Ishpeming, MI – December 13th, 2018 – Following another tough loss for the Ishpeming Hematite boys basketball team on Tuesday, the Hematite girls were back in the Ishpeming High School gym to do battle with the Calumet Copper Kings. The ever-faithful Bob and Tyler were there with the team to broadcast the game for you live on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com!
The Calumet Copper Kings came into the night with a winning record and an interesting team composition, with multiple underclassmen on the roster. As the game began, the Ishpeming Hematites stole the tip away from Calumet and were able to score the first points of the game a bit later to take the lead. While the first quarter approached the halfway point, Ishpeming continued to lead 2-0 as both teams presented some great defensive play. A three-pointer from Calumet put them in front of Ishpeming, 3-2, but a layup from the Hematites’ next drive put them right back into the lead. After Ishpeming reclaimed the lead, they started to run away with the game. Eventually, they would lead by almost ten points as the first quarter buzzer sounded.
First Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 13
Calumet Copper Kings: 5
It appeared to be an easy first quarter for the Ishpeming Hematites, but the Copper Kings fought back and closed their deficit to just three points with a score of 13-10 early in the second. Things remained close as each team answered any scoring chances with some strong defense. With under five minutes left in the half, Ishpeming once again managed to build up a significant lead over Calumet. As the clock ticked under one minute to play, Ishpeming continued to look strong, and they went into the halftime break with a decent lead.
First Half Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 22
Calumet Copper Kings: 15
Calumet started the second half with the ball, but they were unable to score on their first drive. With a nice buffer, the Ishpeming Hematites only had to focus on playing strong defense in order to take home the win. Even though they were playing their hearts out, the Hematite girls weren’t able to restrain Calumet’s offense as they fought back to within five points with under four minutes left to play in the third. It was 28-21 as the quarter began to wind down, and the Hematites would hold the lead going into the fourth.
Third Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 28
Calumet Copper Kings: 25
With only one quarter left to play, the Ishpeming Hematites were looking strong, but Calumet brought the score to within one point just a minute into the fourth quarter. The game was all tied up at 31-31 with about four minutes to play, however, a free throw put the Hematites back into the lead. The action slowed down in the final quarter of play, mainly due to both team freely using fouls to stop any scoring chances from the other team. As the game entered the final minutes of play, the Hematites held a narrow four-point lead but were able to hold on for the win.
Final Game Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 42
Calumet Copper Kings: 38
Listen LIVE – The Ishpeming Hematite girls basketball team takes on the Calumet Copper Kings at home on Thursday, December 13th, 2018.mp3