Calumet’s Brevin Antilla (5) dribbles against L’Anse during the Division 3 District 65 semifinal on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in L’Anse, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

L’ANSE — The Calumet Copper Kings boys basketball team defeated the L’Anse Purple Hornets 50-40 in the Division 3 District 65 semifinals on Wednesday.

The Copper Kings move on to the district championship, visiting Iron Mountain at 7 p.m. EDT Friday.

According to Calumet’s head coach Frank Bonacorsi, his team is playing some of its best basketball this season and just at the right time.

“This was once again a great team effort,” he said. “Everyone chipped in. We said that if we are going to do some damage in the district, it is going to have to be a whole team effort and the kids did a great job.”

While L’Anse opened the game with a 6-2 lead in the first few minutes of the game, it did not last. The Copper Kings came on strong to tie the game at nine with 30 seconds remaining.

In many ways, Calumet won the game in the second quarter as they outscored the Purple Hornets 21-8.

“We were in a good flow and had great ball movement,” Bonacorsi said.

The Purple Hornets were plagued with poor passing and poor free throw shooting. They finished 9 of 16 on free throws for the night.

“We just went flat,” Purple Hornets head coach Kyle Koski said.

The Copper Kings went into the half time ahead 30-17.

“I told the team that we need to play better defense headed into the third,” said Koski. “But we came out flat in the third as we watched them score the first 10 points.”

A 13-point lead at the half turned into a 20-point lead within the first three minutes of the third.

The Purple Hornets (8-13) had just one 3-pointer while the Copper Kings had seven.

The fourth quarter was the Purple Hornets best as they outscored the Copper Kings 13-10. In fact, they came within seven of their opponent in the waning minutes of the game, but it was too little too late.

Eli McParlan and Trevor Torola led the scoring for the Copper Kings with 14 points each. Eli Ostermeyer had 10 points to lead the Purple Hornets.

Calumet 9 21 10 10 — 50

L’Anse 9 8 10 13 — 40

CALUMET (50): Nelson 8, Antilla 9, Kangas 3, McParlan 14, Twardzik 7, Torola 14. 3-point FG: 7 (Nelson 2, Antilla 3, Kangas 1, Torola 1). F: 13. FT: 11-19.

L’ANSE (40): Jacobson 8, Reed 4, Allen 7, Laitila 2, Kissell 9, Ostermeyer 10. 3-point FG: Kissell 1. F: 17. FT: 9-16.