Marquette, MI – March 5th, 2019 – The Negaunee Miners Boys Basketball team looked to advance in the postseason once again on Tuesday night, as they traveled to Marquette to take on the undefeated Iron Mountain Mountaineers in the Region 17 semi-finals! Jesse Anderson will have the call on Sunny 101.9FM, starting with the pregame show at 6:30pm, followed by the game at 7:00!
1st Half:
The Mountaineers started off strong, as they took an early 4-0 lead one minute into the game. The Miners would go on a 5-0 run, and they took the lead 5-4 with under five minutes remaining in the first quarter. The teams began to trade baskets, and Iron Mountain took a 10-8 lead as the final minutes of the first quarter ticked down. This game was great to start off, as the teams continued to go back-and-forth! After a fantastic first quarter of play, Iron Mountain held a slight edge over Negaunee by a score of 16-15.
End of 1st: Iron Mountain Mountaineers 16, Negaunee Miners 15
The Mountaineers scored on a three-pointer to begin the second quarter, but once again Negaunee had an answer with a basket of their own. The scoring slowed down a bit in the second quarter, but both squads trading baskets definitely didn’t. The Miners were the clear underdog in this match-up, but they were impressively hanging with the undefeated Mountaineers. Negaunee cut the lead down to two points, but Iron Mountain responded with a three-pointer on the other end. Both teams played good defense in the second quarter, as they went through major scoring droughts. The first half was a battle the entire way, and Iron Mountain took a 26-21 lead into the halftime locker room.
Halftime: Iron Mountain Mountaineers 26, Negaunee Miners 21
2nd Half:
The Miners would score on a fast break lay-up to start the second half, and that was exactly what they were looking for. Once again, both teams traded baskets, and the Mountaineers took a 30-25 lead with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Negaunee came right back with a three-pointer, and they cut Iron Mountain’s lead back down to two. The Mountaineers went on a quick 6-0 run, and their lead was now eight points. The Miners added a late basket, however they trailed Iron Mountain 36-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
End of 3rd: Iron Mountain Mountaineers 36, Negaunee Miners 30
Both squads traded buckets once again, and the Mountaineers led 38-33 with under seven minutes remaining. Iron Mountain went on a 7-0 run, and they now led by 12 points with four minutes left. Negaunee cut the lead to 10, but time was running out on them. The Mountaineers began to try and work the clock down, as they were up by eight points with over two minutes to go. With time ticking down, the Miners were forced to foul the Mountaineers. Iron Mountain was clutch down the stretch from the free throw line, and that sealed the game. The Miners’ season would end at the hands of the undefeated Iron Mountain Mountaineers by a score of 51-40, in a game that was close for its entirety. Negaunee would finish the season with a 15-8 record, and this season was only a building block of what the future holds.
Final Score: Iron Mountain Mountaineers 51, Negaunee Miners 40
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS VS MOUNTAINEERS ON SUNNYFM
