NOT THIS TIME: Gladstone Stops Escanaba, 69-56

ESCANABA---History was on the side of the Escanaba Eskymos as they faced the Gladstone Braves in a Class B district semifinal basketball game Wednesday night.

The Braves had defeated the Eskymos in both regular season match-ups this winter by double digits. But in each of the last three years, the Braves had also won both regular season games only to lose to the Eskymos in the post-season.

Well, so much for the history lesson. Instead, the Braves delivered a lesson of their own as they eliminated the Eskymos, 69-56, at the Escanaba High School Gym.

"We just really wanted to come out and play very, very hard because we beat them twice last year and they took us out, right here, in the first game of the playoffs," Gladstone senior Joe Gibbs said. "We wanted to beat them this time. We didn't want to go down like that again."

"They've knocked us out the last two or three years, and we've been hearing it for the past couple of weeks now," Gladstone sophomore Reece Castor said. "That's why we really wanted to come out strong."

Gladstone accomplished its mission, but it sure wasn't easy, as the Eskymos managed to hang around until the final couple minutes of the game.

The Braves jumped to a 16-8 lead late in the second quarter and led 31-23 at the half, but the Eskymos made a run in the third quarter as Ryan Robinette had two steals and driving lay-ups in a span of 40 seconds. Escanaba closed to within 36-35, and had a chance to take the lead, but Tyler Willette missed a jumper and a pair of free throws.

Gladstone got some separation moments laster as Rudy Peterson and Castor nailed back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Braves a 51-41 lead.

Robinette answered with a pair of long three's to bring the Eskymos to within 51-47, but Brad Spindler scored inside and Peterson drained another triple to make it 56-47.

The Eskymos never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.

"The biggest things was rebounds," Escanaba Coach Tracy Hudson said. "It was 35-25. On some of those rebounds, they kicked it out and got some three's. We talked about it at halftime, that we had to win the boards in the second half, and it seemed like they got the big rebounds."

Gladstone (16-5) had four players score in double figures. Castor led the way with 23 points, including four triples. Gibbs had 13 points.

Peterson had 11 points, including three three-pointers. Spindler had a great game, with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists.

Escanaba (12-9) got 16 points from Robinette (including four triples), while Willette added 13 points and Jared Nash contributed 12 points.

"I thought our kids came to the game with the attitude that we could win," Hudson said. "We weren't scared of Gladstone. We didn't back down. We got beat by a really, really good team tonight. I thought Gladstone played a great game."

"Castor got into foul trouble and we couldn't take advantage of that. I thought Joe Gibbs really stepped it up, too."

For Gladstone, this win was special because of that earlier history.

"We feel really good about the win, obviously," Gladstone Coach Clayton Castor said. "To beat a team like Escanaba three times, and five out of the last six, that's quite an accomplishment. It 's a great win for me as a coach and for us as a program."

"We talked to the kids about what this meant for our program and our little kids sitting up in the stands. It's huge."

Gladstone hosts Menominee in the district championship game Friday night.

Game time is 7:00. It will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (Kool 105.5), WCHT-AM (NewsTalk 600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see videos taken by Nate Bellville, photos taken by Brenda Crow, and listen to interviews with Hudson, Gibbs, Reece Castor, and Clayton Castor.