MANISTIQUE — A solid second quarter wasn’t nearly enough for the Manistique girls here Friday night as they dropped a 58-23 basketball decision to Ishpeming Westwood.

Both teams scored 13 points in the second frame, although Westwood led 26-16 at halftime

The Patriots were up 26-13 after senior Niila Nurmi sank a pair of free throws 51.9 seconds before the intermission.

Sophomore Pressley Spettel, however, drained a 23-foot set shot to bring the Emeralds within 10 points at the break.

“We’re starting two freshmen and a sophomore,” Emeralds’ coach Dan Giles said. “We played two quarters tonight and one good quarter at St. Ignace last night (in Thursday’s 73-23 loss). We’re competitive when we do the things we’re supposed to do. The girls are getting better.”

Manistique was still within 28-17 when junior Makenna Davis split a pair of free throws with slightly more than five minutes remaining in the third stanza.

Westwood answered with a 17-0 run, gaining a 45-17 cushion on a jump shot from top of the key by sophomore Lyn Magnuson.

The Patriots continued their dominance into the fourth frame, extending their advantage to 55-21 on a 19-foot jumper by senior Makayla Fisher with 2:15 remaining.

“We changed our press and had a little more intensity in the second half,” Westwood coach Christie Makela said. “Our defense has been good all year. Lyn had been struggling. It was nice for her to see the ball go through the hoop.”

Magnuson finished with a season-high 19 points. Spettel was Manistique’s leader with six.

“They’ve improved since the first time we saw them (in a 64-20 victory Dec. 12),” Makela added.

The Patriots (5-11), who won two in a row for the first time this season, travel to Hancock Tuesday. They also won Friday’s jayvee game 49-30.

Turnovers hurt Manistique’s cause. The Emeralds had 37 miscues and Westwood finished with 14.

“They picked up their intensity in the second half,” Giles said. “We were kind of tentative on offense. They put some pressure on us and we turned the ball over way too many times.”

Manistique (1-12) visits Iron Mountain tonight at 7:15 p.m., then travels to Stephenson Thursday and hosts top-ranked Ishpeming at Bay College Friday.

Westwood 13 13 19 13 — 58

Manistique 3 13 4 6 — 23

Ishpeming Westwood — Fisher 4, Williams 5, Schneider 9, Olson 2, Hallum 7, Nurmi 4, E. Doney 3, K. Doney 5, Magnuson 19, Carlson 2. FT: 6-13; F: 12; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Schneider 3, Williams, K. Doney.

Manistique — Kangas 5, M. Davis 3, B. Petrelius 2, Erickson 2, A. Petrelius 2, Spettel 6. FT: 6-11; F: 11; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Spettel 2.