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Emeralds top Big Bay, snap skid

Girls basketball

Winkel

GARDEN CORNERS — Manistique’s 41-game losing streak in girls’ basketball came to an end Thursday night as the Emeralds defeated host Big Bay de Noc 33-31.

Coach Dave Winkel and the Emeralds enjoyed an emotional celebration after recording Manistique’s first girls’ win since Feb. 25, 2016.

“I’m happy for the girls,” Winkel said. “With all the hard work, they deserve it. They get a taste of what it feels like to be on the other side.

“There obviously was a lot of excitement and tears of joy,” he added about the post-game celebration. “And relief. It was special. There was a wide range of emotions.”

Manistique led 12-5 after one quarter and 16-14 at halftime.

The Black Bears pulled ahead 24-19 after three quarters and had a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But the Emeralds’ Madison Berry hit three of her four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to ignite the Emeralds’ comeback.

“She got some open looks and was brave enough to knock them down,” Winkel said about Berry. “She saved us. Her threes allowed us to hang in there and take the lead.”

Trailing 33-31 with 3.6 seconds, Big Bay had two chances to tie. Emilee McDaniel blocked a shot by Big Bay’s Holli Stapleton that went out of bounds and Meagan Yonker’s last shot just missed the mark inside the free-throw line before the final buzzer.

“Manistique plays hard and they outworked us,” Big Bay coach Brad McPhee said. “We got up by seven in the fourth and we couldn’t get over the hump. And Berry got hot. Overall, I thought we played fairly well.”

Berry finished with a team-high 12 points for the Emeralds in the defensive game.

McDaniel only scored four points, but she blocked 10 shots and had nine rebounds.

“We don’t win the game without her defense underneath,” Winkel said about McDaniel.

Madison McPhee led the Black Bears with 12 points, with Stapleton and Yonker each hitting eight points.

Big Bay’s leading scorer this season, Brooke Dalgord, had an off-night and scored three points. Winkel credited Joslyn Muth on the perimeter and McDaniel inside for playing strong defense against Dalgord.

Manistique (1-19) lost a 13-point game against talented Ishpeming Tuesday night and Winkel said the Emeralds gained confidence from the defeat.

“Tonight we drew on Ishpeming from two nights ago,” he said. “I thought the girls handled everything quite well down the stretch.”

The Emeralds shot 28 percent with 27 rebounds and 13 turnovers. Big Bay shot 33 percent with 29 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Both teams will start district play Wednesday.

Big Bay (5-15) will host Superior Central at 7:45 p.m. and Manistique will travel to the winner of Monday’s Harbor Springs-Indian River Inland Lakes contest.

The summary:

Manistique 12 4 3 14 — 33

Big Bay 5 9 10 7 — 31

Manistique — Berry 12, Kraatz 5, Baker 2, Schuetter 4, McDaniel 4, Muth 6. FT: 4-10; F: 16; Fouled out: none; 3-point field goals: Berry 4, Kraatz.

Big Bay — Yonker 8, McPhee 12, Dalgord 3, Stapleton 8; FT: 4-9; F: 13; Fouled out: none; 3-point field goals: McPhee.

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