L’Anse’s Rodrigo Cotta (left) and Wakefield-Marenisco’s Eli Hewitt battle for a rebound on Friday in L’Anse. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

L’ANSE — The Wakefield-Marenisco Cardinals boys basketball team went the distant on Friday and posted a 83-68 win over the L’Anse Purple Hornets. In the eyes of their coach, Pat Libertoski, it was a complete-game win.

“I am happier than normal,” he stated. “I liked our defense. Our press had them confused, and we shot the ball well.”

The Purple Hornets (8-4) played the Cardinals tight in the first. It was tied at five, eight and 18 before the the Cardinals went up 24-18 to start the second and kept shooting well.

“We played their game,” noted L’Anse coach Robert Potter. “They dictated the tempo. We were seemingly one-step behind.”

The Cardinals pushed the lead to 44-32 at half.

“I told the boys that the score was 0-0 at half,” Libertoski added. “That is why we kept pressing.”

In the third, their strong ball movement outscored the Purple Hornets 22-16 and gave them an 18-point lead. Despite outscoring the Cardinals by three points (20-17) in the fourth, the Purple Hornets could not get enough stops on defense to gain any ground and fell to a 15-point loss.

“Game ball goes to Brock Pangrazzi who had 30 points,” noted coach Libertoski.

He was followed by Chase Lane who had 20. Pat Perron scored 10.

Sam Lee led the scoring drive for the Purple Hornets with 25 points. Keegan Davidson followed with 15 and Talan Larson poured in 14.

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The Purple Hornets will take on the Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers on Tuesday in Ewen.