MarquetteÕs Avery Ledy, front left, pulls the ball away from KingsfordÕs Tori Kowalkowski in their high school girls basketball game played at the Flivvers' gym on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (Iron Mountain Daily News photo by Burt Angeli)

By BURT ANGELI

Iron Mountain

Daily News

KINGSFORD — Avery Ledy scored seven of her game-high 22 points to start overtime and Marquette downed Kingsford 53-44 in Great Northern Conference girls basketball on Friday.

Both teams hit layups in the final seconds of regulation for a 42-42 deadlock. Ledy then went to work underneath in overtime, triggering a 7-2 run over the first two minutes.

“Avery battles tough for us in there,” Marquette coach Ben Smith said of the 5-foot-11 junior who also grabbed 12 rebounds. “We competed hard and made enough plays to win.”

Sophomore Aspen Michelin added nine points and Chloe Hale had five assists for the Redettes (14-3, 6-1 GNC).

The Flivvers (7-8, 1-4), who managed just two points in OT, rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to go ahead 39-37 with three minutes left.

“At times we play so well and fight so hard,” Kingsford Coach Mike Cross said. “Then we have those lulls where we give up a few points here and there.

“But effort level is phenomenal for this team.”

Renee Roberts, who put the Flivvers on top 39-37 with a steal, scored a team-high 18 points before fouling out. Olivia Allen chipped in 11 points.

A Michelin lay-up with 41 seconds left in regulation gave Marquette a 42-40 lead. With five seconds remaining, Jordyn Kriegl drove the lane for the tying basket.

It was all Marquette in extra time.

“We just have to find a way to finish a game,” Cross said. “It comes down to getting a stop on defense every once in a while and we just didn’t do that.”

Marquette moved to a 19-8 lead in the second quarter before Kingsford ran off eight straight points, including three apiece from Jordyn and Brooke Kriegl.

“We came out with some real good effort and energy, and handled their pressure way better than we did in Marquette (on Dec. 21),” Smith said.

“They work hard and they compete. They don’t play a style you can ever be comfortable with. If you’re finishing plays against their pressure it makes for a different outcome on our end.”

The Redettes took a 21-16 advantage into the third quarter and held a 10-point halfway through the stanza.

Kingsford, trailing 33-24 to start the fourth quarter, outscored Marquette 15-4 in the first five minutes.

Cross pointed to a man defense with full-court pressure in getting back into the game.

“We were able to jump back in it with some steals and get that energy level up,” Cross said.

Marquette went more than five minutes in the fourth quarter without a field goal before Aspen’s last-minute layup.

“We rushed a few layups and didn’t go strong to score,” Smith said. “It would have been nice to make a few more plays in the flow.

“Against this (Kingsford) team you can’t get away with a missed read or a pass that’s not hard enough or a little bit late.”

The Redettes played without a starting front-line player in 5-10 Sydney Kivi, who was ill.

Kingsford was held to two field goals over the final seven minutes of regulation and overtime.

“I don’t want to take a moral victory but we’re fighting, we’re scrapping and making stuff happen,” Cross said.

Marquette travels to Houghton on Thursday.

Kingsford edged Marquette 48-45 in the JV game.