West Ishpeming, Michigan – March 7th, 2016 – Mike Plourde and Bob Nadeau were in West Ishpeming, MI for the Ishpeming Hematites boys game against the Negaunee Miners for the first game of the District Playoffs on 98.3 WRUP and streaming live at WRUP.com. The Hematites looked to keep their season going strong, and Mike and Bob brought you their stats and predictions during the Honor Credit Union pregame show!
It was a rematch for the ages, as the Ishpeming Hematites faced the Negaunee Miners for the first game of the District Playoffs. The Miners had won each meeting between the two teams during the regular season, but Ishpeming came into the game prepared. Ishpeming jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, and they forced Negaunee to take an early time out. Hart Holmgren had a great start to the game, and he added to the Hematites score when he drained a short jump shot and was fouled for a three-point play. With two minutes left in the first, Ishpeming continued to lead with a score of 13-9, but Negaunee scored a three pointer and came within one point of the Hematites. However, by the time the first buzzer sounded, Ishpeming trailed by only one point with a score of 16-17 on 98.3 WRUP.
The Negaunee Miners got the ball to start the quarter, but that didn’t stop the Ishpeming Hematites. Their offense exploded, and several players made three pointers early in the second quarter. The Hematites found themselves leading with a score of 25-21, with just under four minutes left in the first half. Jaren Kipling kept up the offense, and he scored a long three point shot through some tough defense. Ozzy Corp was the next Hematite to put down a three pointer, and with just over two minute left in the half, Ishpeming led 28-21. Ishpeming kept up the great play, and as the quarter came to an end, the Hematites led by eight points!
First Half Score:
Ishpeming Hematites: 34
Negaunee Miners: 26
The Ishpeming Hematites started the second half with the ball, and they continued to play very well against the Negaunee Miners. Nick Comment and Thomas Finegan both had standout game for Ishpeming, and the Hematites’ excellent offense allowed them to maintain a 7-point lead through the halfway point of the quarter. It was 43-37 in favor of Ishpeming with just over three minutes remaining in the game, but both teams started having players entering foul trouble. Fouls and free throws would undoubtedly play a massive part in the game, and they would allow either team to come away with the win. At the end of the third quarter, the score was 44-36 in favor of the Ishpeming Hematites on 98.3 WRUP.
It was nearly a ten-point game as the final quarter of the first District Playoff game between the Ishpeming Hematites and the Negaunee Miners. The Hematites led by more than ten points with two minutes gone from the quarter, but the game was in no way over. Negaunee was doing everything they could think of to retake the lead, but the Hematites defense held strong. With just two minutes remaining in the game, Ishpeming continued to control the lead with a score of 51-44. Time was running out for the Miners, and the Hematites sensed an upset in the making. With one-thirty left on the clock, Negaunee had worked their way back to within three points (53-50), and it suddenly had become a much closer game. Two good free throws moved Negaunee to within one point of Ishpeming, and the Hematites were doing everything they could to hold off the charging Miners. With 16 seconds remaining in the game, the Hematites led by a single point (55-54), and it would all come down to the final seconds of the game. A foul on Ishpeming gave Negaunee a chance to take the win, but the Miner missed both shots, and with only seconds left, a Miners timeout was called with 3.7 seconds left in the game. The Miners missed their hail Mary attempt, and Ishpeming took home the win!
Final Game Score:
Ishpeming Hematites: 55
Negaunee Miners: 54
Join us 03/09/2016 as the Ishpeming Hematite boys battle the Gwinn ModelTowners in West Ishpeming, MI for the second game of the District Playoffs. Mike Plourde and Bob Nadeau will have the Honor Credit Union Pregame Show for you along with all the exciting action, only on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com! Don’t miss a beat!
