinski, who averages 28.3 points per game and ranks in the top-50 leading scorers in state history hovering around 1,700 career points, was one of the Panthers who felt off-pace offensively despite scoring in the mid-20s.
“It was just an off game for me tonight,” she said. “I missed some shots and free-throws that I know I can make, but I just focused on other aspects and my teammates really picked it up for me tonight and we were able to push through for the win.”
“(Reanne’s) teammates have done a great job getting her the ball in transition, screening for her, allowing her to get points,” Ted Kietlinski said, “and they really picked it up on the court tonight when there were off moments. That’s really the nicest component — the teamwork and determination they have for each other.”
Ted Kietlinski attributes the team’s success this season to its work ethic. The Bowler girls basketball team (7-5, 5-1 CWC-North) is eyeing its first Central Wisconsin Conference-North title in program history as it currently sits in a first-place tie with Manawa.
Said Kietlinski: “We knew three things coming into the season: we had a really good scorer in Reanne, we had several good complementary scorers, and our younger kids are really passionate about the game and getting better every day. So we knew we had a competitive team this year, and we feel like the title is definitely within reach.”
Reanne Kietlinski is eager for a conference championship her final year.
“People always ask me if my main goal is to make 2,000 points,” she said, “and while that would be great, that’s not what I’m thinking about on the court. I want to finish my career as a conference champion. I want this team to all experience that.”
Bowler (51)
Brooke Thiex 0-0 4; Ireland DeRoos 1-2 1; Reanne Kietlinski 3-5 25; Alyssa Strassburg 0-0 2; Jodi Wolf 2-2 9; Kayla Pecore 2-2 10.
Almond-Bancroft (25)
Melissa Pelinski 2-3 7; Beverley Garyzyoski 1-2 3; Chloee Dinbach 0-0 3; Angela Rogers 4-4 12.
Bowler 28 23 — 51
Almond-Bancroft 16 9 — 25