For the Gazette/Paul Peterson Cassie Ryynanen of Houghton is surrounded by three Negaunee players, including Abby Nelson, 42, Friday night. The Miners scored a 65-33 win.

HOUGHTON — The Negaunee High girls basketball team had a little too much of everything in scoring a 65-33 win over Houghton Friday evening.

The battle between perennial Upper Peninsula powers never materialized after a tight opening quarter.

Negaunee took an early first-quarter lead and was up 19-16 when senior Abigail Nelson was fouled taking a three-point shot at midcourt with a second left.

Nelson canned all three charity tosses for a 22-16 reading.

Houghton coach Julie Filpus said the play was not the main reason her team lost for the second time this season.

“They (Miners) just outplayed us,” Filpus said. “That one play didn’t affect the outcome. We’re a young team and we’re still learning.”

But Negaunee skipper Brandon Sager said his team seemed to get a little energy from the play.

“Those kind of plays will give you a lift,” he said. “And Abby (Nelson) seemed to get into the flow of the game after that.”

Nelson, a 5-foot-10 forward, was part of a Miners defense that frustrated the smaller Gremlins.

“I can’t say their size bothered us all that much,” Filpus said. “It’s not how tall you are, it’s how hard you battle. Every day in practice, we’re trying to get our girls to learn how to keep battling.”

The game started well enough, as Cassie Ryynanen of the Gremlins netted nine points in the opening quarter. But she picked up her second foul before the period ended.

Chloe Norman scored eight points in the opening stanza for the Marquette County team.

Negaunee upped the lead to 36-22 by halftime as Emily Poupore lent a hand on the offensive side.

With a 47-27 margin after three quarters, the Miners more or less coasted home.

Sager was pleased with his team’s overall performance.

“We did some things better than we did in our last game,” he said.

Nelson’s 16 points and eight rebounds paced Negaunee. There was good balance as Norman put in 12 more and Poupore and Alyssa Hill each netted nine markers.

Ryynanen was tops for Houghton with 11 points, while Molly Bugni tossed in nine more.

Houghton will host Gwinn on Monday.

Negaunee    22    14   13   16 – 65

Houghton     16     6     6     6 –  33

NEGAUNEE — Karki 4, Poupore 9, Aajala 3, Drew 2, Nelson 16, Norman 12, Hill 9, Voskuhl 8. Kentio 2. FT: 10-13; Rebounds: 28 (Nelson 8); Fouls: 12; Fouled out: None; 3-point FG: Nelson 1.

HOUGHTON — Ryynanen 11, Markham 3, Ronis 5, Bugni 9, Connors 3, Trewhella 2. FT: 6-11; Rebounds: 24 (Ryynanen 7); Fouls: 10; Fouled out: None; 3-point FG: Ryynanen 1, Ronis 1, Connors 1.