Ishpeming, MI – January 9th, 2019 – The night was sure to be filled with great basketball action as the Ishpeming Hematites boys were set to face their rivals, the Negaunee Miners on Wednesday night. Luke G. was filling in for Tyler, but the ever present Bob Nadeau was right there with Luke, bringing you all the action on 98.3 WRUP!
Although the first two minutes of play were scoreless, the Ishpeming Hematites stayed right with the Negaunee Miners the entire time. Several fouls were called early in the quarter, and it was clear that the refs were going to be keeping a close eye on the game. With under 4:30 left, the Hematites led 2-0 in a low scoring contest, but Darius Yohe put up a three to make the score 5-0 for Ishpeming. Gavin Sundberg drained another three a minute later to bring the Hematites’ lead to 8-0. With less than 2:00 remaining, the score was 10-2 for Ishpeming, and Negaunee was trying to desperately to get anything to fall. The Hematites led on the scoreboard, but they also had five fouls as a team, and Darius Yohe had to be pulled late in the first to prevent him from accruing too many fouls too early in the game.
First Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 15
Negaunee Miners: 4
Finally, the Negaunee Miners were called for a foul (their first of the game) in the first few seconds of the quarter, but the Ishpeming Hematites were still having to sit players for fear of them fouling-out later in the game. Bob Nadeau commented to Luke that, “Ishpeming shot 60% in the first quarter, which is why they were so hot scoring. Let’s hope they keep that up in the second.” At the midway point of the quarter, Ishpeming had more than doubled Negaunee’s score at 19-8. The Miners switched to full-court pressure, hoping to slow the Hematites’ scoring with five minutes on the clock. However, that full-court pressure resulted in several Negaunee fouls. With 3:00 left in the half, both teams had reached the bonus, and Ishpeming continued to lead 21-10. The Hematites had nine turnovers in the majority of the first half, but Negaunee only had six, despite the Hematites leading by going into the locker rooms for halftime.
First Half Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 21
Negaunee Miners: 14
Even though the Ishpeming Hematites had a decent lead at the start of the second half, the Negaunee Miners flew out of the locker room and scored the first points of the third to make the score 21-16. Just seconds later, Negaunee drained another and brought the score to 21-18. Gavin Argall made the Hematites’ first basket of the second-half, ending a 10-0 scoring run by Negaunee. The Hematites maintained a three-point lead at the midpoint of the third, but they were just barely holding on. Hunter Smith expertly sniped a Miners’ in-bounds pass, but they couldn’t convert that opportunity into a basket. Ishpeming’s lead remained frozen at 26-23, but the Miners made it a one-point ballgame as the score clock fell below 2:00. After an Ishpeming timeout, Negaunee fought through the Hematites’ defense and took their first lead of the game at 27-26.
Third Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 31
Negaunee Miners: 27
The night’s entire contest would come down to the fourth quarter, as neither team was able to gain a significant advantage over the other. It was the Ishpeming Hematites who led most of the game, but it was a tough contest for both sides. Negaunee extended their lead to six points with 6:00 left in the game, and you could sense the unease in the Ishpeming gymnasium as the Hematites scrambled to stop the Miners. Despite their best efforts, the Hematites just couldn’t make up the ground to retake the lead from Negaunee. It was an 11-point lead for the Miners with under four minutes in the game, and the Hematites were looking for any kind of opportunity to retake the lead. Both teams freely used their timeouts to try and “ice” the other team, attempting to influence the mindset of the players on the court. The Miners held a seven-point lead with about 2:30 left, but Negaunee could really feel the pressure being put on by the Hematites. Things were looking grim for Ishpeming, and with less than one minute left to play, they trailed by seven points. The Hematites were able to make it a five-point game with 0:15 remaining in the game, ensuring the contest would all come down to the final seconds, but in the end, they were unable to take the win.
Final Game Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 43
Negaunee Miners: 47
Listen LIVE – The Ishpeming Hematites take on the Negaunee Miners at home on Wednesday, January 9th, 2018 on 98.3 WRUP.mp3