Gladstone senior Teagan Reynolds goes in for a layup against Ishpeming on Dec. 1, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — It took two overtime periods to determine a winner here Monday night as Ishpeming held on for a 82-81 win over Gladstone.

The Hematites had four players in double figures including 33 points from senior John Wheeler and 20 points from senior Kenny Ambuehl.

The Braves held a 44-30 lead in the third quarter that diminished quickly on a 21-2 run for the Hematites. Wheeler scored eight of the 18 points during the run for Ishpeming. Senior Grady Gauthier and freshman Kian Gauthier each had 3-pointers to close out the run as the Hematites took a 51-46 lead/

“We came out a little sluggish in the first half,” Kian Gauthier said. “We stepped it up at the end. We know we are a team that can be dangerous at the end of games and we just kept fighting and it is a great win for our team.”

Kian Gauthier drove hard to the basket for a layup to extend the Hematites lead to its largest margin at 61-53.

The Braves closed the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run with a 3-pointer from the wing by junior Lonnie Davey and a monstrous dunk by sophomore Will Inghram as well as the free throws from Alex Prins as he was fouled shooting a 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime.

“You can’t ask for more excitement for a first game than to go two overtimes,” Braves assistant coach Bob Prins said. “Credit to Ishpeming they played hard all night long, they never stopped, they just kept pushing and sent it to overtime and got the game winning free throws.

Wheeler started the overtime scoring off for Ishpeming as he drove hard to the basket for the layin and the foul. He converted the free throw to put the Hematites up 72-69.

This was a big win for us tonight, Wheeler said. “We got swept by them last season so to come out here on the road and beat them in their gym was huge for us and I’m proud of our team.”

Grady Gauthier connected on a 3-pointer to extend the Ishpeming lead to 75-69.

The Braves closed out the first overtime on a 5-0 run to tie the game and force a second overtime. The Braves took a four-point lead early in the second overtime as Davey and Braidyn Miron each had layups to put the Braves up 80-76.

Grady Gauthier had a layup and hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 80. After Ingrham split a pair of free throws for the Braves to put them up 81-80. Kian Gauthier was fouled coming up the floor to put the Hematites on the free throw line where he converted the pair. The Braves got up a last second shot but it fell short.

“They have really good guards here in Gladstone,” Hematites coach Paige Yoho said. “Kian started of slow but I told him at halftime the shots he was taking were good and that those shots will go down in the second half and that was key for us down the stretch.”

The Braves return to action Thursday as they host Marquette.

Ishpeming 11 11 26 21 7 6 — 82

Gladstone 14 16 16 23 7 5 — 81

Ishpeming — G. Gauthier 13, Gleason 2, Ambuehl 20, Kian Gauthier 14, Wheeler 33. FT: 16-27; F: 14; Fouled Out: None; 3-pointers: Ambuehl 5, G. Gauthier 3, Kian Gauthier 1.

Gladstone — Brunette 2, Miron 2, Davey 31, Prins 16, Inghram 23, Reynolds 7. FT: 13-17; F: 24; Fouled Out: Prins; 3-pointers: Davey 4, Prins 2, Inghram 2.