Houghton's Cale Ollanketo and Hancock's Nate Thompson battle for position under the rim during a game Monday at the Hancock High School gym. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

HANCOCK — The Houghton Gremlins boys basketball team continued their winning ways on Monday with a 66-29 defeat of their rivals from across the canal, the Hancock Bulldogs.

It was a game in which the Gremlins kept the Bulldogs from scoring any field goals in the first two quarters. At half, the Houghton squad led 44-6. All of Hancock’s six points came off of free throws. Isaac Wanhala made two in the first, as did Gage Chynoweth. In the second, Chynoweth sunk two more. He went on to lead the scoring for the Bulldogs with 12.

“To hold a team to baskets from the field is good defense no matter who you play,” said Houghton coach Jared Lawson. “That set the tone.”

In the opening minutes of the third quarter, the score was 46-6, and that started the running clock. Shortly after, Wanhala hit his team’s first jumper, a 3-pointer, to make it a 46-9 game at that point.

With the big lead, Lawson was able to put in his bench players which he says is always a plus.

“The bench guys went in and did a great job in terms of ball movement and opportunities to score,” he said. “These guys work hard in practice and are an important part of the team.”

Leading the scoring charge for the Gremlins (10-2) was Terry Nolan with 27. Alex Hebert had 14.

“This was a team effort,” added Lawson. “Game ball goes to the team.”

The Bulldogs’ (1-10) best eight minutes was the fourth quarter. They outscored the Gremlins by one, 13-12.

Up next

The Gremlins travel to Calumet to face the Copper Kings on Thursday. The Bulldogs are in Ewen Trout-Creek on Friday.