Ontonagon’s Alli Saari (22) and Alli Bobula (12) battle Calumet’s Neva McParlan (35) under the hoop in a game in Calumet. on Wednesday. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — The Calumet Copper Kings girls basketball team opened up with a 12-3 lead on Wednesday against the Ontonagon Gladiators (4-7) and never looked back. They went on to win, 48-31 and, improve to 7-3 on the season.

“We were really focused,” said Copper Kings coach Charlie Kemppainen. “We did things we needed to do and limited our turnovers. I am proud of the girls.”

A 25-9 Calumet lead after one turned into a 37-14 lead at half.

“We had lots of good ball movement and lots of good inside touches,” Kemppainen added.

With a big lead at half, Kemppainen made it a point to get everybody in, and he was hoping that everyone scored at least one basket. Everybody did score, except one. No one was in double digits. Allison Bjorn, Kiirsi Johnson and Bailey Strom all had eight points.

“That was good to see,” he noted. “This win was a team effort.”

Calumet won the third quarter, 8-7. However, the Gladiators took the fourth.

Leading the scoring for the Gladiators was Gracie Guzek and Violet Amos with 10 points each.

Despite the loss, Ontonagon’s coach, Peggy Elmblad, was pleased with her team’s effort.

“We do not match up well in terms of size and quickness,” she noted. “We didn’t quit and played hard. That wasn’t always the case earlier in the season. They girls would be down in the first quarter and role over. We are getting better.”

UP NEXT

The Copper Kings head to Escanaba to face the Eskymos on Friday. The Gladiators travel to Ironwood on Monday.