Iron Mountain, MI – January 10th, 2019 – The weather may have been cold and snowy, but the action in the Iron Mountain gym was sure to be on fire! The Ishpeming Hematites girls basketball team made the long trek down to take the court against the Mountaineers, and Luke and Bob were right next to the action, broadcasting it all to you on 98.3 WRUP and WRUP.com!
The Mountaineers started the action off by winning the tip, and they were also able to put the first points of the game onto the board on the very same drive. Just a few seconds later, the Ishpeming Hematites took the lead 3-2 after a nice layup and free throw. Ishpeming clung to the lead as the first quarter dropped under four minutes to play, but the Mountaineers stayed close, just one point behind. Madison Pruett drained a three-pointer to extend Ishpeming’s lead up to 6-2. With just under one minute remaining, the Hematites kept a three point lead, and they would head into the second quarter hopeful for a win.
First Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 8
Iron Mountain Mountaineers: 5

Defense was the name of the game for the start of the second quarter, with no scoring from either team for the first two minutes of play. The Ishpeming Hematites were having a bit of foul trouble, and they had a total of five team fouls early in the quarter. Iron Mountain managed to tie the score at 8-8, and a bit later, they took their first lead of the game. Ishpeming finally ended a nine-point scoring run for the Mountaineers with 3:30 left in the first half, but the Hematites would have some significant ground to make up before the buzzer. As the clock wound down, Madison Pruett put in another three point shot, giving the Hematites a slight ray of hope, even though Iron Mountain led by nearly ten points.

First Half Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 17
Iron Mountain Mountaineers: 23
It was a back-and-forth first half for the Ishpeming Hematites, but they came out of the locker room ready to move past their earlier mistakes. Emma Poirier scored Ishpeming’s first basket of the second half on a great shot through some major traffic. At five minutes remaining in the third, the Hematites were still behind, but only by six points with a score of 26-20. Ishpeming was forced to use one of their vital full timeouts with just over four minutes in the quarter so they could re-organize their defense. Ishpeming’s deficit was locked at six points with just a few minutes left to play in the third, but they were always within striking distance of Iron Mountain.
Third Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 24
Iron Mountain Mountaineers: 29
Only trailing by five points, the Ishpeming Hematites just had to hold strong on defense for a shot at overtaking the Mountaineers for the win. Emma Poirier seemed to be the main lumberjack chipping away at Iron Mountain’s lead, and she closed the gap down to three points after nailing a jump shot for a

quick two. Rebekah Loman helped bring their deficit to one point thanks to some great hustle from one end of the court to the other to secure a rebound for the Hematites. Just seconds later, Ishpeming took their first lead since the first quarter at 33-32. The lead switched between both teams multiple times, and, as the clock fell under three minutes left in the game, the Hematites led by a single point, 35-34. Timeouts came into play in a big way late in the game, as each coach tried to give specific directions and plays to their players. Madisyn Mead scored a basket to give Ishpeming their largest lead of the half at 41-39. The gym was filled with cheers and gasps for the entire last minute of the game as both teams struggled for control of the ball, but Ishpeming barely clung to a one-point lead.
Final Game Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 42
Iron Mountain Mountaineers: 39