*Editors Note: An earlier version of this story claimed that Hematite’s player Gavin Sundberg received a technical foul. The explanation given after the game is that the Hematites received a technical foul for having too many players on the court. The story has been updated.
West Iron County, MI – February 28, 2017 – It had been over a week since the Ishpeming Hematites boys basketball team took the court for a game. They were looking to improve to .500 on the season when they took the court against the Wykons in West Iron County on Tuesday night.
The game got started with a Hart Holmgren basket to put the Hematites up 2-0. West Iron County then dumped in a 3-pointer to take the lead which was immediately followed by a Hematite’s 3 of their own from Mitch Uhl. West Iron County then got their offense going. They scored 6 unanswered to take a 4 point lead until Mitch Uhl stopped the bleeding with a bucket. After a pair of West Iron County free throws, Mitch Uhl again hit a 3-pointer to cut the Hematite’s deficit to just 1. The Wykons then scored 8 of the final 11 points of the quarter to take a 19-13 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter was a game of runs. Dondre got the Hematite’s off to a good start in the quarter when he converted a 3-point play. After a West Iron County score, Ishpeming scored 5 straight after Hart Holmgren hit 3 free throws and Evan Gravedoni scored to tie the game at 21. The Wykons responded with a 7-1 run. With the Hematite’s down 28-21, they once again fought back. They scored the next 7 points to tie the game at 28. West iron County’s Cole Westphal then hit a 3 which was immediately followed by a Hart Holmgren 3. The Wykons got one last basket and they took a 33-31 lead into halftime.
In the 3rd quarter the game slowed down quite a bit. The Wykons went up 5 late on a Caden Pellizzer 3 pointer, but Dondre Yohe answered with a 3 of his own as the Hematites found themselves down 2 entering the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was not for the faint of heart. Hart Holmgren tied the game right away, but the Hematites were hit with a technical foul immediately after the basket for having 6 players on the court*. West iron County used the technical to propel themselves to a 7-0 run to go up 49-42. The Wykons took their biggest lead of the game at 52-44 late in the game, and things looked bleak for Ishpeming. But after Evan Gravedoni converted a three-point play, West Iron returned the favor with a technical foul of their own. This sent Hart Holmgren to the line for 2 free throws and the Hematites would retain possession. Holmgren knocked down both free throws and hit a 3 on the ensuing possession. All of a sudden the game was tied at 52.
The Wykons responded when the player called for the technical foul, AJ Weisnecht, got fouled and put in the basket. He hit the free throw to complete the 3-point play and West iron went back up by 3. The Hematites missed their ensuing shot the next time down the floor and were forced to foul. West iron hit just 1 of 2, then Hart Holmgren came down and buried a 3 to cut the Wykon’s lead to just 1. West Iron went up 4 after hitting 3/4 from the free throw line. Down 59-55, Hart Holmgren scored on an offensive rebound put back with 4.2 seconds left. Ishpeming then forced a 5-second count and got the ball back underneath the Wykon’s basket. Holmgren took a 3 for the win, but it did not fall as the Hematites came up just short, 59-57.
The loss drops the Hematites to 8-10 on the season. They close their season out when they take on the Norway Knights on Thursday, March 2. Catch all the action on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com.
LISTEN – FULL GAME – Ishpeming Hematites defeated by West iron County 59-57