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Gremlins pull out 48-46 win over Negaunee girls

Houghton’s Sloane Zenner, right, takes the ball to the basket against Negaunee’s Clara Johnson Friday night. Zenner’s 21 points paced a 48-46 Houghton win. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by Paul Peterson)

By PAUL PETERSON

For the Houghton Daily

Mining Gazette

HOUGHTON — Negaunee managed to keep it close most of the way Friday night against unbeaten Houghton in girls prep basketball play.

But close didn’t count as the visiting Miners came up short by a 48-46 score.

HHS coach Julie Filpus said her team, now 3-0, came into the nonconference match with some incentive.

“They beat us last year in Negaunee and that was certainly in our minds tonight,” Filpus said. “They’re a good team, and this was a good test for us.”

NHS also managed to do something foes seldom do against a Gremlins squad — nearly come back from a double-digit lead in the final three minutes.

After falling behind by a 44-34 count, the Miners took advantage of some spotty free-throw shooting and a couple of turnovers to slice it 44-41 with under a minute left.

Three-point baskets from Aleda Johnson and Abby Nelson also helped reduce the aforementioned deficit.

“The girls kept hustling and that was good to see,” Miners’ coach Brandon Sager noted afterward. “But Houghton is a very tall team and awfully tough to come back on.”

Two free throws by Houghton standout Sloane Zenner and two charities from Madison Dillinger salted it away, and a 3-pointer at the final buzzer by Nelson was just window dressing.

Sager said his 2-2 team has struggled a little bit in the early going this season.

“The girls came out and played pretty well,” Sager said. “We told them that was a pretty good basketball team they took down to the final minutes. And we’re happy with that effort.”

Negaunee led a good portion of the opening period and managed a 12-11 lead at period’s end.

Tawna Ryynanen, the 6-foot HHS point guard, netted two triples in the second frame as her team grabbed a 19-18 lead at halftime.

Houghton appeared to have things under control when they used a 16-7 third quarter advantage for a 35-25 lead.

Johnson, the spark-plug Miners guard, tallied nine of her team-high 16 points in the final stanza. Combined with eight points by Nelson, that put the eventual losers right back in the game.

Zenner, the do-it-all performer for the Gremlins, had a game-leading 21 points and nine rebounds. She chipped in six steals, three blocks and three assists.

Ryynanen was next in line with 13 points, hitting three shots from long range.

“I thought Sloane had a real nice all-around game tonight,” Filpus said. “And Tawna hit some big shots at big times.”

Negaunee was paced by Johnson’s solid game, which included four steals and five assists. Nelson tossed in 11 more and Hailey Fezatt collected eight points.

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