Marines Unwrap M&M Surprise

Who says Christmas doesn’t come early?

Just ask Marinette rookie coach Nick Semenas and his hardwood troops after pulling off a 53-50 win over visiting Menominee in round one of the annual M&M clashes. The pre-holiday win lifts the Marines to a surprising 6-4 readout on the season, during a campaign in which they were predicted to be rebuilding.

Not so Friday night as point guard Austin Wright and a number of role players stepped up big time to key the victory. With scoring ace Derek Klegin being hounded every trip down the court and facing some early foul trouble, Wright twirled the twine for a season high 16 points. He had help as Ty Bebo and Marcus Maguire came off the bench to combine for 11 points and provide a big boost of hustle that enabled Marinette to rally from a 15-5 first quarter deficit.

“After the game I told the guys this was a grind it out win, but a great win. We did enough things offensively to hit our point average but the defense is where we won this game. Bebo set the tone with his all out hustle. He hasn’t played since 8th grade, watched him play at open gym and asked him to come out. It has worked out well for him and the team,” Semenas said. “Wright did a nice job taking over some of the scoring load. We know that Derek is going to have off nights or get double teamed, so we have to have other players step up. Austin did that tonight along with Maguire, Raminger, Kallestad and Boyce. This was a total team effort.”

Wright tied Klegin for team high honors with 16 points, Gage Raminger added 7 and Maguire 7. Marinette finished with a 16-35 shooting mark (46%) and 14-25 free throws (56%). Free throws nearly cost the Marines in the final 45 seconds as 5 straight misses left the door open for a possible Menominee comeback.

While Marinette enjoyed the interstate victory, Menominee coach Pete Pericolosi was disappointed after that big first quarter. “After we got up 15-5, we seemed to lose our intensity and focus. Defensively we wanted to limit Klegin’s scoring and try to shut everyone else down. We didn’t as Wright hit back-to-back threes in the third quarter that really hurt. We got outscored 16-3 in the second quarter and never recovered.”

Despite making just 6 of 21 shots (29%), Jared Rivard topped the Maroons with 19 points, Bryan Hines added 11 and Jeremy Rivard 8. Menominee connected on 19 of 59 shots (32%) and turned the ball over just 8 times.

Marinette gained a 2-0 lead on free throws by Klegin, before Menominee went on a 15-3 run. Jared Rivard supplied most of the offense with 9 points on 4 baskets and a free throw while Hines tossed in a pair of jumpers. A steal and coast-to-coast layup by Rivard put Menominee on top 15-5 (1:16) before the Marines tallied the final 5 points of the frame. Maguire found the mark on a three point shot (0:56) while Raminger snuck through the Maroon defense for a layup and a 15-10 deficit at the break.

The Marines carried that momentum into the second quarter and used a 16-3 run to take the lead for good. With Klegin getting whistled for his second foul at the 2:03 mark of period one, the Marines slowed down the pace and showed plenty of patience on offense. The end result was better looks, balanced scoring and a 26-18 lead at intermission. Wright netted two free throws and a bucket for 4 points in the second quarter, Raminger added 3 while Klegin, Kallestad and Bebo chipped in with two points each.

A jumper by Klegin along with two free throws each from Magurie and Bebo put Marinette on top 16-15 (6:29). Menominee quickly regained the upper hand when Hines hit a runner down the lane before the Marines went on a 10-0 run.

Raminger got things started with a layup and three pointer for a 21-17 edge (4:51) while a hustling Maguire grabbed a missed shot by Bebo to score for a 23-17 lead (3:41). Moments later Kallestad snuck through for a layup and Raminger added the front end of a free throw as the Marines enjoyed a 26-17 spread (1:22). The final points for Menominee came with a minute remaining as Jared Rivard hit a free throw for that 26-18 halftime score.

“That second quarter really killed us...never came back. For some reason we thought the game was in the bag. Give Marinette credit they never stopped playing,” Pericolosi said.

Menominee managed to make a “mini run” to open the third quarter as Devon Harris tallied a layup while Jared Rivard added a baseline jumper and two free throws to trim the deficit to 28-24 (5:52).

But that is when Wright went to work. The senior guard drilled clutch three point shots at the 5:30 and 4:11 marks to put the Marines back on top 34-26. Klegin later knifed his way through the Maroon defense for a layup and a 36-28 spread before Jeremy Rivard beat the buzzer with a 10-footer for a 36-30 score.

Looking to hang on for the final 8 minutes, Marinette saw the Maroons close the gap to 36-32 on a jumper by Jeremy Rivard before Klegin drilled the first of two 3’s in the final frame for a 39-32 edge. Southpaw shooting Jaden Kleinke swished a trey to get the Maroons within 4 points.

After a couple of illegal screen fouls, Wright canned two free throws and Bebo took a nifty feed from Wright for a layup and a 43-35 Marine lead with 5:25 remaining.

