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Hunter delivers win to Gladstone at home

Gladstone’s Taylor Hunter drives to the basket on Gwinn’s Brenna Bruce in Friday’s game. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Mike Mattson)

Gladstone's Taylor Hunter drives to the basket on Gwinn's Brenna Bruce in Friday's game. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Mike Mattson)

By Mike Mattson

Escanaba Daily Press

GLADSTONE — Coach Eric Lundin had a chat Friday night with Taylor Hunter before the Gladstone girls basketball home opener against Gwinn.

What did Lundin tell his junior forward?

“He told me to come out and give it all I had and that’s what I did,” Hunter said.

“I wanted to come out and play strong. We wanted to come back and play strong after our loss.”

Hunter delivered a big night with 21 points and nine rebounds to spark the Braves to a 54-32 non-league victory.

Gladstone improves to 1-1 and erased the bitterness of a 59-38 season-opening loss at Negaunee.

It also was Lundin’s first victory as the Braves’ coach. And he couldn’t have earned it without Hunter.

Point guard Alyssa Polley made a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points and Kaitlyn Hardwick added seven points and five steals for the Braves.

After Gladstone led 11-9 in a competitive first quarter, the Braves took over in the second quarter. They went on a 10-0 run and outscored Gwinn 15-3 en route to a 26-12 halftime lead.

Gwinn didn’t score until the 2:18 mark of the second quarter on a pair of Kia Evans’ free throws.

Just like that the Modeltowners were in a hole.

“We had seven girls and we’re not conditioned like we should be,” Gwinn coach Ben Olsen said.

“We got in a hole early. We are not a team that can get in a hole like that and dig out of it.

“We have to get our legs under us. We’re not a bad shooting team. We got the shots we wanted, we just missed them. They didn’t fall.”

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