Norway, MI – March 5th, 2015 – The Ishpeming Hematite boys basketball team was set to play the Norway Knights, at Norway, in what was sure to be an exciting clash of great basketball teams! Mike Plourde and Bob Nadeau had all the live action for you on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com!
The game started with the Ishpeming Hematites winning the tip-off, but there were unable to score any points on their first possession. Thomas Finnigan nailed a three-pointer early in the quarter to make the score 8-3, in favor of the Hematites. The Ishpeming Hematites then went on a long, 14-0 scoring run, thanks in part to some great play from Ozzie Corp who helped lead the Hematites. Derek Mohaski made multiple great passes to aid Ishpeming’s offensive domination.
First Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 24
Norway Knights: 12
As the second quarter commenced, the Ishpeming Hematites continued their domination of the court, but the Norway Knights had gotten over their early-game jitters, and were able to stay close to the Hematites early in the second quarter. Both teams had some foul trouble in the first half of play, which could have been attributed to the referees’ close watch on the game. Ozzy H. had a nice blocked shot that shut down the Knights momentum halfway through the second quarter. Ozzie Corp swooshed a long three-point shot, which put the Hematites ahead by a score of 35-14 with a just a minute left in the half.
Second Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 37
Norway Knights: 18
Halftime was a needed reprieve for the Norway Knights, as the Ishpeming Hematites seemed to be in complete control of the game in the first half. The Knights had the in-bounds pass after halftime, but they were unable to score on their first possession. With under 4:30 left in the quarter, the Norway Knights had fought their way back to within 14 points of Ishpeming, but their offensive run was stopped by the tough defensive play of the Hematites. The Ishpeming Hematites ended the quarter with a 10+ point scoring run, which put even more distance between themselves and the Norway Knights.
Third Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 50
Norway Knights: 25
The Ishpeming Hematites’ Ozzie Corp opened the quarter with a great blocked-shot, which seemed to demoralize the Norway Knights even more. Nick Comment had some great plays in the fourth quarter, adding to the Hematites lead with two good jump-shots while being covered by two Knights players. Ozzy H. had a nice play when he made a long jump-shot, after getting a pass from Derek Mohaski. As the clock wound down to zero, the Ishpeming Hematites continued to fight all the way to the final buzzer, preparing for the tough fight that was ahead in the playoffs.
Final Game Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 58
Norway Knights: 35