Ishpeming, MI – February 9, 2017 – It was a battle that came down to the very last seconds of the game. The Hematites had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but came up just short. They dropped the game to the Norway Knights 53-52 on Thursday night in Ishpeming.
The Hematites got off to a slow start against the No. 3 ranked team in the Upper Peninsula. Norway was hot to begin, and their full-court pressure gave the Hematites fits. Haley Clifford got things going with a basket and was followed closely with a Jada Lasater 3 to give the Knights a 5-0 lead. Every time the Hematites scored in the first quarter, Norway answered with 2 more scores of their own. Ishpeming trailed 18-8 heading into the 2nd quarter.
The Hematites clawed their way back in the 2nd quarter. Ishpeming went on a 6-0 run to begin the quarter with baskets from Katie Loman, Marissa Maino, and Ava Asgaard. After Norway stopped the bleeding with a basket, Khora Swanson went on a tear for the Hematites. She scored the next 8 points as Ishpeming took the lead at 22-20. The Hematites used a stout defense to hold to Norway to just 8 points in the quarter. With the game tied late in the quarter, Norway sank 2 free throws to give the Knights a 26-24 lead heading into halftime.
Things were all Hematites in the first half of the 3rd quarter. Ishpeming took a 31-28 lead on the power of a couple of Chloe Sjoholm 3-pointers. Ishpeming could not sustain that success throughout the entirety of the quarter. After going down by 3, Norway responded with a 9-0 run to take back control of the game. Marissa Maino got a huge bucket before the buzzer expired to cut the Hematites deficit to 4 heading into the final 8 minutes.
The 4th quarter was a wild ride for both teams. Things looked bleak for the Hematites when they went down 45-38, but they fought their way back. Ishpeming went on a 10-2 run to take the lead 48-47. After Norway scored to take the lead back, Khora Swanson responded with a big 3 to put the Hematites up by 2. A pair of Haley Clifford free throws cut the Ishpeming lead to 1. Then Britta Grayvold picked up a steal and her only basket of the game to put Norway up by 1 with 6 seconds left. The Hematites had a chance to win at the end, but they could not convert. The Hematites came up just short, as they lost to the Norway Knights, 53-52.
The loss drops the Hematites to 12-3 on the season. They look to avenge this loss when they take on the L’Anse Purple Hornets on Monday, February 13th. We will have all the action for you on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com.
LISTEN – FULL GAME – Ishpeming Hematites defeated by Norway Knights 53-52