Gladstone sophomore Alex Prins looks to make a pass against Westwood on Feb. 16, 2026 at Gladstone High School. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — A valiant effort came up a little short for the Gladstone boys here Monday night as they dropped a 54-49 basketball decision to top-ranked Ishpeming Westwood.

The Braves were within three points with 11 seconds remaining before senior Ethan Marta all but secured the decision with a pair of free throws.

Westwood led 38-35 after the third quarter, then took advantage of four Gladstone turnovers within the first minute of the fourth while extending their lead to 42-35 on a five-foot jumper by sophomore Logan Thomas.

“That’s a good basketball team, but we played scrappy and hard and were in position to win it,” Braves’ coach Jake Kiesby said.

Marta scored 28 points in the contest, running his career total to a school-record 1,963.

“This feels great,” he said. “This is a record I wanted to get my whole life, although you can never do it alone. You need help from your teammates and coaches to get there. It’s always tough at Gladstone. They’re a young team, but they have a lot of talent coming through. They never go away. Good defense helped us get the lead. Once we got the lead, the momentum swung our way.”

The Braves indeed refused to go away.

Junior guard Lonnie Davey hit a layup to bring them within 42-41 with 3:32 remaining in the contest.

Marta sank a pair of free throws to give the Patriots a three-point edge at 3:16, then hit a jump shot from the lane to make it 46-41 with 2:45 left.

A 20-foot jumper by sophomore guard Alex Prins shaved Gladstone’s deficit to 46-45 at 2:20.

Senior Louis Salmi then scored on a putback to give Westwood a 51-48 lead with 1:51 left to play.

Marta hit a three-foot jumper to make it 50-45 and senior Aaron Pizziola split a pair of gifters to put the Patriots up by six with 57.6 seconds remaining.

Prins drove through the boulevard for a layup to bring Gladstone within 51-47 with 34.5 seconds left.

The Braves, however, were unable to catch the Patriots.

Marta set the school record on a layup which gave Westwood a 38-35 lead late in the third frame.

“That’s a phenomenal accomplishment,” Patriots’ coach Luke Gray said. “That’s a record that has been around for 60 years. Ethan is a great kid and phenomenal leader and teammate. He’s a hard worker and sets a very positive example. He’s constantly encouraging the other guys to do their best.”

Westwood gained a 21-14 lead on Marta’s jumper from the boulevard early in the second stanza.

The Braves then closed the second quarter with nine unanswered points, gaining a 23-21 lead on a 23-foot jumper from the left wing by Prins shortly before halftime.

Senior Caden Balzarini added 10 points for the Patriots, who committed 10 turnovers. The Braves finished with 14.

“That was a huge factor,” Gray said. “This was absolutely a hard fought win. We had a lot of guys finding the ball. Gladstone is a phenomenal basketball team. Jake does a great job with them. They’re patient and willing to wait for high percentage shots.”

Davey paced Gladstone with 19 points and Prins finished with 18.

“Lonnie played well and other guys stepped up,” Kiesby said. “Turnovers were a huge factor and their offensive rebounding hurt us.”

Westwood also won the jayvee game 66-40.

Sophomore Jim Mattila led the Patriots with 18 points. Freshman Brady Dobson hit 16 and classmate Andrew Beckman chipped in with 12.

Gladstone, which trailed 34-18 at halftime, was led by sophomore Ryder Amis with 16 points and freshman Landon Davey finished with 12.

The Patriots host Houghton Thursday and the Braves host Escanaba Friday.

Westwood 17 4 17 16 — 54

Gladstone 9 14 12 14 — 49

Ishpeming Westwood — Ridl 5, Salmi 4, Balzarini 10, Marta 28, Thomas 4, Pizziola 1, Scott 2. FT: 8-17; F: 12; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Marta 2.

Gladstone — Miron 3, Davey 19, Prins 18, Gereau 4, Inghram 2, Reynolds 3. FT: 7-12; F: 16; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Davey 2, Prins 2, Miron, Gereau.