Todd Rose | Daily Press Escanaba’s Bailey Barron (2) shoots over Gladstone’s Megan Crow (left) Saturday at Gladstone.

GLADSTONE — A halftime cushion came in handy for the fifth-ranked Escanaba girls here Saturday in a 57-40 basketball triumph over the Gladstone Braves.

The Eskymos led 36-21 at the intermission of this Great Northern Conference match-up.

“We switched up our defense,” said Esky coach Mike Beveridge. “We mixed in a little zone with our man-to-man, and our girls are getting good at it. We focused on (senior center) Megan Crow and (junior guard) Clair van Ginhoven. Megan is a great basketball player. We kept her in check by playing good defense.”

Crow scored 14 points, including just three in the first half. Van Ginhoven also finished with 14.

Esky, winner of three straight, improved to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the GNC. The Braves, who were missing three players Saturday, are 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the league.

“Obviously, when you’re down some girls, you have to look at this as a learning experience,” said Braves coach Andy Cretens. “It’s tough to put people in roles they’re not used to.”

The Eskymos led 48-35 after the third quarter and by as much as 55-37 on a set shot from the right corner by junior guard Bailey Barron with less than two minutes left to play.

Van Ginhoven opened the scoring with a pair of jump shots from the left corner, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead.

Esky responded with 14 unanswered points, taking a 14-6 lead on a 22-foot jump shot from the left wing by sophomore guard Mari Bink.

“I think the game got a little too big for us for a while,” said Cretens. “Although the more you see it, the more you get used to it, and I thought the girls did a good job adjusting to it as the game went on. We found ourselves out of position more than usual today. I thought Jamisyn (Bergeron) did a good job for us today. She does a lot of good things. She sometimes worries about her mistakes, but I love having her on the court.”

Gladstone answered with a 5-0 run, shaving its deficit to 14-11 on a 15-foot set shot by senior forward Alaina Trudeau.

Esky led 16-11 after the opening frame and hiked its advantage to 23-13 on an eight-foot jumper from the right baseline by junior forward Maddy Monkevich early in the second.

Crow scored from the lane and the free throw line to bring the Braves within 26-16 with five minutes, 13 seconds left in the second stanza.

Kamin went right back to work with seven unanswered points, giving the Eskymos a 31-16 cushion on a 20-foot jumper from the right wing at 3:02.

Esky sophomore forward Carney Salo closed out the second with a buzzer-beating running seven-foot jumper for a 36-21 halftime advantage.

Kamin scored 17 of her 22 points in the first half. Barron scored 13.

“Our go-to Nicole is always getting points,” said Beveridge. “She was a little quiet in the second half, but she does so many other things.”

The Eskymos committed 11 turnovers, and the Braves had 24.

Esky, which also won the jayvee game 44-21, hosts Manistique Tuesday. Gladstone hosts fifth-ranked Negaunee Tuesday.

Escanaba 16 20 12 9 — 57

Gladstone 11 10 14 5 — 40

Escanaba — Barron 13, Kamin 22, Monkevich 4, Lancour 1, Dutton 2, Salo 8, Bink 5, Carter 2. FT: 2-7; F: 11; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Barron 3, Bink.

Gladstone — Van Ginhoven 14, Bergeron 4, Trudeau 8, Crow 14. FT: 4-6; F: 9; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Van Ginhoven 4. Trudeau 2.