Todd Rose | Daily Press North Central’s Andie Arsenault (15) blocks a shot from North Dickinson’s Ashton Hord (behind) Wednedsay at Felch during an MHSAA Division 4 district semifinal. North Central’s Shea LaCoursier (right) looks on for the Jets.

FELCH — The North Dickinson Nordics girls’ basketball team (10-5) came out firing early and never let up on their way to a 59-28 win over the North Central Jets (5-9) in an MHSAA Division 4 district semifinal Wednesday night.

“I’m extremely happy with the way we were focused right off the get-go tonight,” said Nordics coach Kirk Mattson. “Tonight, we took care of the ball. We took good shots and were focused. That good start made the difference for the whole game as far as I’m concerned.

“It was a fantastic team win for us.”

Ashton Hord — who led the Nordics scoring with 24 points — started put the first points on the board for North Dickinson with a two-point shot. From there, the Nordics scored 11 unanswered points to lead 13-0 before the four-minute mark of the first quarter.

At the end of the first, North Dickinson led 18-10. They outscored the Jets in the final three quarters 11-9, 12-5, 18-4 to take the win.

“(I’m) super excited,” said Ashton Hord about the win. “We shot really well, actually, tonight. We were a little nervous coming into it because we didn’t do offense with (North Central) the first time (and) we’ve gotten pretty good at our defense. So, it went pretty good.

“I’m happy with how I did. I happy with how everybody did.”

Mattson said the biggest aspect of Ashton Hord’s role on the team is her non-selfish playing style.

“She can score as a guard,” he said. “But, her biggest attribute to our team is how hard she plays and how she tries to involve her teammates.

“Tonight, she involved her teammates a lot with scoring, and I couldn’t be happier with how Ashton played. It was a fantastic game for her.”

Up next for the Nordics will be the Division 4 district championship game against the undefeated Carney-Nadeau Wolves.

“We got our hands full,” said Mattson. “They’re the top team in our conference and top team in the U.P. in our division. We lost to them the two times we played them. So, we’re going to have to play with the same intensity we did tonight.”

Vanessa Lindholm (13 points) and Chrislyn Inglese (11 points) also had strong scoring nights for North Dickinson.

For the North Central Jets — whose program and team Mattson praised — the season has come to a close.

“As the season went on, we got better and better,” said Jets coach Pete Schlenvogt. “We ran into a team that probably played about as well as they can tonight. They came out firing in the first quarter.”

Schlenvogt noted the difference in the Nordics 3-point shooting compared to the first time the teams met.

“When we played them at home earlier in the season, they didn’t make one 3-pointer,” he said. “(Tonight) they made five of them in the first half, and they made eight total. They were definitely firing on all cylinders.”

In the second quarter, the Jets held the Nordics scoreless for over half the quarter. Schlenvogt said that was more indicative of the defense the Jets look to play.

From the start of the year to now, the Jets have come a long way, said Schlenvogt.

“They’ve grown a lot,” he said. “(There was a big difference) how we played in the first game against Carney to the games we won and how well we played and how well things clicked.”

Schlenvogt also added how much of a pleasure it was to coach the growing North Central team alongside his son, T.J.

Andie Arsenault had 21 points in her final game as a Jet.

The MHSAA Division 4 district championship game between the North Dickinson Nordics and Carney-Nadeau Wolves will be Friday at 7 p.m. eastern in Felch.

North Central 10 9 5 4 — 28

North Dickinson 18 11 12 18 — 59

North Central — Arsenault 21, Burton 3, Smith 2, LaCoursier 2; F: 23; FT: 6-11; Fouled out: Kleikamp, LaBonte; 3-point field goals: Arsenaut 3, Burton.

North Dickinson — Ashton Hord 24, Vanessa Lindholm 13, Inglese 11, Cary 6, Michah Lindholm 3, Aiden Hord 2; F: 12; FT: 13-24; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Vanessa Lindholm 2, Cary 2, Inglese 2, Ashton Hord 2.