Negaunee, MI – January 18th, 2019 – The Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team was back at home on a cold Friday night, as they hosted the undefeated Westwood Patriots in a huge showdown at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium! Jesse Anderson was in Negaunee to call all of the great action between the Miners and Patriots on Sunny 101.9FM!
1st Half:
The game started off fast, as the Miners led 5-2 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. Negaunee started off strong with a 9-4 lead, forcing a Westwood timeout with five minutes to go in the opening quarter. Both squads would trade baskets, but the Miners great start offensively put them up 16-6 after scoring five unanswered points. A late Westwood basket and Negaunee free throw would have the Miners leading the Patriots 17-8 after the first quarter.
End of 1st: Negaunee Miners 17, Westwood Patriots 8
The Miners would score first in the second quarter to take an 11 point lead, but Westwood responded quickly. The Patriots went on a quick 9-0 run to make the score 19-17, Negaunee’s big lead was now down to only 2 points. After the teams traded baskets multiple times to make the score 24-22 in favor of Negaunee, the Miners extended their lead back up to 5 points. The defense would pick up in the final minutes of the half, as neither team would score for a two minute span. However, Negaunee would hit a three-pointer in the final seconds of the half to give the Miners a 30-22 lead at halftime.
Halftime: Negaunee Miners 30, Westwood Patriots 22
2nd Half:
The third quarter was played with a fast-tempo, as the Miners led 32-26 with six minutes remaining in the quarter. Westwood would score to cut the lead to 4 points, as Negaunee was starting to struggle on offense. The Miners finally broke through and would end their three minute field goal drought, their lead was back up to 6. After a fast first couple minutes, both teams were picking up the intensity defensively. The Miners led the Patriots 34-30 after a Westwood basket with two minutes left in the third, both teams were battling it out. Negaunee turned over the ball often in the third quarter, but their defense was holding, and they were doing an excellent job rebounding. The Miners led 36-30 going into the fourth quarter.
End of 3rd: Negaunee Miners 36, Westwood Patriots 30
The great defense by both teams continued from the third quarter into the fourth, as neither team could get things going offensively in the early minutes. Negaunee would score the first points by either team in the quarter, and the Miners led by 9 with five minutes to go. A transition layup by the Miners forced a Westwood timeout, and after the Patriots hit two free throws, Negaunee would knock down another three-pointer. The Miners were now up 12 points, as they were playing much better down the stretch. Westwood came out with full court pressure, but the Miners beat it, and a transition layup by Negaunee gave them a 14 point lead with under two minutes to go. The Miners defense was really important in the fourth quarter, as they only held Westwood to just 6 points in the final quarter. Negaunee was struggling to protect the ball late, but their defense was incredible in the final minute. Westwood ran out of time, and Negaunee was able to ice the game. The Negaunee Miners came away with the big win, as they handed the Westwood Patriots their first loss of the season by a score of 46-36.
Final Score: Negaunee Miners 46, Westwood Patriots 36
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS VS PATRIOTS ON SUNNYFM
NEXT GAME:
The Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team’s next game will be on Monday, January 21st, and they have a very quick turn around, as they host the Ishpeming Hematites! Jesse Anderson will have the call on Sunny 101.9FM, starting with the pregame show at 6:45pm, followed by the game at 7:15! Also, congratulations to Abby Nelson, MI Internet’s Player of the Game!
