R-M boys build winning streak
Negaunee improves to 6-0 with victory over Escanaba
REPUBLIC — The Republic-Michigamme High School boys basketball team not only equaled its win total of last season, but the Hawks now sport a winning streak.
Junior Dylan Hanninen scored 20 points to lead R-M to a 54-48 victory over Bessemer on Thursday night.
With a win at Lake Linden-Hubbell before Christmas that wrapped up its December schedule, the Hawks have now won two in a row while improving to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the Copper Mountain Conference.
Last season, R-M went just 2-19.
“We had one starter out, so I’m really happy about getting a win like this,” Hawks coach Rob Carlson said.
But it wasn’t without some effort as R-M fell behind 16-8 after one quarter and still trailed 28-25 at the intermission.
“James Rosenbaum hit a last-second 3 to get us that close at halftime,” Carlson said of his senior who scored nine points. “It seemed like early on we were a bit lackadaisical, a little loose with the ball.
“Then we started settling in during the second quarter.”
The Hawks took a 39-36 lead by the end of the third quarter and held off the Speed Boys in the final eight minutes.
Hanninen, who made 4 of 5 free throws in final few minutes to protect the lead, went down with a cramp briefly but was able to stay in the game, according to his coach.
Cade Mazzon paced Bessemer with 12 points while Tyler Bush had 10.
The Speed Boys won the JV game 50-28.
R-M remains at home for its next game, Monday night against Jeffers.
Negaunee 56, Escanaba 40
At Negaunee, Miners’ stars Dre Tuominen and Trent Bell carried the offense early until the rest of the team could get untracked.
Tuominen scored eight points and Bell four in the first quarter as Negaunee (6-0) assumed a 12-7 lead entering the second quarter.
“We did a good job defending their sets and making them take highly contested shots, but I was a little disappointed in our inability to rebound the ball,” NHS coach Dan Waterman said.
Bell finished with game highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Tuominen scored 18 points. Bell made 11 of 13 free throws, including 5 of 6 in a second quarter that saw the Miners extend their lead to 29-17 by halftime.
Tyler Willette scored 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace the Eskymos, who were forced into 20 turnovers by the ball-hawking Negaunee defense.
“He’s a slasher in the lane who has some good size,” Waterman said of Willette.
Negaunee, which won the JV game 50-42, travels to Ishpeming on Wednesday.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
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