Rice finished with 26 points and Mattson added 20.

The Purple Hornets (3-0) jumped out to an early lead, taking a 20-point lead into the second quarter. Houghton struggled to break L’Anse’s fullcourt press.

“Our press worked really well and really took them out of their game,” L’Anse head coach Chad Rice said. “Our defense was pretty good in the first half. Second half, we gave up a little more. All in all, I’m happy with our press and our overall performance.”

L’Anse held a 41-21 halftime lead and didn’t use the press in the second half. It gave Houghton room to establish its offense more. As a result, the Gremlins scored 34 second-half points.

Houghton's Stella Wickstrom (31) puts up a shot as L'Anse's Alayna Waara (10) on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in Houghton, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)

Hope for a second half comeback was nixed by the Purple Hornets matching Houghton with 34 points of their own in the second half. Houghton never got to within 20 after the first quarter.

“I thought L’Anse came out ready to play. We struggled with their pressure,” Houghton head coach Julie Filpus said. “We struggled with their quickness. At the end of the day, just the mental mindset to start with our girls, it needs a lot of improvement. There’s that aspect, then just the skill aspect of being stronger with the ball, doing a better job of meeting passes — all little things we need to correct.”

Maryellen Trewhella led Houghton with 14 points. Stella Wickstrom had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“I thought gave us a great effort on the glass,” Filpus said of Wickstrom.

Rice said the team used the lead in the second half to try different looks on offense and defense.

L'Anse's Maija Rice (12) shoots a free throw against Houghton on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in Houghton, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)

“If we’re up by a little bit we try some things and see if they work for future reference,” he said.

The Purple Hornets showcased a strength Rice wasn’t sure his team would have this year: team speed.

“We’re pretty fast. I didn’t think we were going to be that fast going into the season, but we’ve been better than expected,” he said. “Our pressure defense is really set apart from everywhere else.”

For the Gremlins, any improvements have to start in practice, Filpus said.

“I think the girls just gotta come in and they have to push themselves and have really good practices,” she said. “They have to try to apply the pressure to each other to help us grow as a team. They have to challenge the passing lanes like we saw tonight or challenge the telegraph passes that L’Anse did tonight.”

Filpus said she did see improvements as the game went on.

“A little bit in our halfcourt offense in the second half, I thought we were more active,” Filpus said.

Houghton visits Negaunee on Friday. L’Anse hosts Watersmeet on Monday.

ALSO: Houghton edged Ishpeming 49-45 on Dec. 6. Trewhella led the Gremlins with 16 points.

L’Anse 27 14 18 16 — 75

Houghton 7 14 16 18 — 55

L’ANSE (75): Rice 26, Mattson 20, Voskuhl 10, Martinez 4, Waara 4, Pelon 4, Jorgenson 3, Swanson 2. FT: 7-12. F: 15. 3-point FG: Mattson 4.

HOUGHTON (55): Trewhella 14, Wickstrom 12, Peterson 7, DeForge 7, Connors 6, Ronis 2, Svoke 2, Bugni 1. FT: 8-11. F: 13. 3-point FG: Connors 2, Peterson 1. Rebounds: 20 (Wickstrom 10).

Gladiators win

ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Gladiators held Wakefield-Marenisco scoreless through the first quarter en route to a 52-15 win on Tuesday.

The Gladiators (2-0) were led by Teddy Menigoz’s 22 points.

Wakefield-Marenisco managed just two points in the second quarter as Ontonagon built a 23-2 halftime lead.

“Came out and shot the ball well. We had like four days off because of a snow day and the weekend,” Ontonagon head coach Tim Rotheaux said. “They came out with their legs and shot the ball well. (Watersmeet is) not that bad a team. It’s a real young team and they’re going to get a lot better throughout the year.”

Ontonagon visits Dollar Bay on Thursday.

Ontonagon JV won.

Wakefield-Marenisco 0 2 5 8 — 15

Ontonagon 12 11 13 16 — 52

WAKEFIELD-MARENISCO (15): Tarro 2, Ahonen 4, Yon 4, Hewitt 2, Lemerond 2, LaMaide 1. FT: 3-8. F: 7. 3-point FG: 0. Rebounds: 15.

ONTONAGON (52): Hill 1, T. Menigoz 22, E. Menigoz 9, Kolpack 2, Pollard 2, Uotila 9, Lukkari 7. FT: 3-8. F: 8. 3-point FG: T. Menigoz 2, E. Menigoz 1. Rebounds: 29 (Uotila 5).

Vikings roll past Blue Bolts

DOLLAR BAY — Head coach Tom Goodreau got 16 points out of Rylie Koskinen and all five other players who saw the floor scored in double figures as the Baraga Vikings earned a road win over the Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Blue Bolts on Tuesday, 70-15.

Koskinen had six of the Vikings’ 24 first quarter points. Corina Jahfetson added eight of her 11 in the first quarter as well.

In the second quarter, Koskinen and Courtney Tembreull both hit threes and Allison Durant added eight of her 12 points as the Vikings netted another 24 points before the half.

Reide Osterman downed three shots in the third quarter to pace the Vikings, who scored 11 points in the eight-minute span.

For the Blue Bolts, Lexie Turner had seven of her team-high nine points in the third quarter.

Baraga 24 24 11 11 — 70

Dollar Bay 2 1 11 1 — 15

BARAGA (70): Koskinen 16, Osterman 10, Jahfetson 11, Lindermann 11, Tembreull 10, Durant 12. 3-point FG: Koskinen 1, Tembrell 1.

DOLLAR BAY (15): Kangas 3, Myllyoja 2, Datto 1, Turner 9. 3-point FG: Turner 1.

E-TC downs Chassell

CHASSELL — It was the battle of the panthers Tuesday night in Chassell as the home town panthers welcomed their kind from Ewen-Trout Creek for a girls varsity basketball game.

The Panthers from Ewen-Trout Creek proved to be the more ferocious in a 54-27 win.

“Ewen sped us up and we were never able to settle into any type of rhythm ,” said Chassell coach Bill Sleeman.

Ewen-Trout Creek had three girls in double figures. Paige Bergland had 13 points. Abbie LeGualt had 15 and Elise Besonen poured in 16. Twelve of Besonen’s 16 points came from past the three-point arc. As well the girls from E-TC shot 75 percent from the free-throw line which added to Tuesday night’s victory.

ALSO: Chassell clamped down and cruised to a 66-19 win over Republic-Michigamme on Dec. 5.

The Panthers matched Republic-Michigamme’s game total in the first quarter alone. Maelene Warren had a game-high 16 points along with six assists. Paige Sleeman had 14 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and seven steals.

E-TC 17 17 12 8 — 54

Chassell 7 7 7 6 — 27

EWEN-TROUT CREEK (54): Bergland 13, LaPlant 2 LeGualt 15, Borseth 8, Besonen 16. 3-point FG: Bergland 1, Besonen 4. F: 7. FT: 9-12.

CHASSELL (27): Holombo 7, Warren 5, J. Huhta 2, K. Huhta 4 Palosarri 3 Rantamaki 6. 3-point FG: Warren 1. F: 11. FT: 2-4.

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