Courtesy photo In its first year in the Northern Lights League, the Big Bay de Noc girls basketball team took home the Northern Lights League Season Champions Trophy and the Northern Lights League Tournament Champions Trophy. Team members are pictured from left: Coach Bob Pederson, Ellie Nedeau, Camryn Pederson, Kaitlyn Massengill, Gracynn Durrance, Meagan Yonker, Alix Bleau, Katelyn DeKeyser, and Piper Jones.

HANNAHVILLE — “Let’s do it for Meagan” was the battle cry the Big Bay de Noc girls carried into Saturday’s Northern Lights League championship basketball game.

It took two overtimes, but the Black Bears accomplished what they set out to do in a 49-40 conquest of Kinross Maplewood Baptist for their first league tournament title.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Yonker said after her final game in a Big Bay uniform. “This is a good start in a new league for Big Bay. I think this will set them up for a while. They say ‘do it for Meagan,’ but the girls really brought it up. We pulled together. I was like a big sister to them. We worked well together for the age difference there was.”

Freshman Alix Bleau scored eight points and eighth-grader Camyrn Pederson added a free throw in the second overtime for the Black Bears, who finished 15-3 after also winning the league’s regular season title.

“The lane was open and I beat them on the dribble,” said Bleau. “This is very exciting. Next year, we’re going to have to do this again. We all thought we would just come out and win it, but they passed the ball faster this time (than in 44-28 and 46-29 losses).”

Big Bay took a 40-38 lead on a five-foot jump shot by Bleau in the first overtime, but eighth-grader Chloe May tied the score on a pair of gifters with 28.5 seconds remaining.

Bleau scored 22 points and Yonker finished with 12. May paced Maplewood (10-6) with 14.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the girls,” said Maplewood coach Caroline May. “We didn’t play well the last time we saw them, but we worked on our 2-1-2 zone and we were able to break their press this time.”

Big Bay committed 16 turnovers and Maplewood had 41.

A hot-shooting first half wasn’t quite enough for the Hannahville boys as they fell to Maplewood 54-49 in the title contest.

The loss ended a 10-game winning streak for the Soaring Eagles (15-4), who sank 11 3-point shots while building a 39-26 halftime advantage.

Hannahville still led 49-46 following a layup by junior Joe Larson with two minutes remaining.

Maplewood then secured its fifth straight league title with an 8-0 run, including a layup and three free throws by senior Isaiah May.

May finished with 24 points. Juniors Micah Bailey and Dominic Bonnee added 12 apiece for Maplewood (15-3), which committed 17 turnovers. Hannahville had 12.

“I’m glad we did not panic when we got behind,” said Maplewood coach Steve May. “I thought our defense in the second half was the difference in the game. We really cut into their lead in the first four minutes of the third quarter and could feel the momentum change. That’s a good basketball team. When they shoot like they did in the first half, they can beat anybody.”

Hannahville sophomores Gage Sagataw and Shaye Halfaday drained six triples each for 18 points. Larson scored 11.

“It was the tale of two halves,” said Hannahville coach Josh Eagle. “It seemed like everything fell for us in the first half. I’m super proud of the boys. We’re a young team. We were very fortunate to be in the championship game. I want to give a shoutout to Ross Rahoi and Seth Miller for helping us out. We work real well together.”

In the semifinals, Larson and Halfaday scored 16 points each in Hannahville’s 47-36 triumph over Beaver Island. Senior John Robert had 19 for the Islanders.

May hit 24 points in Maplewood’s 71-40 rout of Munising Baptist. Senior Spencer Piippo added 14 and Bailey tallied 13.

Jaron LaFlamme and Symon Willson tossed in 12 points apiece for the Bobcats.

Hannahville is idle until March 11 when it meets Mid Peninsula in a Division 4 district opener at Rapid River.

GIRLS

Maplewood Baptist 4 9 12 9 6 0 — 40

Big Bay de Noc 10 5 10 9 6 9 — 49

Kinross Maplewood Baptist — Henderson 3, Miller 6, May 14, Lewis 5, Mulder 6, Warner 6. FT: 7-21; F: 22; Fouled out: Henderson, Mulder; 3-point field goal: Henderson, May.

Big Bay de Noc — Jones 4, Yonker 12, Nedeau 2, Pederson 3, Bleau 22, Durrance 4, DeKeyser 2. FT: 11-31; F: 19; Fouled out: Jones.

BOYS

Hannahville 19 20 5 5 — 49

Maplewood 15 11 16 12 — 54

Hannahville — Larson 11, D. Sagataw 2, Halfaday 18, G. Sagataw 18. FT: None; F: 15; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Halfaday 6, G. Sagataw 6, Larson.

Kinross Maplewood Baptist — Bailey 12, Bonnee 12, May 24, Sullivan 2, Piippo 4. FT: 11-16; F: 9; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goal: May.

Beaver Island 2 10 10 14 — 36

Hannahville 15 10 7 15 — 47

Beaver Island — Richards 2, John Robert 19, Drost 2, DeLaat 8, Jared Robert 5. FT: 12-16; F: 19; Fouled out: Richards, Jared Robert; 3-point field goals: John Robert 2.

Hannahville — Kidd 2, Larson 16, D. Sagataw 2, Halfaday 16, Thunder 2, G. Sagataw 4, Jackson 5. F: 14; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Halfaday 4, Larson 2.