Slow Start Dooms Braves; Flivvers Get GNC Victory

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School boys basketball team had more turnovers than points in the first quarter, and that spelled trouble as the Braves faced the Kingsford Flivvers Thursday night.

Kingsford took the early lead and led the entire game, posting a 57-45 Great Northern Conference win inside the Gladstone High School Gym.

"Sometimes you are what you are," Gladstone Coach Dale Hongisto said. "If we can't catch the ball, and we can't make an easy shot, this is what happens. It's kind of been the tale of the tape all year. But we're still 5-3, so we're all right."

Gladstone scored just one basket in the first five minutes of the game, while committing seven turnovers during that period of time.

The Braves fell behind, 9-2, and never did manage to tie the game, although they did come close a couple of times.

"Seven turnovers in the first quarter," Hongisto said with disgust. "Seriously? And we actually protect the ball pretty darn good as a team. But not tonight. I don't know what happened tonight. But there's a lot of season left. I guarantee you that we will get on a roll at some point. I just don't know what it is."

Justin Jurek with steal and hoop

Kingsford led for the entire game, but the lead was never comfortable until the fourth quarter. When Adam Voss drained a three-pointer with 1:08 left in the third quarter, Kingsford had its biggest lead at 36-28. But the Braves rallied in those final 68 seconds.

Senior Tyler Wells drove to the basket and scored, and then he got a steal on the inbounds play. After a missed shot, sophomore Joe Gibbs got a huge rebound with one hand. He passed to fellow sophomore Hunter Botruff, who sank the open three.

So, Gladstone was within 36-33 entering the fourth quarter. And the Braves had the ball to start the final quarter, but Kingsford's Chris Roell made the biggest play of the game.

The Braves tried a wide pass at the top of the key, and Roell stole it. He drove inside for the basket, and drew the foul. Roell made the free throw as well, and it was 39-33.

Gladstone closed to within five points at 44-39, but the Flivvers scored seven straight points to go up by 12 at 51-39.

Gladstone got to within six again in the final minute as Botruff sank a three and Ben Schwalbach made two free throws, but the Braves didn't score again as Roell went to the free throw line and put the game away.

Kingsford's Joe Hofer drains the three

Roell had only one point at halftime. But he scored 16 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 17 points. Roell made 13 of 15 free throws, including nine of ten foul shots in the fourth quarter.

Dan Harrington scored 12 points for Kingsford.

"Without a doubt, this one hurts the most out of our three losses," Hongisto said. "Not even a close second, to be honest."

Wells led the Braves with 14 points, and fellow senior Justin Jurek scored 11. The Braves finished a brutal stretch of playing five games in eight nights.

"It hasn't been easy, so we're stepping away," Hongisto said. "We're not meeting again until 7:30 Monday night. Let them relax, catch their legs a little bit. Let the coaches relax. It's been a tiring stretch, even for us coaches. We'll be fine."

Gladstone hosts Gwinn next Tuesday night, and then the Braves will travel to Menominee the following Friday night. That Gladstone-Menominee game on Jan. 23 will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (105.5), WCHT-AM (600), and rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Lori Jurek, and videos taken by Mike Dagenais and Nate Bellville.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

12/19	7:30 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	54 - 40 (W)	1-0

12/22	7:15 PM	Mid Peninsula Wolverines	62 - 47 (W)	2-0

1/3	3:00 PM	at St. Ignace Saints	64 - 62 (W)	3-0

1/8	7:30 PM	at Mid Peninsula Wolverines	45 - 41 (W)	4-0

1/10	3:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	27 - 48 (L)	4-1

1/12	7:46 PM	at Ishpeming Hematites	51 - 61 (L)	4-2

1/13	7:45 PM	at Rapid River Rockets	56 - 29 (W)	5-2

1/15	7:15 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	45 - 57 (L)	5-3

1/20	7:15 PM	Gwinn Model Towners	53 - 58 (L)	5-4

1/23	8:00 PM	at Menominee Maroons	48 - 30 (W)	6-4

1/27	7:15 PM	Ishpeming Hematites	46 - 63 (L)	6-5

2/2	7:15 PM	Big Bay deNoc Black Bears	60 - 50 (W)	7-5

2/10	7:20 PM	at Marquette Redmen	24 - 46 (L)	7-6

2/12	8:00 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	48 - 58 (L)	7-7

2/17	7:15 PM	Negaunee Miners	45 - 55 (L)	7-8

2/20	7:15 PM	Menominee Maroons	43 - 49 (L)	7-9

2/23	7:30 PM	at Westwood Patriots	54 - 60 (L)	7-10

2/27	7:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	51 - 50 (W)	8-10

3/3	7:30 PM	at Manistique Emeralds	44 - 54 (L)	8-11

3/5	7:15 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	30 - 44 (L)	8-12

3/11	7:00 PM	Menominee Maroons	52 - 50 (W)	9-12

3/13	7:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	30 - 32 (L)	9-13