For the Tomahawk Leader

TOMAHAWK – The Tomahawk Hatchet boys’ basketball team hosted the Marion Mustangs on Tuesday, Dec. 20 and came away with a 42-33 win in the nonconference battle.

The Hatchets went into the game with an 0-5 record, while Marion entered the day at 4-2.

Coach Jacob Jarvensivu said Marion got off to a great start offensively, making back-to-back threes to start the game. However, the Hatchets battled back from the early deficit to take a 21-15 lead going into halftime.

The Hatchets struggled to score offensively. Although they were getting good shots, the ball just wasn’t going in. Eight turnovers in the first half did not help the cause, but the defense was excellent, Jarvensivu noted.

The second half saw a surge by Marion offensively, who got as close as 25-22. The Hatchets then pulled away to seal the victory.

Jarvensivu said the efficiency was much better for the Hatchets in the second half, with only three turnovers.

The leading scorer for Tomahawk was Joey Reiter with 11 points. Gavyn Palmer and Jaxson Werner added 10 each. 

“This was a bit of an ugly game for us on the offensive side,” Jarvensivu stated. “I’m happy with our turnover number, but shooting 37% from the field isn’t good enough with the two-point looks we were getting. I’m proud of the boys for getting a win, even though we didn’t play our best basketball.”

Jarvensivu said his squad was looking to ride the momentum into their holiday tournament, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Wednesday, Dec. 28 at Almond Bancroft High School.

Antigo is slated to come to town on Friday, Jan. 6 for a game that gets underway at 7:15 p.m.