Gwinn, MI – March 6th, 2019 – The Ishpeming Hematites girls basketball team continued their playoff push on Wednesday night, as they traveled to Gwinn to take on the Modeltowners in a District 66 semi-final! Tyler Young and Bob Nadeau had the call from Gwinn on 98.3 WRUP and online at WRUP.com!
1st Half:
The game started off slow, as both teams came out playing good defense. The Modeltowners scored the first points of the game, as they led 2-0 with under six minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Hematites were struggling at rebounding the ball, as Gwinn was controlling the boards early. Ishpeming responded quickly however, as they took a 5-3 lead. The Hematites continued to play well after those early minutes of the first quarter, as they led 9-5 with under three minutes to go in the opening quarter of play. After a well played first quarter, the Hematites held a 13-7 lead over the Gwinn Modeltowners.
End of 1st: Ishpeming Hematites 13, Gwinn Modeltowners 7
Gwinn was trying to cut into the lead, but Ishpeming kept coming back with a basket of their own. The Hematites pushed their lead up to double digits, they led 18-8 with under five minutes remaining in the first half. Both teams began to trade baskets, and the Hematites led 21-13 in the final minutes of the second quarter. Gwinn started to battle back in the final minute of the half, as they cut Ishpeming’s lead to only two points! In a close battle, the Hematites led the Modeltowners 22-20 going into the locker room.
Halftime: Ishpeming Hematites 22, Gwinn Modeltowners 20
2nd Half:
Ishpeming started the half just as they had wanted, and extended their back up to five points. Gwinn kept battling back, and they cut Ishpeming’s lead to 27-25, this game was a defensive battle coast-to-coast. The third quarter didn’t have much scoring, as both squads really buckled down on the defensive end of the floor. After a tightly-contested third quarter, the Hematites led the Modeltowners 31-27.
End of 3rd: Ishpeming Hematites 31, Gwinn Modeltowners 27
The final quarter of play started off slow, however both teams were in the bonus early, which meant a lot of free throws down the stretch. The Hematites jumped out to a seven point lead, they were trying to put the Modeltowners away for good. Ishpeming was trying to drain the clock by passing the ball around, as they led 38-32 with three minutes left in the game. Gwinn would get the score back down to 38-36, an ending down to the wire was on the way. The Modeltowners would score once again, they went on an impressive run, the score was now tied with under two minutes remaining! Ishpeming would score out of a timeout, and they took a 42-40 lead with 1:25 left. Gwinn came back on the other end, and they tied the game once again with one minute to go. The Hematites committed a costly turnover, and it gave Gwinn the ball with 25 seconds left, this one was going to come down to the final shot. The Modeltowners got the ball where they wanted it, but their shot wouldn’t fall, it was time for free basketball! Ishpeming and Gwinn were tied at 42 a piece at the end of regulation, this game was going to overtime.
End of 4th: Ishpeming Hematites 42, Gwinn Modeltowners 42
Overtime:
The overtime period started off back-and-forth, and the Hematites held on to a 45-44 lead. Both squads would then trade baskets multiple times in a crazy sequence, and Gwinn took a one point lead with under a minute to go in OT. The Modeltowners would get the ball back and force a foul on a shot, but they only made one of two free throws. Ishpeming capitalized and made a huge bucket to tie the game once again with 12 seconds remaining in overtime. Gwinn had the ball once more with the final shot, and this time they would nail it. The Modeltowners executed with a shot off the glass at the buzzer, and they defeated the Hematites 51-49 in an overtime classic! Gwinn advances to the District finals on Friday night against Westwood, while the Hematites finish the season with an 8-14 record. It was a great season for the Hematites, they played with heart each and every night.
Final Score: Gwinn Modeltowners 51, Ishpeming Hematites 49
LISTEN – FULL GAME – HEMATITES VS MODELTOWNERS ON WRUP
