Negaunee, MI – February 9, 2021 – In their season opener, the Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team hosted the Calumet Copper Kings. In a back and forth game, Calumet made two key runs to top the Miners, 62-54. Jesse Anderson had the call live from Negaunee’s Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium on Sunny 101.9.
1st Half:
Negaunee began giving the ball to Alyssa Hill early and often, and she delivered the first basket of the game to give the Miners a 2-0 lead. Elli Djerf was leading the Calumet offense, her and Hill began to go back and forth. Calumet led 7-6 halfway through the first quarter, with Djerf and Hill scoring all of the points for their teams. Laura Giachino scored the first field goal for Calumet by someone not named Djerf, and she gave the Copper Kings the lead, 11-9. Hill answered with a 3-pointer to give Negaunee the lead right back. Emilia Palomaki scored a basket to give Negaunee the 14-13 lead before Jana Loukus made a pull-up buzzer beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter of play.
End of 1st: Calumet Copper Kings 16, Negaunee Miners 14
Djerf started off the scoring for Calumet in the second quarter with a layup to extend their lead to 18-14. Both teams went back and forth for the rest of the quarter, with Hill and Lilly Nelson leading the way for Negaunee on offense. Luokus scored for the Copper Kings to give them a 28-27 lead, but the Miners ended the half on a run. Negaunee scored the final six points of the first half, and led 33-28.
Halftime: Negaunee Miners 33, Calumet Copper Kings 28
2nd Half:
Negaunee started the second half off strong with baskets from Hill and Larissa Anderson. Nelson made a 3-pointer shortly after to extend the Miners’ lead to 40-31. Both squads traded buckets, and then Calumet went on a big run. The Copper Kings ended the third quarter on a 14-0 run to take a five-point lead. Negaunee was having troubles with Calumet’s trap defense, and they couldn’t recover.
End of 3rd: Calumet Copper Kings 47, Negaunee Miners 42
Hill came through in a big way to start the fourth quarter for Negaunee, scoring five points to tie the game with six minutes left. Calumet’s star Djerf took over the game, and the Copper Kings went on a 9-0 run. Djerf hit a dagger 3-pointer to give Calumet the 56-47 lead and essentially end the game. Both teams traded free throws down the stretch, but the Miners fell 62-54 in its season opener. Hill led the game with 28 points for the Miners, but Djerf nearly matched it with 27 for Calumet.
Final Score: Calumet Copper Kings 62, Negaunee Miners 54
NEXT GAME: The Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team returns to action on Friday, Feb. 12 when they host the Ishpeming Hematites! Jesse Anderson will have the call on Sunny 101.9 with all of the action beginning at 7:30 p.m.
LISTEN – FULL GAME – NEGAUNEE GIRLS VS CALUMET – SUNNY 101.9
