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Teams jockey for position behind No. 1s in Upper Peninsula high school basketball polls

UPSSA Basketball Polls

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BOYS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Pvs

1. Iron Mountain (7) 16-0 35 1

2. Marquette 16-3 27 3

3. Negaunee 15-2 22 2

4. Escanaba 12-6 13 4

5. Munising 16-1 8 5

Others receiving votes: None

Division 4 W-L Pts Pvs

1. Dollar Bay (7) 17-0 35 1

2. Pickford 14-2 28 2

3. North Central 12-4 19 5

4. Rudyard 14-4 12 3

5. Chassell 13-4 7 4

Others receiving votes: Ewen-Trout Creek (12-5) 4; Carney-Nadeau (12-7) 1

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GIRLS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Pvs

1. Menominee (7) 18-0 35 1

2. Sault Ste. Marie 16-1 27 3

3. Westwood 16-2 22 2

4. Calumet 15-3 14 4

5. Negaunee 14-5 7 5

Others receiving votes: None

Division 4 W-L Pts Pvs

1. St. Ignace (7) 15-2 35 1

2. Ewen-Trout Creek 18-1 28 2

3. Baraga 16-3 18 3

4. North Dickinson 16-2 14 5

5. Pickford 14-3 6 4

Others receiving votes: Carney-Nadeau (15-3) 2; Cedarville (11-6) 2

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MARQUETTE — One thing that has remained a constant in the Upper Peninsula high school basketball polls are the No. 1 teams.

Each of the four has been a unanimous pick throughout the season as chosen by select members of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and released each Tuesday.

It’s only the St. Ignace girls that have lost any games among the quartet. The Saints, multi-state champions among various classes and divisions over the past two decades, have their only setbacks to MHSAA Division 1 Ann Arbor Pioneer and Division 2 and U.P. Divisions 1-3 No. 2 Sault Ste. Marie this season.

Other teams, including those from our area, have jockeyed to get into position to challenge the top dogs if they should falter.

That was the case this week as Marquette leapfrogged Negaunee in the Divisions 1-3 boys rankings as the Redmen (16-3) moved into the No. 2 position and the Miners (15-2) slipped back to No. 3.

Both trail undefeated Iron Mountain (16-0), which hasn’t had a game closer than 15 points this season — a 79-64 win at Ishpeming on Jan. 6 — and has won its last seven dating back to Jan. 30 by at least 30, scoring 80-plus points each time out.

The Mountaineers have one more crucial date left, when they end the regular season at home against Negaunee on March 5.

Munising remained No. 5 in the Divisions 1-3 boys for the second straight week as Westwood (10-8) stopped receiving votes.

For the girls, Westwood (16-2) slipped a spot to No. 3 in Divisions 1-3 as Sault Ste. Marie (16-1) moved into the No. 2 position just behind undefeated Menominee (18-0).

The Maroons end their regular season with a home game against Marquette (12-6) on Friday.

Also in Divisions 1-3, Negaunee (14-5) remained at No. 5, and holding its position in Division 4 is Baraga (16-3) at No. 3.

In the state Associated Press polls also released today, the Negaunee boys are the only area squad listed as receiving votes. Its 17 votes is good for 12th place, just three votes behind No. 10 Traverse City St. Francis.

Other U.P. teams earning mention from the U.P. are, for the boys, Iron Mountain No. 2 in Division 3, Dollar Bay No. 3 in Division 4 and Pickford No. 6 in Division 4.

Among the girls, its Menominee No. 3 in Division 2, St. Ignace No. 2 in Division 4 and Ewen-Trout Creek No. 6 in Division 4.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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