Eskymos defeated by Miners, Hill
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ESCANABA -- Senior forward Alyssa Hill proved to be a tough match-up for the Escanaba girls here Tuesday night as they dropped a 59-43 basketball decision to the Negaunee Miners.
Hill collected 21 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Miners, who improved to 3-0 with the non-conference victory.
"Our girls tried real hard, but we didn't match up well with her," said Esky coach Mike Beveridge. "They're such hard workers. We're getting there. We did some good things. We're trying to find combinations and smooth out our game."
Hill hit eight points, and senior guard Lilly Nelson sank two of her five 3-point shots in the opening frame, helping the Miners build a 19-5 lead.
Nelson sank a jumper from top of the key midway through the second, giving the Miners a 26-8 advantage and added a jumper from the left corner for a 29-10 cushion two minutes, 20 seconds before halftime.
"We figured they'd be in a zone," said Negaunee coach Mike O'Donnell. "We were trying to overload a little bit and were successful. We went inside-out and knocked down enough shots from the perimeter. You've got to be balanced against a zone."
Esky (3-0) was within 30-17 early in the third before sophomore guard Ella Mason drained a pair of free throws and a jumper from the right corner to put Negaunee up 35-17.
The Miners led by as much as 45-25 following a layup senior forward Emily Gauthier late in the third.
Esky answered with an 8-1 run, trimming its deficit to 46-33 on a 20-foot jumper by Monkevich early in the fourth.
Negaunee then scored the next eight points, gaining an insurmountable 54-33 advantage on a steal and layup by Mason.
"Ella struggled in the first half, but held her composure and kept playing hard," said O'Donnell. "She showed some mental toughness and improved immensely in the second half. She responded real well."
Nelson finished with 15 points, and Mason hit 12.
"Lilly does a nice job finding her spots," said O'Donnell. "We could tell early that she had the hot hand. You always want to come out strong, especially when you're on the road. One thing we need to work on is taking care of the ball. We had 23 turnovers tonight. We need to clean that up. Escanaba is athletic, and they play hard. They're going to be a dangerous team at the end of the year."
Junior guard Mari Bink led Esky with 14 points and six steals. Sophomore guard Keira Maki added 10 points and nine rebounds, and Monkevich blocked three shots.
"Mari played a solid game, and Kiera is playing excellent," said Beveridge. "The girls just play so hard. I thought our girls did a nice job off the bench. We've got some work to do. We have a long way to go, but we're heading in the right direction. Negaunee is a tough team. They're well-coached and they shot well tonight."
Negaunee, which also won the JV game 40-21, hosts Houghton Friday. The Eskymos are idle until Dec. 17 when they face Plymouth, Wis. in the Cedarburg Holiday tournament (near Milwaukee).
Negaunee 19 11 15 14 -- 59
Escanaba 5 9 14 15 -- 43
Negaunee -- Nelson 15, Dudo 4, Mason 12, Prusi 1, Gauthier 6, Hill 21. FT: 11-14; F: 13; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Nelson 5, Mason.
Escanaba -- Barron 4, Monkevich 8, Maki 10, Stalboerger 3, Bink 14, LaMarche 4. FT: 13; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goal: Monkevich.