OSKAR GOES OFF: Kangas' 35 Paces Mountaineers

Click the thumbnails for photos, videos, and hear interviews with Oskar Kangas and Mountaineer Coach Bucky Johnson.

GLADSTONE---Freshman Oskar Kangas was a one-man wrecking crew as the Iron Mountain Mountaineers dominated the Gladstone Braves, 61-41, in a boys basketball game Monday afternoon in Gladstone.

Kangas scored 35 points, including 13 in a row at one point in the second quarter.

"I felt good," Kangas said. "I started out hot hitting threes. My teammates were setting sreens and getting open shots, and, there, they ended up falling today."

"We got him the ball in spots where we wanted to," Iron Mountain Coach Bucky Johnson said. "And then they made some nice passes to him in the open court. Overall, we're just real happy getting a victory here in Gladstone, and we're hoping to peak at the right time."

The game was tied, 10-10, after the first quarter, but Kangas took over in the second as the Mountaineers outscored the Braves 22-3.

It continued a trend for the young Braves team, who have played the best teams in the U.P. tough, only to have a letdown at the end cost them (vs Escanaba and Manistique), or have a quarter-long scoring drought.

They were outscored by Kingsford, for example, 17-0, in a quarter earlier this season.

Gladstone got 11 points from Kaden Gibbs, but the Mountaineers watched him all night.

"We saw that Gibbs came off a 27-point game against Esky, and we wanted to contain him, and (Elliot) Vitito," Kangas said. "We had a good day defensively overall. Got some stops when it mattered, and we were able to get on some runs."

The Mountaineers improved to 15-4 despite having three freshmen in the starting five.

"We're really proud of that," Johnson said. "We're happy with our record, and we've improved, even with our losses to Westwood and Kingsford. We're just getting better as a team. When you've got a group of kids that like basketball, that makes coaching all the more fun."

Luke Bracket, who's cousin Cole played at Kingsford and now plays at Gogebic Community College, also had eleven points for the Braves.

And Kangas, who wears the uniform number "0", what about maybe taking the "00" number that former Mountaineer All-Stater Foster Wonders wore?

"Haha, I've been hearing that a lot," Kangas said. "It's retired so I couldn't take it this year!"

The Braves fell to 3-15 on the season and will close the regular season with road games Tuesday in Marquette and Thursday in Ishpeming. Then Gladstone opens the districts next Monday at Bark River-Harris, with a rematch against Iron Mountain if they win.