Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School senior guard Zack Sousek takes a shot Friday during Shawano’s 51-42 win over Menasha.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School senior guard Zack Sousek gets by Menasha defender Tyler Johnson during Shawano’s 51-42 win Friday in Shawano.
Helped by back-to-back 3s by seniors Braden Mueller and Jack Lacy, the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team built an 8-1 lead in the opening minutes of Friday’s Bay Conference game against visiting Menasha.
Shawano (8-2, 4-2 Bay) would lead the rest of the game, winning, 51-42, and weathering a late rally by Menasha (4-6, 1-4) that cut the Hawks’ lead to just three, 43-40, with 3:50 to play.
Shawano hit seven of its eight 3-pointers in the first half, including four in the second quarter.
Mueller, a 6-foot guard, had three first-half 3s. Lacy, a 6-5 forward, had two in the first quarter. Eric Carl, a 6-1 freshman guard, hit another pair of 3s in the second quarter.
“That’s something we’re working on, 3s in the transition,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “I thought in the first quarter we had six, seven 3s that were uncontested based off of Zack (Sousek) driving and kicking. Braden Mueller and Jack Lacy capitalized off of it.”
Zeke Gueths, a 6-6 junior center, got in on the perimeter shooting with a 3 in the third quarter. Gueths led Shawano with 13 points.
Sousek finished with eight points and five assists. Adam Bartz had five rebounds.
Shawano’s shooting would slow in the second half, however, and Menasha refused to go away. Led by 6-4 senior forward Tyler Johnson’s relentless work inside, the Bluejays were able to cut Shawano’s lead to just three in the fourth quarter.
“We had a tough matchup physically against them,” Kellett said. “Tyler Johnson and Emanuel Jenkins are the two best athletes in our league. Some guys had to guard out of position. Tyler Johnson had a phenomenal second half to keep them in it.”
Johnson led all scorers with 20 points. Jenkins was limited to six points.
“Fortunately for us, we got the ball down low late in the fourth quarter, after we missed a bunch of 3s, and got Zeke more involved and that kind of sprung us,” Kellett said.
Shawano finished 8 of 21 on 3-pointers and shot 46 percent overall. Menasha made 40 percent of its shots.
Menasha (42)
Pawlowski 3 0-0 8, Johal 1 2-4 4, Owens 1 0-0 2, Johnson 8 1-2 20, Jenkins 3 0-0 6, Zeinert 1 0-0 2
Shawano (51)
Mueller 3 0-0 9, Sousek 4 0-1 8, Bartz 0 2-2 2, Lacy 3 3-4 11, Gueths 4 4-6 13, Hintz 1 0-0 2, Carl 2 0-0 6
Menasha 6 13 12 11 — 42
Shawano 13 18 7 13 — 51