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By Mark Eddlemon
The Bears were able to withstand multiple runs by the Marshfield Blue Jays on Tuesday night, posting a 75-71 nonconference basketball victory at Willow Springs High School.
Willow Springs improved to 6-0 on the season with the win. Marshfield fell to 4-2.
Jacob Capeder led Willow Springs with 24 points, hitting 5-of-9 treys in the contest. The 5-11 senior also finished with 7 rebounds and a steal, scoring eight points in the final period to help the Bears hold on to the lead.
Kelby Phelps led Marshfield with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocked shots. The 5-10 senior point guard hit 9-of-15 field goal tries in the game including four from beyond the arc.
Willow Springs jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening minutes of the game, and never trailed. Marshfield hit just 4-of-13 field goals in the opening period, which ended with the Bears up 18-10.
But the Blue Jays cut the Willow Springs lead to 18-16 in the opening moments of the second period as Justin Jones hit his first three shots of the period for Marshfield. Jones finished with 18 points in the game, making 5-of-7 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws. Justin Jones also had 6 rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Blue Jays.
Willow Springs refused to relinquish the lead, going on a 14-4 run in the second period to grab a 32-20 advantage. Adam Lebeau hit a pair of treys during the run. Lebeau finished with 13 points and three rebounds for the Bears.
Willow Springs led 42-35 at intermission as Capeder scored 16 first half points.
Marshfield got off to a fast start in the second half, cutting the Bears lead to 48-47 after a Justin Drane basket. Drane added 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist to the Blue Jays attack.
Blake Haugstead scored 6 of his 14 points for Willow Springs in the third period, helping the Bears extend the lead to 55-50 after three periods. Haugstead, a 5-11 senior, was a force on the boards, finishing with a game high 11 rebounds to post a double-double for the winners. Willow Springs on the battle of the boards 43-30.
Marshfield rallied in the final period behind Nathan VanDiggelen, who scored 7 of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. VanDiggelen finished with two rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Jays. VanDiggelen dished out an assist to Phelps for a basket which cut the Willow Springs advantage to 64-60 with just 2:38 to play.
But Capeder hit a pair of treys in the final moments, and Willow Springs finished with 8-of-16 treys in the contest. Jacob Berger hit both field goals he tried in the fourth period, and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot for the Bears.
Alex Bartow scored seven points and pulled down two rebounds for Marshfield. Cameron Keenan added two points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal to the Blue Jays effort.
Steve Mallow hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final period for Willow Springs, and finished with 7 points, four rebounds and an assist in the game. Josh Kraus added 5 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds to the winning attack.
Charlie Williams picked up a steal for Marshfield, Derek Welch added an assist and a rebound and Jordan Jones handed out an assist for the Blue Jays.
