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Norway girls take control of M-PC with win over Negaunee Friday

Negaunee senior Hailey Fezatt dribbles against Norway senior Britta Grayvold during a Mid-Peninsula Conference game Friday, Feb. 3, 2016 in Norway, Mich. (Adam Niemi/Iron Mountain Daily News)

NORWAY — It took a while, but Norway’s offense finally did what it needed to sink Negaunee 41-36 in a Mid-Peninsula Conference girls basketball showdown on Friday.

The win cushions Norway’s lead in the conference, the Knights’ last year in the M-PC before moving to the Skyline Central Conference next year. A Negaunee win would have kept the Miners at Norway’s hip for a share of the conference title.

The Knights (15-0, 8-0) scored more points in the third quarter than they did in the entire first half, and also took the lead for the first time in the game.

But Negaunee matched Norway’s offensive explosion, scoring 14 points in the third to hold a narrow 29-27 lead after three quarters.

It set up for a blow-for-blow fourth quarter in which nearly every basket was a lead change.

A pair of late free throws by Jordan Kraemer helped seal the win. Until that point, the loud and raucous crowd clung to every bucket and foul call with cheers and boos.

Kraemer, a fourth-year varsity player and the new Norway all-time girls basketball scoring leader, took control in the fourth quarter. She scored six of her 18 points in the last quarter.

“It meant a ton to not only us and our coach but everybody else here,” Kraemer said. “We had a huge student section because they all want the same thing we do — that’s to win the Mid-Pen Conference in our last year in it. One step closer.”

The Miners (11-4) have had to move on after losing Aleda Johnson to a torn anterior cruciate ligament — the more commonly known ACL — earlier in the week. Negaunee coach Brandon Sager said the team lost another starter to the flu before Friday’s game against Norway. Nevertheless, he was still proud of his team after the loss.

“We came in losing our best player a couple days ago. The girls really rallied together. We lost another one of our starters today with the flu. To come into this environment against a great team like that and play them right down to the final minute, I can’t complain.

“They followed our game plan, we just got a little bit rattled because we’ve got people that aren’t where they normally are. This game’s going to just keep making us better.”

Abby Nelson led Negaunee with 14 points. Aleda’s sister Clara Johnson had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Norway’s Teidra Fuson ignited to score eight of her 10 points in the third quarter.

The game was a defensive struggle in the first quarter. Both teams combined for six points with about two minutes left.

The Miners held a 15-12 halftime lead.

Norway coach Carli Kelly said the tournament-style atmosphere in the gym made it about impossible for her to instruct the team.

“This was good. I think it really showed a lot of maturity out on the floor form our seniors, especially Britta (Grayvold) and Jordan,” Kelly said. “They can’t hear me and I’m losing my voice again. They can’t hear what I’m saying, so I pulled them aside and said, ‘Your leadership needs to take over.'”

Sager said the atmosphere was also good for his team as the regular season dwindles and will soon transition into the district tournament, where defensive struggles rule the pace of games.

“It was a great battle defensively. It was a great environment,” Sager said. “It’s good getting us ready for this final stretch of the season.”

The Negaunee JV won 56-20.

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