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West end No. 1’s: Ishpeming Hematites, Negaunee Miners girls basketball teams still atop Upper Peninsula rankings after last week’s showdown

Hancock's Brielle Kero, center, gets caught between two Ishpeming defenders as the Hematites’ Lilly Swanson, left front, tries to steal the ball and teammate Addison Morton also guards her during their high school girls basketball game played at the Ishpeming gym on Jan. 4. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

UPSSA Basketball Polls

(first-place votes in parentheses)

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BOYS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Pvs

Westwood's Reid Frustaglio, top center, sinks this hook shot for a basket during a high school boys basketball game played against Iron Mountain at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Jan. 5. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

1. Iron Mountain (5) 9-0 25 1

2. Kingsford 10-1 17 2

(tie) Menominee 8-1 17 3

4. Marquette 6-3 9 T5

5. Jeffers 10-1 3 —

Others receiving votes: Ishpeming (8-3) 2, Negaunee (9-4) 2

Division 4 W-L Pts Pvs

1. St. Ignace (5) 6-2 25 3

2. Munising 8-3 16 4

(tie) Pickford 8-1 16 2

4. Forest Park 6-2 12 1

5. Norway 6-3 5 5

Others receiving votes: Ironwood (5-3) 1

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GIRLS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Pvs

1. Negaunee (5) 9-1 25 1

2. Sault Ste. Marie 4-2 16 3

3. Houghton 6-3 15 2

4. Westwood 4-3 8 4

(tie) Bark River-Harris 8-1 8 —

Others receiving votes: Gladstone (5-3) 2, West Iron County (4-3) 1

Division 4 W-L Pts Pvs

1. Ishpeming (5) 6-0 25 1

2. St. Ignace 8-1 18 2

3. Lake Linden-Hubbell 9-0 17 3

4. Ironwood 9-1 5 T5

5. Baraga 7-3 4 4

(tie) Munising 7-0 4 T5

Others receiving votes: Ewen-Trout Creek (6-2) 2

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MARQUETTE — The Negaunee-Ishpeming high school girls basketball clash got the respect it deserved from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

In this matchup of the No. 1 teams in the weekly girls basketball polls on Friday, the Hematites prevailed 57-53 on the Miners’ home floor at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium.

And while it’s no surprise that Ishpeming (6-0) retained its position atop the girls Division 4 rankings, Negaunee (9-1) also held onto the top spot in Divisions 1-3.

In fact, the Miners remain a unanimous No. 1.

The records are reflective of each school’s win-loss total entering this week as voting took place on Monday afternoon.

Three other area schools also cracked the girls’ top five, with four boys teams at least received votes in that half of the polling.

Westwood (4-3) slipped half a spot in girls D 1-3, going from No. 4 to a tie for that place with Bark River-Harris, after the Patriots lost last week at No. 3 Houghton.

In girls Division 4, Baraga (7-3) and Munising (7-0) are now tied for fifth, just one vote behind fourth-place Ironwood.

While the Mustangs had last week off, the Vikings beat Watersmeet and lost a close one at Calumet.

Munising (8-3) also has the highest-ranked boys team from the area at No. 2 in the Division 4, trailing only unanimous No. 1 St. Ignace after moving up two spots.

The defending state champs in D4 edged No. 4 Forest Park in their only game last week.

In Divisions 1-3 boys, Marquette (6-3) is fourth, moving up a position after knocking off Ishpeming at home last week.

And the Hematites (8-3) and Negaunee (9-4) are on the “others receiving votes” list in D 1-3.

Ishpeming split its games last week after also getting past Negaunee 53-42, while the Miners also split, additionally getting an easy win at Calumet last week.

In the Associated Press state polls, which like the UPSSA’s are released each week on Tuesday, the Ishpeming girls are No. 1 in the state in Division 4.

Curiously, the Hematites are listed as only receiving two of a possible five first-place votes, but no other school in the D-4 listings is listed with a first-place vote.

Baraga is tied for 14th in the same poll, just six voting points out of 10th.

In Division 2 girls, Negaunee is 14th with 11 votes, which is 17 votes out of 10th.

In the boys state AP ratings, the Munising boys are ninth in Division 4, while Superior Central received a single vote and is tied for 24th.

A number of other U.P. teams also made the state rankings.

In boys Division 3, Iron Mountain (9-0) is second with one first-place vote, only trailing Riverview Gabriel Richard, while Menominee (8-1) is fifth.

Division 4 boys include St. Ignace (6-2) in fifth, Pickford (8-1) 11th, Forest Park (6-2) and Norway (6-3) tied for 15th, and Lake Linden-Hubbell tied for 21st.

In girls Division 3, Bark River-Harris (8-1) is tied for 17th, and in Division 4, LL-H (9-0) and St. Ignace (8-1) are tied for fourth, Ironwood (9-1) is tied for seventh and Ewen-Trout Creek (6-2) is tied for 14th.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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