–The Munising Mustangs Boys play on 1400am GTO Good Time Oldies and WQXO.com with Mike James!
02/09/2015 Munising High School, Munising, MI – It was a chilly and calm night when the Munising Mustangs played the Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears in Munising, MI. The Munising Mustangs had been riding a winning wave when they came into the game at 13-0 overall and 4-0 in conference action, and the Big Bay De Noc Black Bears came into the night at 8-6 overall and 4-4 in conference play. It surely looked to be an exciting match-up! The whistle was blown and the tip sent into the air, which was won by the Black Bears who drove the ball down the court. The Cooks-Big Bay De Noc scored the first points of the game on their first drive, but they were immediately followed-up by two points for the Mustangs. The Munising Mustangs applied a full court press from the beginning of the game, and it proved to be very effective in stopping the Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears offense. It was clear that defense would be the name of the game for the for the night.
First Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 23
Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears: 4
Ben Stasewich was a key leader of the Munising Mustangs again tonight, along with Alex Hill and Garrett Blank. Penalties appeared to be a problem for the Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears, who were unable to stop the great Munising Mustang defense. More than one player on the Black Bears was in foul trouble in the second quarter of play, and the Mustangs did their best to take advantage of the opportunity. The Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears did their best to make a comeback after going on a six point scoring run with five minutes left in the first half of play. Nick Cercone helped the Munising Mustangs excellent defense with multiple steals which lead directly to points.
Second Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 42
Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears: 14
The Munising Mustangs took control of the ball to open the second half of play, and they were able to score a quick two points. Ben Stasewich made a great play when he was able to dunk the ball off of a pass from Andy Cooper. The Munising Mustangs came out of halftime with renewed vigor, after a small break in the action, when they scored ten quick points in succession. Similar to the first half of play, penalties in the second half played a major part. Both teams had players in foul trouble due to the aggressive play styles of each team.
Third Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 59
Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears: 20
With each passing quarter, the Munising Mustangs were able to wear down the Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears more and more. Despite the difference in the number of players on each team, the Black Bears did their best to fight back. The Munising Mustangs began looking ahead to their next game when they removed several key players from the game and gave them a rest. Michael Graves nailed a long three point attempt, and immediately followed it up by scoring two points and a free-throw from a penalty off of a steal for a total of five quick points for the Mustangs. The game closed with the Black Bears in control of the ball, however they were unable to make the hail mary three point shot.
Final Game Score:
Munising Mustangs: 66
Cooks-Big Bay De Noc Black Bears: 23
