Calumet, MI – February 11, 2020 – After closely trailing throughout most of the game, the Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team tied it late in the fourth quarter before falling 59-55 in overtime to the Calumet Copper Kings. Jesse Anderson was live in Calumet with the call on Sunny 101.9.
1st Half:
Calumet came out with a nice game plan against the Miners: a trap defense. Negaunee struggled early, leading to fast break layups from the Copper Kings. Elli Djerf led Calumet offensively through the first couple of minutes, they led 12-6. Alyssa Hill began to get it going for Negaunee, she led the Miners with six points in the opening quarter. Bree Giotto was also delivering, she had four first quarter points, Negaunee’s offense was clicking despite the many turnovers. However, so was Calumet’s, as Djerf and Marybeth Halonen hit back-to-back 3-point shots to give them a 18-10 lead. Lilly Nelson responded for Negaunee with a 3-pointer of her own, cutting the deficit to five. After both teams traded 3-point baskets, Calumet led 22-16 at the end of the first quarter.
End of 1st: Calumet Copper Kings 22, Negaunee Miners 16
The Copper Kings started the second quarter with a free throw and another layup off of a Miners’ turnover. Nelson had a big answer once again with 3-point shot, making the score 25-19 in favor of Calumet. Hill scored once again after a Miners’ defensive stop, cutting the deficit to four points with six minutes left until halftime. Both squads began to trade baskets, but a Giotto layup cut the Calumet lead to 30-29 with three minutes left in the quarter. The Copper Kings responded with two 3-pointers in a row, and took a 36-29 lead. Djerf was on fire in the first half from the 3-point line, she scored a total of 14 points in the half. After a pair of Calumet free throws, Hill scored for Negaunee to end the run. The Copper Kings outscored the Miners 8-2 in the final three minutes of the half, taking a 38-31 halftime lead. Negaunee had a balanced scoring output through two quarters, as Hill had 10 points, Giotto had eight and Nelson had seven.
Halftime: Calumet Copper Kings 38, Negaunee Miners 31
2nd Half:
The second half picked right where the first half left off, as the Copper Kings made a layup off of a Miners’ turnover to extend the lead to 40-31. Both teams were trading score after score, with Negaunee’s points coming down low from Hill, and Calumet’s coming off of turnovers with layups from Jana Loukus and Ellen Sturos. After a few fast-paced minutes of action, the Miners trailed 44-37 with five minutes left in the third. The Miners had a lot of turnovers on the night, and that was where the majority of the Calumet points came from. Halonen scored on a layup once again, giving the Copper Kings its biggest lead of the night, 49-37. Negaunee was trying to get back in the game with baskets from Hill and Giotto, cutting the deficit to 49-41. Both squads were trading blows once again, with Calumet leading 51-43 with less than two minutes left in the third. Nelson didn’t waste any time a couple of possessions later with another big shot from 3-point range, making the score 51-46. Giotto continued her big night and the Negaunee run with a basket as time ran out in the third quarter. Calumet led Negaunee 51-48 at the end of third quarter in a tight game.
End of 3rd: Calumet Copper Kings 51, Negaunee Miners 48
Djerf struck quickly in the fourth quarter for Calumet, giving them a 53-48 lead with 7:30 left. Both teams played excellent defense down the stretch, neither team could get on the board for over three minutes. Finally after Calumet broke the lid on the rim to extend its lead to 55-48, the Miners went on a run. Chloe Norman made a floater, and Giotto had another big basket to tie the game at 55-55 with three minutes left. The defense only got tougher down the stretch, and the game was still tied with 1:30 remaining in the fourth. The Copper Kings held the ball for the last 90 seconds of regulation to get the final shot. Djerf’s shot was no good at the buzzer, and this game went to overtime tied at 55-55! Neither team was able to score in the final three minutes, the defense was off the charts.
End of 4th: Negaunee Miners 55, Calumet Copper Kings 55
Calumet scored the first points of overtime after a basket from Lizzie Torola, taking a 57-55 lead with under three minutes left in the extra period. Both defenses were holding once again, as the score remained the same in the final minute of overtime. Negaunee couldn’t score on its possession, forcing them to foul Calumet with 36 seconds left. Loukus missed the one-and-one free throw, but Torola came down with a clutch offensive rebound. Djerf was fouled this time, and she made both free throws to extend the lead to 59-55. The Miners failed to score once again, and that would end the game. The Miners didn’t score in the “fifth quarter”, and fell in heartbreaking fashion to Calumet 59-55. Djerf had a game-high 21 points for the Copper Kings, while the Miners were led by Giotto with 16 points, and Hill contributed with 15.
Final Score: Calumet Copper Kings 59, Negaunee Miners 55
NEXT GAME: The Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team returns to the court for the second time this week on Thursday, Feb. 13, when they travel to Iron Mountain to face the Mountaineers! Negaunee won the first match-up of the season on Friday, Jan. 31, and is looking for the season sweep. Jesse Anderson will be live from Iron Mountain with the call on Sunny 101.9. The Elder Agency Pregame Show begins at 7 p.m., with tip-off at 7:15 p.m. Go Miners!
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS VS COPPER KINGS ON SUNNY101.9
