Gwinn, MI – February 22, 2021 – It was a grind of a game for the Negaunee Miners Boys Basketball team against Gwinn on Monday night. The score was tied at halftime, but a strong second half from Negaunee pushed them past the Modeltowners, 51-42. Jesse Anderson had the call live from Gwinn High School on Sunny 101.9.
1st Half:
The first half between these two Marquette County teams was a grind, and points weren’t coming easy. Eli Luokkala hit a pair of free throws to give Negaunee the lead first, but Gwinn’s Reid Hill scored down low shortly afterwards to tie the game. Both teams continued to battle, and Gerald Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer to put Negaunee in front, 7-4. Baskets continued to be traded by both Negaunee and Gwinn, and the Miners led 9-8 after one.
End of 1st: Negaunee Miners 9, Gwinn Modeltowners 8
Luokkala scored a basket in the paint to give Negaunee an 11-8 lead, but James Harnick answered on the other end with two points of his own. Hunter Haanpaa and Will Luke scored for the Miners, but the Modeltowners wouldn’t go away in the first half. A late free throw by Gwinn tied the score going into the halftime break.
Halftime: Negaunee Miners 17, Gwinn Modeltowners 17
2nd Half:
After a close first half, the Miners tried to pull away in the third quarter. Luokkala scored the first few points of the half for the Miners, and Negaunee extended the lead to 24-17. Gwinn stayed in it however, a basket by Hill and a free throw from Harnick made the score 24-20. After a Miners’ basket, the Modeltowners cut the deficit to a one-point game with a Harnick floater and a 3-pointer from Carl Peterson. Negaunee needed to stop the run with some points, and an and-one from Luokkala did just that. Johnson made a 3 and Luke made a free throw on the next couple possessions, giving Negaunee a 33-25 lead at the end of the third quarter.
End of 3rd: Negaunee Miners 33, Gwinn Modeltowners 25
Gwinn tried to get back in it in the fourth quarter, and a 3-pointer from Hill cut Negaunee’s lead to 36-31. The Modeltowners were pressuring full court, but Negaunee was handling it well. Gwinn couldn’t force enough turnovers, and fouling put Negaunee in front for good. Negaunee led by as much as 14 in the final quarter, but ended up winning in single digits, 51-42. Negaunee snapped their three-game losing streak, and improved to 2-4 on the season.
Final Score: Negaunee Miners 51, Gwinn Modeltowners 42
NEXT GAME: The Negaunee Miners Boys Basketball team is back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 24 when they host the Hancock Bulldogs! The Miners Girls Basketball team plays Hancock first in a doubleheader, with the games beginning at 6 p.m. and 7 :30 p.m. Join Jesse Anderson on Sunny 101.9 at 5:45 p.m. for the Elder Agency Pregame Show before two games of Negaunee hoops. Go Miners!
LISTEN – FULL GAME – NEGAUNEE BOYS VS GWINN – SUNNY 101.9