But the Maroons wouldn’t go away. Jared Rivard dialed in a three, which was answered by Klegin on the other end for a 46-38 score. Moments later a steal and layup by Klegin upped the Marine edge to 48-38 with 4:08 left.

This game still wasn’t over. Hines, who struggled shooting all night, converted a three point play and followed that up with two free throws (3:01). Marinette got a little lucky when Klegin grabbed an offensive rebound following his own miss and scored to go up 50-43.

A couple of Marinette turnovers on palming the ball, five second call out of bounds and a missed layup by Raminger, enabled Menominee to creep within 50-47 on two free throws by Jared Rivard and a 15-footer from Kleinke with 1:11 left.

With a chance to put the game away, Marinette’s misfortunes continued as Klegin and Maguire missed two free throws each at the 0:45 and 0:27 marks. But Menominee couldn’t get any closer as forced shots only drew iron.

Wright finally sealed the win hitting 3 of 4 free throws in the final 21 seconds before Menominee got a late trey from Harris with 0.9 ticks left for the final score.

“Menominee had a great defensive plan, but our other guys stepped up big. We had a chance to put the game away down the stretch, but missed those free throws. Can not have that many turnovers and missed throws at crunch time and be successful,” Semenas sad. “We now have 2 weeks off until our next game, so I’ll let the boys enjoy this win.”

Marinette will host Luxemburg-Casco on January 3 while Menominee (2-3) takes part in the 4-team Wrightstown tournament Dec. 27 and 28.

Marinette won the jayvee game 56-29 while Menominee prevailed in the frosh outing 45-35.

