East Lansing, MI – March 23, 2024 – The Ishpeming Hematites girls basketball team finished the 2023-24 season on the best note possible: by winning their first-ever state championship! The Hematites took on Kingston in the final at the Breslin Center, and with a sea of blue and white looking on, earned their spot in Ishpeming history.
The first quarter started slowly for the Hematites, with missed shots putting Ishpeming in a 22-11 hole after the opening eight minutes. Kingston looked like they would continue to add to their lead in the second, but a corner three from Kaitlyn Van Deuren sparked a run of offense which allowed the Hematites to take a 31-30 lead into halftime.
Ishpeming started the second half with a flurry of offense, making two baskets within the opening 30 seconds and forcing a Kingston timeout. This did little to slow the Hematites’ momentum though, as Ishpeming led 58-46 after the third quarter. The fourth quarter was about maintaining the lead for IHS, which they did through superior depth and conditioning. There was little that Kingston could do, and when the final horn sounded, Ishpeming was left to lift the state championship trophy after a 73-54 victory.