By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
No one attending the Stevens Point Area Senior High boys basketball team's game Tuesday night would've been surprised to see firefighters show up at the SPASH fieldhouse during the second or early third quarter.
The Panthers scorched Wisconsin Rapids during a 12-and-a-half minute stretch to take a commanding 43-14 and then held on down the stretch for a 60-51 win. The victory kept SPASH, 13-2 overall, in first place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference at 10-1 and atoned for an early season loss to the Red Raiders.
"Our kids were ready to play," SPASH coach Bob Schultz said. "We came out and took it to them.
"Our guys wanted to bury Rapids after the first meeting and I think we could've won by 35 or 40 points if I had left the starters in."
While the Panthers started slow offensively and held a 10-8 advantage after the first quarter, SPASH found its hot hand in the second. Casey Taggatz started a 20-2 run with a 3-pointer from the right corner. Following a Red Raider turnover, post player Ross Adamczak got into the long-distance act, hitting a 3-pointer of his own. Taggatz's defensive pressure caused another turnover and Derek Czaikowski cut through the lane for two, stretching the SPASH lead to 18-8.
Rapids' Steve McIarnan answered with a cutting layin but Nate Hall and Taggatz both drained 3-pointers from the top of the key to increase the lead to 24-10. John Allee then hit two free throws after drawing a foul on a put-back attempt and Nick Bennett hit two shots to put SPASH ahead 30-10 with 50 seconds left in the half.
McIarnan drove along the right baseline with 44 seconds remaining to end a 12-0 SPASH run and the team hit the locker room with SPASH leading 30-12.
During that run, the Panthers clamped down on the Red Raiders offense, creating turnovers and forcing missed shots.
"All five kids on the floor were ready to play," Schultz said. "When all five guys are ready to play, it's tough for the offense to do what it wants to do. We have good athletes and expect them to play well."
The SPASH onslaught continued in the third quarter, as SPASH opened the half with a 13-2 spurt that stretched the lead to 43-14. Nick Bennett had seven of his game-high 19 points in the run, including a 3-pointer.
Schultz then cleared the bench with about four minutes remaining in the quarter and Rapids started to steal the game's momentum and chipped away at SPASH's lead.
"I made too many substitutions and that broke our momentum. That was my fault.
"I guess I tried to be too charitable and that was my fault. I probably assumed the game was over and that won't happen again."
The Red Raiders whittled the Panther advantage to 48-30 using a 16-5 surge to end the quarter. Most of the damage was done at the free throw line, where Rapids connected on 7-of-10 attempts.
Even after the SPASH starters re-entered at the start of the fourth, Rapids continued to cut into the lead. A pair of Paul Kane free throws pulled the Red Raiders within nine, 52-43 with 4:55 remaining.
"One thing I won't take credit for is when (the starters) did get in the ball game, we made some poor decisions, we were sloppy with the basketball," Schultz said. "With seniors players, that can't happen."
SPASH eventually sealed the win at the free throw line, where Hall hit 3-of-5 to put the Panthers ahead 58-47 with 45.5 seconds to go.
Besides Bennett's 19 points, Taggatz and Adamczak both scored eight points. Adamczak left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle.
Kane and McIarnan led Rapids with 14 while the dangerous Dan Zastava was held to 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting.
"I thought John Allee did an outstanding job on Zastava in the first half. He really shut him down," Schultz said.