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
04-24-2014	Sports	Winter Team Tournament Sportsmanship Winners
04-24-2014	Sports	Crivitz Boys, Suring Gals Top Triangular
04-24-2014	Sports	M-O Standouts Selected To Football Foundation Team
04-24-2014	Sports	Peshtigo Scholarship Golf Outing Slated
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Gene L. Weed
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Richard E. Strzyzewski
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Mark and Phyllis Schaefer
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Norma J. Rafkind
04-24-2014	Obituaries	William Pfeiffer
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Larry J. Pansch
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Adelaide H. Karbon
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Tadeusz Hycki
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Rudolph E. Gross
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Edward C. Caylor
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Barbara A. Baumgartner
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Betty Arnovitz
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Randall C. Vieth
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Mary E. Schuchart
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Roberta Schneider
04-24-2014	Obituaries	David L. Reed
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Rudolph A. Messar
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Sharon F. McPherson
04-24-2014	Obituaries	John H. Kriegl
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Colin J. Kinziger
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Susan M. Homa
04-24-2014	Obituaries	June E. Hoerres
04-24-2014	Obituaries	John W. Gustafson
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Shirley A. Giese
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Joyce M. Ertl
04-24-2014	Obituaries	Mary C. Conklin
04-24-2014	Perspectives	Country Cousin
04-24-2014	Perspectives	From our readers
04-24-2014	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
04-24-2014	News	Lions to Clean Hwy. 180 Apr. 26
04-24-2014	News	Beecher Blood Drive April 28
04-24-2014	News	Golf Tournament Helps Honor Flight
04-24-2014	News	Loomis Historical Meet at Crivitz
04-24-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Plan Workshop At Goodman Library
04-24-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Beecher Voters Approve Contracts, Equipment Fund
04-24-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Pembine Annual Meet Acts On Spring Clean-Up Donations
04-24-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Town Wausaukee Okays Variances, Weight Limits
04-24-2014	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Legion Auxiliary Discuss Poppies, Elections
04-24-2014	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Village Board Trustee Seat Open
04-24-2014	Community - Crivitz	Grace Lutheran Church Hosts Celtic Service
04-24-2014	Community - Crivitz	Stephenson Electors Act On Wages, VFW Memorial
04-24-2014	Community - Coleman	School Board Elects, End School Year June 6
04-24-2014	Community - Coleman	Squad Gets Donation
04-24-2014	Community - Coleman	Village Pound Is Tree City USA
04-24-2014	Community - Coleman	Oconto School $5 Million Fire
04-24-2014	Front Page	Coleman School Board OKs New Sound System For Gym
04-24-2014	Front Page	Town of Lake Not to Erect New Building
04-24-2014	Front Page	Grant For Menekaunee Harbor Clean Up Project
04-24-2014	Front Page	TAD, Drug Court May Be Realities By Aug. 1
04-24-2014	Front Page	2 Injured In Crash Near Middle Inlet
04-17-2014	Sports	Suring Struggles In Dual Meet With L-C, Collect 6 Total Wins
04-17-2014	Sports	Bulldogs Bounced By Marinette 7-6
04-17-2014	Sports	Marines Play To A 6-6 Tie Against Oconto
04-17-2014	Sports	Crivitz Ends Coleman's Winning Streak
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Gloria R. Young
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Maribeth Wunderlich
04-17-2014	Obituaries	David W. Walker
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Larry V. Pravechek
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Gerald W. Polasky
04-17-2014		Dr. Randall W. Lewis
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Alice A. Lentz
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Hazel A. Krueger
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Robert N. Kregel
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Darrell N. Frisque
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Claude E. Finnell
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Eva A. Danz
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Charolett Burton
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Louis Bergles
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Hazel A. Becker
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Frank E. Partl
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Ronald L. Nicklaus
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Dean C. Krueger
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Hans D. Krause
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Wally E. Klatt
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Colin John Kinziger
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Ellsworth J. Johnson
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Roy J. Jacques
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Ruth M. Henschel
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Harold A. Grandaw
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Roxanne Geyer
04-17-2014	Obituaries	Raymond A. Fechter
04-17-2014	Perspectives	Country Cousin
04-17-2014	Perspectives	From our readers
04-17-2014	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
04-17-2014	News	SHS ‘56 Class Gathering Apr. 25
04-17-2014	News	Gillett/Suring Clergy Cross Walk April 18
04-17-2014	News	Grover School Takes Old Shoes
04-17-2014	News	Lena KC To Hold Card Parties
04-17-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Hymn Sing at Wausaukee
04-17-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Lions to Clean Hwy. 180 April 26
04-17-2014	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire, Rescue Discuss Picnic
04-17-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane Seeks Planning Members
04-17-2014	Community - Crivitz	Easter Egg Hunt April 19
04-17-2014	Community - Crivitz	Easter Recess at Crivitz School
04-17-2014	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Church To Host Marian Day
04-17-2014	Community - Crivitz	T/Stephenson Acts On DNR Lease, Road Bids
04-17-2014	Community - Coleman	Coleman High School Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance
04-17-2014	Community - Coleman	Coleman School Board April 21
04-17-2014	Community - Coleman	Lioness Raffle at Jiz’s Apr. 27
04-17-2014	Community - Coleman	Pound Woman’s Club Announce Coming Events
04-17-2014	Front Page	Marinette’s Main Street to Get More Beautification
04-17-2014	Front Page	Malke is Peshtigo’s First Woman Mayor
04-17-2014	Front Page	Schroeder, Just Again To Lead County Board
04-17-2014	Front Page	BB Residents Keep Yards, Get 2-Foot Bike/Hike Paths
04-17-2014	Front Page	SAVE 10
04-09-2014	Front Page	Gov. Walker Signs Drug HOPE Bills In Marinette
04-09-2014	Front Page	County Board to Reconsider County BB Project April 15
04-09-2014	Front Page	Flood Alert For Porterfield Area
04-09-2014	Front Page	Peshtigo Persons of Year Banquet April 13
04-09-2014	Front Page	Marinette County Dispatch Gets 6,232 Calls in March
04-09-2014	Sports	Peshtigo, Wausaukee Look To Rule M-O Softball
04-09-2014	Sports	Second Place Finish In Shot For Huberty
04-09-2014	Sports	Tough Opener For Marines, Fall Twice
04-09-2014	Sports	Bulldogs Looking To Display Track Skills
04-09-2014	Perspectives	From our readers
04-09-2014	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
04-09-2014	Perspectives	Country Cousin
04-09-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Winners in Final Benefit Card Party
04-09-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Lions to Clean Hwy. 180 Apr. 26
04-09-2014	Community - Wausaukee	“Let Me Be Frank” in Wausaukee Apr. 23
04-09-2014	Community - Wausaukee	Hymn Sing at Wausaukee
04-09-2014	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Library Culver’s Contest
04-09-2014	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Teacher Receives Award
04-09-2014	Community - Crivitz	National Library Week at Crivitz
04-09-2014	Community - Crivitz	Rebel Grace Competes Again at Launchpad
04-09-2014	Community - Coleman	Brazeau Fire Dept. Fundraiser April 12
04-09-2014	Community - Coleman	Coleman Utility Board to Meet
04-09-2014	Community - Coleman	Lioness Raffle at Jiz’s Apr. 27
04-09-2014	Community - Coleman	North East Riders Host ATV Course
04-09-2014	News	Animal Shelter Raffle May 3
04-09-2014	News	Town Lake Sets Special Meeting
04-09-2014	News	Legion Commander’s Dinner is April 12th
04-09-2014	News	Lena FFA, Alumni Host Rabies Vaccination Clinic
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Betty J. Walters
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Lydia Squier
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Mavis Rogge
04-09-2014	Obituaries	John B. Orlando
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Ronald J. Noack
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Dorothy J. Lindner
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Virginia M. Lange
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Fred Jaeger, Jr.
04-09-2014	Obituaries	F.H. Jabas
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Janie Marie Hanner
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Thomas Nelson Haag
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Donna M. Fournier
04-09-2014	Obituaries	Roger Erickson