NEGAUNEE – Coach Dan Waterman said Tuesday night was Trent Bell’s turn to shine on the big stage.

And who can argue?

The 6-foot-5 junior forward scored 21 points and hauled down seven rebounds – both team highs – to lead the Negaunee High School boys basketball team to its biggest victory of the season, a 51-49 Mid-Peninsula Conference victory over visiting Iron Mountain.

“He was huge all game,” Waterman said. “I’m thrilled with the win and the way we gutted it out at the end.”

Bell – an 80 percent free throw shooter this season – also sank 8 of 8 from the charity stripe, six in the final three minutes.

“I was ready for them. We work on them in practice,” Bell said after the Class C No. 1 state-ranked Miners improved to 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the M-PC. “I was confident (at the line).”

He almost enabled the Mountaineers (10-1, 6-1) to send the game into overtime, however.

With 2.8 seconds left, IM’s Tanner Huotari missed a free throw with Negaunee leading 51-49. IM coach Harvey “Bucky” Johnson called a timeout and when play resumed, Huotari missed the second attempt at the line.

“He missed it where he needed to miss it,” Johnson said. “That’s not easy to do.”

In the ensuing scrum under the basket, Bell was called for a foul with 1.8 seconds remaining, sending Carson Wonders – who led the Mountaineers with a game-high 24 points – to the line.

“Me and Wonders were pushing and pulling while boxing out and I got the foul,” Bell said. “It could have gone either way. I was worried, though.”

Wonders, the son of former Northern Michigan University basketball stars Matt Wonders and Julie (Heldt) Wonders, went to the line with 1.8 seconds left.

He missed the front end of the 1-and-1 chance, however, and the Miners corralled the rebound to get the victory.

“I’ll take those two (Huotari and Wonders) at the free throw line any time,” Johnson said. “We had our chances.

“We competed in a tough environment. We had a few things that broke down and Negaunee capitalized on them.

“It was a great, competitive game that could have gone either way,” he added.

The two teams battled head to head in the opening quarter, with the Miners – behind seven of Dre Tuominen’s 17 points – taking a 16-15 lead as Wonders also scored seven.

Bell notched six points in the second period to counter five by Wonders for a 30-26 Negaunee advantage at the half.

But Wonders tossed in six points in the third frame as the Mountaineers claimed a 41-39 lead heading into the final quarter. A Tuominen triple at the end of the quarter enabled the Miners to stay close.

“In a game like this, every (offensive) possession matters,” Johnson said.

The teams traded points early in the final quarter until Bell hit his free throws and Wonders sank a bucket on a baseline drive with 14 seconds left to make it 50-49.

“We worked harder than they did,” Bell said, “and things went our way because of that. We wanted it more than they did.”

Kyle Johnson, the IM coach’s son and the grandson of legendary coach Rick Olds, complemented Wonders with 14 points and four assists.

“We needed a game like this to see where we’re at and what we need to do to improve,” Waterman said. “We tightened up defensively (in the fourth quarter) and our hustle was outstanding.”

IM won the JV game, 53-44.

Craig Remsburg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is cremsburg@miningjournal.net.