Unbeaten Marathon comes back in third quarter to knock off Auburndale boys basketball

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

AUBURNDALE — Marathon overcame a halftime deficit to continue its undefeated season, downing Auburndale 48-40 in a Marawood Conference South Division boys basketball game Thursday night at Auburndale High School.

Auburndale led 26-18 at halftime before Marathon scored the first 13 points of the second half to open up a lead it would never relinquish.

Marathon improves to 9-0 and 4-0 in the Marawood South. Auburndale falls to 6-2 and 2-2 in the conference.

Matt Nikolay had 14 points, and Alex Marth added 12 for the Apaches.

Zac Rihn was 6 of 9 from the field and had 14 points to lead the Raiders.

Marathon shot an efficient 60 percent (20 of 33) from the field.

Marathon hosts Stratford while Auburndale plays at Northland Lutheran next Tuesday in Marawood South action.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

Raiders 48, Apaches 40

Marathon 7 11 13 17 – 48

Auburndale 13 13 2 12 – 40

MARATHON (48): Alex Blume 2-2 0-0 5, Zac Rihn 6-9 1-2 14, Preston Wirkus 5-8 1-2 10, Andre Carriveau 0-1 0-0 0, Ethan Seubert 5-8 4-4 10, Ryan Gassner 2-3 0-1 4, Isaac Barber 0-2 0-0 0. FG: 20-33. FT: 6-9. 3-pointers: 3-8 (Rihn 2-5, Blume 1-1, Wirkus 0-1, Seubert 0-1). Rebounds: 21 (Barber 7, Wirkus 7). Record: 9-0, 4-0 Marawood South.

AUBURNDALE (40): Jake Lewis 0-3 2-2 2, Matt Nikolay 5-9 0-0 14, Caleb Weinfurter 0-0 0-0 0, Bryan Gehrke 1-2 0-0 3, Cooper Krings 1-4 1-2 4, Alex Marth 5-9 2-3 12, Matt Lang 0-2 0-0 0, Dylan Peplinski 1-1 0-0 2, Josh VanShoick 1-2 1-2 3. FG: 14-32. FT: 6-9. 3-pointers: 6-16 (Niklolay 4-7, Gehrke 1-2, Krings 1-3, Lewis 0-3). Rebounds: 13 (Marth 5). Record: 6-2, 2-2 Marawood South.