Hunter Gets Hot As Gladstone Slips Past Mid Pen

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone Braves went on an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to break a 41-41 tie and the Braves beat the Mid Peninsula Wolverines, 56-48, Thursday night in Gladstone. Evan Winkelbauer scored 21 points to lead Mid Peninsula.

Gladstone started off ice-cold from the field, missing all but two shots in the first quarter and trailing, 13-7. It didn't get much better in the second quarter, either, as the Wolverines led, 22-15, before the Braves scored the final two baskets of the first half.

Gladstone scored the first ten points of the third quarter to finish a 14-0 run and grab a 29-22 lead. Jared Hunter had ten points in the third quarter to help the Braves gain control.

"We were getting looks, but shots weren't falling," Hunter said about his team's rough start. "We were going too fast maybe. But we stayed the course, as Coach always says."

"Really, this is a better win than most people think," Gladstone Coach Dale Hongisto said. "The last three minutes, we worked on things, inlcuding our '90 game' (stall). We knocked down just enough free throws to get it done. We shot 20 free throws again, so that was good. I'm very happy with this win."

Hunter was the catalyst for his team's comeback after the first half struggles.

"I just wanted to win," he said. "I'm just sick of losing. I wanted to help our team get a win, and I just got hot (in the third quarter)."

MP's Evan Winkelbauer nails the tying three.

The Wolverines did not back down, though, even after Gladstone's third quarter run.

Behind the shooting of Winkelbauer and Chad Branstrom, and some tenacious defense, Mid Peninsula stayed close until the end.

Early in the fourth quarter, Winkelbauer nailed a three with a man in his face. That tied the game at 41-41.

But that's when Gladstone went on its big run. First, it was Dave Dykowski inside for two. Then, after a Wolverine miss, it was Christian Groleau on the fast break.

Winkelbauer then forced a three that missed everything, and with 4:49 left in the game, Hunter spotted up and drained a three-pointer from the right wing.

Jared Hunter with the clinching three-pointer

That made it 48-41, and it was a dagger for the Wolverines. The drought continued for another two minutes for Mid Pen, and when Tyler Wells scored and Hunter got two more for the Braves, it was 52-41.

The 11-0 run pretty much decided the outcome.

"We came and we battled," Hongisto said. "We worked really hard."

Hunter had his best game as a Brave with 25 points. No other Gladsone player scored in double figures. Besides Winkelbauer's 21, Branstrom added 15 points for Mid Pen.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIHTS box to see photos taken by Lori Jurek and videos taken by Nate Bellville.

Gladstone's Andy Olesak (40) wins the opening tap from Mid Pen's Alden Pellinen (34). (Lori Jurek photo)

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

12/9	8:00 PM	Forest Park Trojans	45 - 54 (L)	0-1

12/12	7:30 PM	Bark River-Harris Broncos	48 - 56 (L)	0-2

12/19	7:00 PM	Republic-Michigamme Hawks	63 - 48 (W)	1-2

12/23	7:30 PM	Gladstone Braves	44 - 71 (L)	1-3

12/28	7:30 PM	at Rapid River Rockets	47 - 56 (L)	1-4

1/2	7:30 PM	at Gladstone Braves	48 - 56 (L)	1-5

1/9	8:00 PM	at Carney-Nadeau Wolves	43 - 81 (L)

1/13	7:30 PM	at Big Bay deNoc Black Bears	61 - 75 (L)

1/16	7:30 PM	Superior Central Cougars	62 - 52 (W)

1/21	7:30 PM	North Central Jets	56 - 89 (L)

1/24	7:30 PM	North Dickinson Nordics	46 - 49 (L)

1/29	8:00 PM	at Forest Park Trojans	39 - 56 (L)

1/31	7:30 PM	Carney-Nadeau Wolves	40 - 79 (L)

2/4	7:30 PM	at Bark River-Harris Broncos	63 - 77 (L)

2/7	7:30 PM	at Munising Mustangs	50 - 69 (L)

2/11	7:30 PM	Big Bay deNoc Black Bears	45 - 59 (L)

2/14	7:30 PM	Rapid River Rockets	73 - 44 (W)

2/18	8:00 PM	at North Dickinson Nordics	44 - 64 (L)

2/21	7:00 PM	at Republic-Michigamme Hawks	63 - 55 (W)

2/27	8:00 PM	at North Central Jets	58 - 91 (L)

3/3	7:00 PM	North Central Jets	48 - 69 (L)