Negaunee, MI – January 14, 2020 – In a match-up between two ranked teams in the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association poll, the Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team made a statement to the entire U.P. in its 62-39 win over the West Iron County Wykons. Negaunee is now 8-2 on the season, and they’re hitting their stride at a good time. Jesse Anderson had the call in Negaunee on Sunny 101.9.
1st Half:
As anyone would expect when two top teams play against each other, this game was a war in the first quarter. Each team had counter after counter against the other, and the Miners led early 5-4. Chloe Norman was on fire to start, finishing with two 3-pointers in the opening quarter. The Wykons had a balanced attack, with the offense being led by Michigan Tech commit Emily Nelson and Anna Malmquist. Through over seven minutes, the score was tied 12-12 before Norman knocked down a huge 3-point shot at the buzzer to give Negaunee the lead.
End of 1st: Negaunee Miners 15, West Iron County Wykons 12
After a close first quarter, the Miners began to pull away. Negaunee outscored the Wykons 8-2 in the second, and the offense turned to Morgan Carlson as Nelson and Alyssa Hill were having an epic clash in the post. Carlson finished the first half with six points, and with Norman’s 11 points, the Miners led 23-14 at halftime.
Halftime: Negaunee Miners 23, West Iron County Wykons 14
2nd Half:
Negaunee had another great quarter, and its defense once again was terrific. The Miners have become a defensive juggernaut over the course of the season, and there were showing it once again in this match-up. Not only was the defense suffocating, the Miners’ biggest scoring threat Hill, got it going inside. Hill scored 11 points in the quarter alone, after only scoring two in the first half. Norman continued on her great night, and the Miners led 34-16 just like that. The run would continue, and other Miners such as Larissa Anderson and Bree Giotto contributed. After three quarters, this game was officially a rout, and Negaunee led West Iron County 43-22.
End of 3rd: Negaunee Miners 43, West Iron County Wykons 22
Negaunee continued to shred the West Iron defense, and they led 51-28 after Norman hit two 3-pointers to put her total at 22 points. Malmquist tried to keep the Wykons in it with a 3-point shot of her own, but they still trailed by 20 points with five minutes remaining. Negaunee kept taking punches from the Wykons, and responding on the other end with a basket. Tori Bociek scored five consecutive points for West Iron County to cut to the score to 60-39. Unfortunately for the Wykons, there was only one minute remaining. Once again, Negaunee had an answer to that run, this time a floater from Lilly Nelson. The Miners made a major statement in the U.P. tonight with a big 62-39 victory over West Iron County. Norman led the game with 24 points, and Hill bounced back in the second half to finish with 15 points.
Final Score: Negaunee Miners 62, West Iron County Wykons 39
NEXT GAME: The Negaunee Miners Girls Basketball team will return to action after a week off when they host the Gwinn Modeltowners on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Jesse Anderson will be live from Negaunee’s Lakeview Gym with all of the action on Sunny 101.9. Tune in at 7 p.m. for the Elder Agency Pregame Show, and the game will follow at 7:15 p.m. Go Miners!
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS VS WYKONS ON SUNNY101.9
