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MARQUETTE — Win-loss records can be deceiving, and last year’s Marquette Senior High School girls basketball team’s 3-12 record was just that.

In seven of the 12 losses, the Redettes lost by 11 or less points, including a 37-35 season-ending defeat to Petoskey in the MHSAA Division 1 district tournament. MSHS was competitive against a lot of the Upper Peninsula’s best teams, and of course had to battle against the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last year I think, probably talking with all the coaches either last year or going into this year, (it’s) a similar feeling on practice time and those sorts of things that were going on last year,” Marquette coach Ben Smith said. “It made it really hard to improve from day to day when it seemed like you never had practice, and when you did, it was right before and right after a game.

Marquette’s Maria Millado, front, attempts to box out Negaunee’s Alyssa Hill as they wait for a shot to drop in the third quarter on Feb. 23 in Negaunee. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

“Kind of going into this year, (it’s) understanding that your seniors have been through the grind a little bit, but not in the same way that your seniors usually have been through the grind.”

Marquette does return five seniors, and the Redettes will be counting on do-it-all athlete Maria Millado to drive the bus this season, according to Smith. Millado was Second Team All-U.P. in Divisions 1-3 and Great Northern Conference First Team and Defensive Player of the Year last season.

“I think her athleticism is unmatched, it seems like there’s very few kids that have her combination of size, speed and jumping ability, she’s a smart kid,” Smith said of Millado. “All those things are definitely pluses for anything positive you want to do on a basketball court.”

What will hurt Marquette this season is that Brooklyn Michelin, a GNC honorable mention player last season, will not be back. Instead, Michelin is joining Marquette’s ski team for her senior year, and Smith was appreciative of her past contributions.

Zoe Smith, Halle Paternoster, Ella Jezewski and Ari Holder round out the senior class that might not have as much experience as seniors in the past, but a group that Smith plans to count on.

“They all bring intelligence, competitiveness, and they just kind of read situations pretty well,” Smith said. “We need to build off the fact that they have some experience and use that to help kind of lead the juniors in the right direction with the understanding that other than Maria, who has the most game experience of the five, that they’re still learning on the fly, too.

“If we do things the right way, we can hopefully kind of mix and match some pieces and make it work pretty well.”

What stands out like usual for Marquette is its schedule. This first week presents challenges with a game at Escanaba and a trip downstate to Petoskey to face two among Milan, Grandville and Petoskey.

Last season, Marquette would struggle during short stretches against some good teams. This year, the message will remain the same — it will take playing well to pick up victories against stiff competition.

“We have good measuring sticks there to look at, very few times will we be able to leave the gym with a positive on the scoreboard if we don’t do things the right way,” Smith said. “But on the flip side of that, sometimes you can do things really well, which I think kind of caught us last year a few times.

“Where we were running through the gauntlet, and we played pretty well except for a two-minute stretch at the end of the second quarter or we would start the fourth quarter slow, and then all of a sudden after giving up a 10-2 run, you lose by seven or by 12 and you’re kind of frustrated.”

The season opener tips off at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Escanaba.

“We’ve had a couple good weeks of practice, obviously no matter how many you have, I don’t think you’re ever quite ready for your first game,” Smith said. “But we’re kind of lining some things up, and hopefully when we go to Esky on Tuesday, we’ll be able to hang our hats on competing really hard and trying to make successful plays as often as we can.

“Esky’s got a bunch of scrappy kids back in the mix. Obviously Nicole (Kamin) isn’t there, but they have plenty of basketball savvy to go around.”

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal. net.