–The Munising Mustangs Boys play on 1400am GTO Good Time Oldies and WQXO.com with Mike James!
02/20/2015 Gwinn High School, Gwinn, MI – The game between the boys of the Munising Mustangs and the Gwinn Modeltowners took place on a bitterly cold night, but not as cold as the previous night, which had a low temperature of -30 in some areas in the Upper Peninsula! Basketball games were cancelled that night, but the action was sure to be hot between these two strong teams. The Gwinn Modeltowners came into the night with a record of eight wins and eight losses, and the Munising Mustangs had a record of 14 wins and zero losses. The tip-off was won by the Mustangs, who then tried to move the ball down the court, but they turned the ball over on a tipped pass. The first points of the game were scored by Colin Immel on a long three point shot to make the score 3-0 in favor of Munising early in the first. The Munising Mustangs started the game with their usual defensive prowess, applying a full-court press right from the first whistle. Colin Immel made another great long three point shot to make the score 6-0 for the Mustangs within the first two minutes of play. The Gwinn Modeltowners fought their way back to within two points, after scoring two points on a lay-up. However, before the end of the first quarter, the Munising Mustangs put some distance between themselves and the Modeltowners.
First Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 17
Gwinn Modeltowners: 10
The action that took place in the first quarter carried over into the second quarter. The Munising Mustangs had accumulated more fouls early in the game than they normally had in past games, so the game was turning out to be a bit more intense than the last meeting between the Mustangs and Modeltowners. Early in the quarter, Andy Cooper stole an in-bounds pass from the Modeltowners and was able to score a lay-up directly after to give the Mustangs two quick points. The Munising Mustangs had numerous fouls in the first two quarters, which put the Gwinn Modeltowners into the early bonus. Due to the rough action, the refs looked to take control of the game once again, which put the Mustangs into even worse foul trouble as the quarter ticked away. The foul trouble for the Munising Mustangs put Ben Stasewich, who had three fouls before the end of the first half, onto the bench. The Modeltowners looked to capitolize on the opportunity, but they were unable to put a significant dent in the score difference. In the last two minutes of the half, the Gwinn Modeltowners began to have foul trouble of their own, with seven total fouls for the team. The Mustangs defense held strong during the second quarter, only allowing two points for Gwinn.
Second Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 24
Gwinn Modeltowners: 12
The amazing defensive play that made-up the majority of the first half continued as the game resumed after halftime. The Munising Mustangs were at a disadvantage, due to having multiple players in foul trouble. Nick Cercone was a vital asset for the Mustangs by contributing a great deal to their defense. Halfway through the third quarter, the Munising Mustangs fought their way even further ahead by a score of 30-13. Players for both teams began to feel the burden of the fouls, visibly reacting to some of the refs calls. Frustration was evident for the Modeltowners as confusion set in over some of the calls of the referees, but both teams seemed to have been under the thumb of the refs.
Third Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 31
Gwinn Modeltowners: 16
Both teams fought ever harder as the game wound to a close, and the fourth quarter started as the other quarters had gone, with many fouls and scrums for the ball. With five minutes left in the game, Colin Immel made a long pass to Nick Cercone, who then was able to make a great lay-up for two quick points at the start of the fourth. Ben Stasewich was fouled roughly, but he was able to recover and score two free-throws in a row, despite his foul trouble. The game turned rough when one of the Gwinn Modeltowner players shoved a Munising Mustangs player after a hard play, but no fouls were called on either side. With two minutes left in the game, the Mustangs looked to run the clock out, which everyone was happy with after such a tough game.
Final Game Score:
Munising Mustangs: 42
Gwinn Modeltowners: 24
