Miners Beat Braves With Inside Game, Free Throws

GLADSTONE---No matter what they did, the Gladstone Braves could not get ahead.

In Tuesday night's boys basketball game against the Negaunee Miners, that statement is more of a compliment to the Miners than it is a criticism of the Braves.

Negaunee, ranked third in the U.P. in the latest poll, showed why as the inside game of Jay Lori and Rob Loy was too much for Gladstone to handle.

The Miners won Tuesday's game, 55-45. Lori scored 22 points and Roy added 16, with much of the damage done at the free throw line.

Negaunee made 22 of its first 24 foul shots and finished the game 23-of-30.

By contrast, Gladstone got to the line just eight times, making four of those shots.

"When you're really good offensively, generally, you're really efficient at the line too," Gladstone Coach Dale Hongisto said. "Negaunee is known for being efficient on the line, effiicient offensively, efficient defensively. That's how I describe them. Efficient."

Negaunee led, 12-10, after the first quarter, as Gladstone was able to hang in there.

Jay Lori drives and scores for Negaunee.

But in the second quarter, Lori pounded the ball inside and sophomore Dre Tuominen nailed a three to help the Miners extend their lead to 26-17 at the halftime break.

The Braves fell behind by twelve points in the third quarter, but they didn't fold.

A Joe Gibbs three-pointer with 1:08 left in the quarter brought the Braves to within 36-31, and after a Negaunee basket, Tyler Wells scored off of a Justin Jurek bounce pass as time expired in the quarter. That brought Gladstone to within 38-33.

But that's as close as the Braves would get, as the Miners went on an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Lori had two baskets during that run, while Loy and Ben Luke each drained a pair of free throws.

Negaunee led, 46-33, and Gladstone could not dip into that lead, despite three-pointers by a pair of seniors...Wells and Jake Peterson.

The Braves came up short, but Hongisto was not disapppointed in the effort.

"I told my guys that there's not too many times where, after a loss, where you feel good about a lot of stuff," Hongisto said. "I tell you what. If we defend and do some of the stuff like we did tonight, something good's coming. It's getting down to crunch time."

Wells led the Braves with 23 points. No one else scored more than seven points.

Andy Olesak scores off Justin Jurek feed.

"Tyler, over the course of the past few weeks, for sure, has been really good," Hongisto said. "That's a good sign for us. If we can get two or three other guys get going, and get some scoring in double figures, we have a chance to do some good stuff. We have a chance to win a district title. Our guys know that."

Negaunee improved to 12-3 on the season, while Gladstone fell to 7-8.

Gladstone hosts Negaunee Friday night, and then it's possible that Sault Ste. Marie might be in town on Saturday for a make-up game. A decision on that is expected on Wednesday. The Braves open the districts in March, at home, against Menominee.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Lori Jurek and videos taken by 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