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By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

Columbus moves to 9-0 in Cloverbelt East

Nick Malovrh hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the opening 10 minutes for Columbus Catholic, which remains perfect in the Cloverbelt Conference East Division at 9-0 and improve to 12-2 overall after a 73-47 victory at Spencer on Jan. 25.

Columbus used a 16-2 run to pull ahead 19-5 as it forced five turnovers to take control.

Columbus had another 10-0 run later in the half, which included a pair of baskets each from Jarred Mandel and Peyton Nystrom, and led 37-15 at halftime.

The Dons scored nine in a row, capped by a three-point play by Malovrh, to go up 47-16 just 2½ minutes into the second half.

Spencer (5-5 Cloverbelt East) responded with a 7-0 run of its own, with five points coming from Jack Bezlyk.

Bezlyk finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Austin Bacon added 13 points for the Rockets.

Auburndale wins twice

Auburndale sophomore Cooper Weinfurter scored 33 points to lift the Apaches to a 65-54 nonconference win over Spencer on Jan. 26 at Auburndale High School.

Weinfurter made six 3-pointers and was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line for the Apaches.

Auburndale led 34-29 at halftime and held on from there to improve to 13-3 this season.

Bezlyk led Spencer (6-7) with 26 points and Bacon added 14 points.

Auburndale had four players score in double figures in a 54-50 victory over Wisconsin Rapids Assumption on Jan. 23. With the victory, the Apaches remain tied for first place with Marathon in the Marawood Conference South Division at 9-2.

Weinfurter and Cale Jacoby each had 12 points in the victory.

Marshfield drops two in WVC

Marshfield fell from a tie for first place to third in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after losing 59-56 against Stevens Point on Jan. 23 and 63-48 to Wisconsin Rapids on Jan. 25, both at home.

Drew Blair scored 44 of Point’s 59 points as the Panthers held off a late 3-point attempt to hold on to the victory.

Seth Anderson had 21 points for the Tigers.

Marshfield shot just 3-for-22 from 3-point range in the loss to Wisconsin Rapids. Anderson had 25 points for the Tigers, who fall to 7-8 and 5-3 in the conference.

Stratford handles Edgar

Stratford completed a season sweep of Edgar, knocking off the Wildcats 46-33 in a Marawood Conference South Division game Jan. 23 at Edgar High School.

Stratford (12-3, 8-3 Marawood South) held Edgar (8-6, 5-5 Marawood South) to just 13 points in the first half, took an eight-point lead into the break, and held on in the second half.

Benjamin Barten made 6 of 7 shots from the field and scored a team-high 18 points for the Tigers. He also added 10 rebounds. Vaughn Breit chipped in 11 points, six assists, and seven rebounds in the victory.