EBEN — Junior Emma Rondeau worked the boards and then the free-throw line to help Superior Central preserve a lead and defeat Stephenson 52-47 in a girls basketball makeup game played Wednesday night.

The Cougars (9-8) led most of the way, but only got their lead into double digits briefly in the second quarter before settling for a 25-21 halftime advantage.

The Eagles made a run early in the fourth quarter, taking a one-point lead about midway through, according to SC coach Greg Trowbridge.

“We pressed them (on defense) for the first three quarters, then we went to a man defense for part of the fourth,” he said.

With SC leading by one point with about two minutes to go, Rondeau went to work, grabbing rebounds, getting fouled and making 7 of 8 free throws in the final period.

She finished with game highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds.

“Rondeau did a great job crashing the boards,” Trowbridge said.

But it was sophomore teammate Sydney Emard who put the Cougars out front early, hitting a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter that gave her team a 16-10 lead heading to the second.

That helped neutralize Stephenson’s size advantage, particularly Kyleigh Cross, who had five of her team’s 11 blocked shots.

Emard finished with 15 points, while junior teammate Tori Tyner had six steals to go with seven points.

Point guard Autumn Rasner paced the Eagles with 16 points, while Cross and Kaylee Hukarevic nabbed six rebounds apiece.

Stephenson prevailed in the JV game, 44-35.

SC gets right back on the court tonight with a game at Alger County rival and undefeated Munising.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.