Negaunee, MI – December 13, 2019 – After losing in heartbreaking fashion against Escanaba, the Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team responded in a big way with a 66-50 win over the Houghton Gremlins. With another win under their belts, the Miners are now 3-1 on the season. Mark Evans had the call from Negaunee’s Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium on Sunny 101.9.
1st Half:
The action was going back and forth to start on this Friday night, as the Miners led 7-4 early with baskets by Alyssa Hill, Chloe Norman and Morgan Carlson. Hill scored down low to boost the lead up to five points, but Maryellen Trewhella responded on the other end for the Gremlins with a basket. Both squads were pushing the ball and going quick, which set up for an entertaining contest. Stella Wickstrom was a force inside for Houghton, Negaunee was having all sorts of problems boxing her out. The Miners were giving the Gremlins fits of their own however, as Norman and Hill got things going to put Negaunee up 17-9 with two minutes left in the quarter. Houghton battled right back with a little run behind buckets from Annika Peterson and Molly Bugni to make it 17-13. The Miners brought that four-point lead into the second quarter after a high scoring affair of an opening period.
End of 1st: Negaunee Miners 17, Houghton Gremlins 13
The Miners came out firing on all cylinders in the first few minutes of the second quarter on a 7-0 run, holding a double digit lead for the first time. Norman and Hill had 10 points each for 20 of Negaunee’s 24 points, that’s a duo that opponents need to stop if they want success against the Miners. Houghton got on the board in the second quarter with a basket by Bugni. The Gremlins were getting chance after chance with multiple offensive rebounds, but couldn’t finish inside the paint. Negaunee took advantage of those misses, and extended the lead. After a lay-up from Carlson and 3-point basket from Lilly Nelson, Negaunee had its largest lead of the game at 15, and that was how the first half would end. Negaunee led 35-20 over Houghton after one half of play.
Halftime: Negaunee Miners 35, Houghton Gremlins 20
2nd Half:
Houghton came out swinging in the third quarter with a couple of baskets, but Negaunee was cooking offensively. Not only was the offense clicking, Larissa Anderson led the full court pressure defensively for the Miners with a couple of steals. Negaunee pulled out to a 44-23 lead, with Norman’s 16 points leading the way. Negaunee had an answer to each and every Houghton basket, the math was certainly in the Miners’ favor. Paige DeForge came off the bench for a 3-pointer for the Gremlins, Houghton needed some kind of spark to come back in this one. The Miners once again had a counter however with a basket from Norman, and time was running out for the Gremlins. After three quarters, Negaunee led by 20 points with a 50-30 lead.
End of 3rd: Negaunee Miners 50, Houghton Gremlins 30
Josie Connors started off the scoring for Houghton in the fourth, her 3-pointer cut the lead to 17 for Negaunee. Connors hit another 3-point shot a minute later, but Nelson challenged with two consecutive 3-point baskets of her own for Negaunee. The three-headed monster of Norman, Hill and Nelson was delivering as the game reached its end, combining for a total of 52 points. The Gremlins were playing good basketball offensively behind the effective scoring of Trewhella, but they were behind by too much. The Gremlins put a little bit of a dent in the deficit in the final minutes, but the Miners protected home court and were victorious 66-50. Norman and Hill led the Miners with 18 points each, and Nelson chipped in with 16 of her own. Trewhella led Houghton with 17.
Final Score: Negaunee Miners 66, Houghton Gremlins 50
NEXT GAME: Every game is important in the short 20-game high school basketball season, but nothing is bigger than when the Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team battles the Marquette Redettes. The two rivals square off inside the confines of Lakeview Gym on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in our next broadcast. Jesse Anderson will have all of the coverage on Sunny 101.9, beginning with the Elder Agency Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and tip-off to follow at 7:15 p.m.
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS VS GREMLINS ON SUNNY101.9
