Negaunee, MI – February 8th, 2019 – There were more school closings due to weather earlier in the day, but that didn’t stop the Ishpeming Hematites and the Negaunee Miners from meeting in the Negaunee gym to battle it out. Tyler was back in the booth once again, and Bob right next to him keeping stat on 98.3 WRUP and online at WRUP.com!
The opening tip off went to the Ishpeming Hematites, but the Negaunee Miners were able to get onto the scoreboard first. Just a few minutes into the game, the Hematites led 5-4, but an intercepted pass gave Negaunee back the lead. Negaunee held a 10-7 lead with just over two minutes to play, and Ishpeming was forced to use their first timeout to stop the Miners’ momentum. The timeout worked to slow Negaunee, and the score would remain unchanged going into the second.
First Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 7
Negaunee Miners: 10
Getting off to a quick start for the quarter, the Ishpeming Hematites tied the score at 10-10 to reset the game. However, Negaunee seemed angered, and they went on a 9-0 scoring run, forcing the Hematites to use their second timeout of the half. The Miners had just about run away with the second quarter, and the score was 27-14 with just over two minutes to play. However, Darius Yohe hit a fade-away jumper at buzzer for Ishpeming, giving them a ray of hope for the second half.
First Half Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 18
Negaunee Miners: 30
After a dismal first half, the Ishpeming Hematites needed some big plays to gain the lead over Negaunee. They seemed to find some help from above, and scored eight straight points to bring themselves within four of the Miners. Negaunee had gone scoreless in the first four minutes of the third quarter, but a deep three pointer got them onto the board for the first time in the half. A Miners’ player put in another three, quickly dashing Ishpeming’s hopes of a comeback. It was 39-31, still for Negaunee, and Ishpeming’s play became more and more frantic as time fell off the clock.
Third Quarter Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 31
Negaunee Miners: 39
To start the final quarter, the Ishpeming Hematites put in a quick jump shot, but the Miners scored two quick baskets to extend their lead to 44-33. Ishpeming once again started to battle back, and they trailed 44-37 with 4:40 remaining on the clock. The Hematites closed the gap down to five points, and Negaunee sensed they were in some trouble. Ishpeming closed to within two points thanks to some great passing, and it looked like it was anyone’s game with two minutes left. Even though they fought hard to come back, the Miners once again gained a six point advantage over Ishpeming with less than one minute in the game. The last few ticks came off the clock, and even though the Hematites gave it their all, they couldn’t defeat the tough Negaunee Miners.
Final Game Score
Ishpeming Hematites: 48
Negaunee Miners: 56