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ISHPEMING — Two high school boys basketball winning streaks collided on the Westwood Patriots’ basketball floor on Thursday night, and it was Iron Mountain that emerged with its intact by defeating the Patriots 58-32.

A dominant first quarter set the tone, with the Mountaineers pulling away early and securing their sixth straight triumph. Westwood had been on an even longer win streak, eight games, before it came to a sudden halt Thursday.

With all those victories, not surprisingly this was a matchup of top-five teams in this week’s Upper Peninsula Divisions 1-3 polls conducted by the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. The Pats are now 11-4 while IM improved to 11-2.

Westwood's Ethan Marta, left, and Caden Balzarini, right, block a shot by Iron Mountain’s Oskar Kangas during their high school boys basketball game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

From the opening tip, IM made its presence known on both ends of the court, leaving the Patriots struggling to keep pace. With a slow start offensively, Westwood couldn’t overcome its early scoring drought. Iron Mountain’s Oskar Kangas led the charge with a game-high 20 points, while teammate Gerald Sampoll Torres added 12.

“Westwood has been playing really good,” Iron Mountain head coach Harvey “Bucky” Johnson said. “I’m just proud of my team. Oskar struggled (Wednesday) night, he showed what he’s made out tonight and it was awesome.”

The previous night, the Mountaineers hosted another top U.P. team, Negaunee, and also won that one, 50-43.

Thursday’s game began with Kangas setting the tone, nailing a 3-pointer on his team’s first possession. With the Patriots struggling to find a rhythm, IM quickly built a double-digit lead as Kangas and Sampoll Torres spearheaded the visitors’ offensive attack and took a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Westwood head coach Luke Gray acknowledged the challenge of playing from behind against a strong opponent like Iron Mountain.

Westwood's Caden Balzarini, left, uses his body to force Iron Mountain’s Ian Marttila toward the end line and out of bounds for a turnover during their high school boys basketball game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

“They had a great … game plan,” he said. “They’re a great basketball team. They show up and they were ready to go.

“I thought they took over in the first quarter and it’s hard to come back when you put yourself at a deficit against a really good team, really early in the game.”

The home team began to break out of its offensive sluggishness in the second quarter, with Ethan Marta and Preston Argall providing key baskets to pull the Patriots within seven points. But turnovers and missed opportunities plagued Westwood with the Mountaineers capitalizing. Evan Copley hit a critical 3 just before halftime to push IM’s lead to 32-19 headed into the locker room.

The Mountaineers opened the second half with a quick burst, highlighted by Brayden Kassin’s layup and Sampoll Torres’ smooth finish in the paint. Despite Marta’s best efforts — he finished with a team-high 18 points — the Patriots couldn’t really cut into the deficit.

IM’s defense continued to press, forcing turnovers and limiting second-chance opportunities. The Mountaineers closed the third quarter when an even larger 45-30 lead, and from there they never looked back.

In the fourth, Kangas delivered a powerful dunk off an inbounds play, drawing roars from the IM bench. Kassin and Ian Marttila added late baskets to seal the 26-point victory.

With Kangas and Sampoll Torres leading Mountaineers’ scorers, Kassin added 11 points. Marta was the lone Westwood player to reach double figures.

The Patriots aim to regroup and refocus as they look forward to a road game at the Divisions 1-3 top dog, Marquette, for their next challenge at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.