When these teams played in December, the Gremlins (18-4) marched into Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium and dropped 65 points on the Miners (17-5) for a nine-point victory.

But this time around, the script flipped as Negaunee was able to stifle the high-powered Houghton offensive attack and keep the Gremlins to just 41 points.

Houghton entered the game averaging 64.7 points per game, having just scored 87 on Kingsford two days prior.

“I didn’t mince any words with my girls on that night in December or in preparation for us to get ready; they ran us off the floor,” Negaunee coach Mike O’Donnell said. “It was a nine-point game, but it really wasn’t, they smoked us.

Negaunee's Eliana Juchemich, left, outstretches Houghton's Stella Wickstrom, second from left, and Danica Ryynanen, right, for a rebound attempt in the second quarter of their MHSAA Division 2 district tournament championship game played at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Friday, March 4, 2022. Also in on the play is the Miners' Lilly Nelson. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

“We had one day to get our girls mentally ready to go and digest the game plan, but the biggest thing was we needed to be gritty and tough with them, that’s the only chance we had. Our girls were that tonight, that’s one of the best offensive teams in the (Upper Peninsula), they have scorers everywhere.

“For us to execute and battle for four quarters, I’m really proud of them.”

Negaunee’s two star players, Ella Mason and Alyssa Hill, needed to start and end the game strong for the Miners to come out with a win.

Mason led all players with 19 points. That included 11 points in the first quarter by the sophomore point guard as the Miners grabbed a 15-9 lead at the end of the opening period.

NHS led 36-33 entering the fourth, but Houghton scored four straight to take their first lead, 37-36, since the early minutes of the game.

Negaunee then outscored the Gremlins 16-4 over the final seven minutes, with Hill scoring 10 in that time and Mason chipping in the other six. Hill finished with 16 points.

The Miners only had five players score, but their style of offense gave Houghton fits defensively, too. Houghton took away ball reversals to get Hill looks in the post, according to O’Donnell, so the Miners had to scrap their game plan and go to a motion offense. Instead of relying on the perimeter, Negaunee started driving toward the basket and put pressure on the Gremlins’ defense.

“It was a physical game, and it was hard for us to show some of our abilities with it,” Houghton coach Julie Filpus said. “I thought Negaunee played a really good game, and I thought we dug ourselves out of a hole a couple times. But unfortunately, we just couldn’t push where we wanted to go.”

Both teams showed nerves out of the gate as a lot of open looks weren’t connecting for either side.

Houghton led 5-0 with a Gwen Markham layup and Meghan Trewhella 3-pointer. Mason settled the Miners in with a 3-pointer and an and-one of her own to give Negaunee a 6-5 lead. Mason and Summer Dudo closed the quarter strongly for the Miners to cap off what would become a 12-4 run.

Houghton looked to finally get something going in the second quarter, and Annika Peterson went on a 5-0 run by herself to cut Negaunee’s lead to a single point.

The Miners were in the middle of a scoring drought, but Mason ended it with a bucket to give NHS a 21-18 lead with two minutes left in the quarter. Negaunee closed the quarter strong again with a 3-pointer from Dudo and a layup from Madi Smith to build a 26-18 halftime lead.

“There were times where (Alyssa) Hill hurt us on the low block, and there were times that (Ella) Mason hurt us on the dribble attack,” Filpus said. “They always had an answer tonight.”

It was a game of runs, and the Gremlins came out firing on all cylinders to begin the third quarter, using a quick 7-0 run spearheaded by Peterson and Stella Wickstrom to pull within one point.

Just when it looked like Houghton had all the momentum, Hill and fellow Negaunee senior Lilly Nelson stepped up. The Miners only scored 10 points in the third, but the pair of veteran players scored them all. Wickstrom added a bucket down low, and Paige Sleeman finally scored her first bucket for HHS after stealing the ensuing inbounds pass. The Miners led by three heading into the fourth.

A pair of Markham free throws and another Sleeman basket gave Houghton a one-point lead. Led by Hill and Mason down the stretch, the Miners pulled away with their late-game run.

“Ella was phenomenal, she got us out of the gate,” O’Donnell said. “Summer was great, to get the scoring from her, and she took the challenge against (Meghan) Trewhella, and didn’t let her control the tempo.

“Then we were at the end of that third quarter, and I looked at Alyssa (Hill) and said, ‘Let’s close.’ She did it like a senior who really wanted this thing, she’s been here longer than I have.”

Mason and Hill combined for 35 of Negaunee’s 52 points. Dudo, Nelson, and Smith combined to score their team’s other 17 points. Houghton was led by Peterson with 16 points, while Wickstrom had 10.

Negaunee moves on to the Division 2 regional semifinals in Manistique at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Sault Ste. Marie. The Blue Devils (18-4) are coming off a 47-36 win at Boyne City in their district final. Tuesday’s winner moves onto the regional final in Gaylord on Thursday against the winner of Ludington and Standish-Sterling.

“We took a punch, and we responded,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve been talking a lot about that coming into the tournament of, in March, teams are going to make runs and it’s the team that can hold their composure and doesn’t rattle.

“They came at us a few times and closed the gap, and our girls kept responding and played through it. This is the reward.”

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