MENOMINEE — Marquette and Menominee threw in two extra periods of free basketball for the fans in Menominee on Friday night.

In the end, it was worth it for the Sentinels after they emerged with a 54-46 victory that lasted two overtimes.

Marquette ended a two-game losing streak to improve to 5-8, while the Maroons slipped to 4-8 with their sixth straight setback.

The final score had a relatively large margin for an OT game as the Sentinels kept Menominee off the scoreboard in the second overtime.

On their side of the ledger, Marquette’s top scorers accounted for all the points in both OTs.

In the first OT, Aubree Blackburn, who totaled 16 points, made a basket and split a pair of free throws to move it into the second OT.

Then in OT No. 2, Addison Kramer, who led Marquette with 17 points, made a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer, while Blackburn again had a basket and a free throw.

“(This was a) really solid team win, everyone came in and (did) their job,” MSHS head coach Ben Smith said. “Claire Maskart forced a turnover to help set up the Blackburn (second-overtime-forcing play).”

Brianna Anderson added eight points for Marquette, while Menominee’s Lexi Marineau led all scorers with 19 points, which included five 3-pointers, three of them in the third quarter.

With a slow start for the offenses in the first half, the Sentinels trailed 7-4 after one quarter before the teams were tied 15-15 at halftime.

The pace picked up after intermission with the Maroons jumping out to a 33-25 lead after three quarters. But in the fourth quarter, Marquette matched what Menominee did in the third — score 18 points — to force OT at 43-43.

Each team managed just three points in the first OT to make it 46-46 entering the second extra period, then Marquette outscored their hosts 8-0 in OT No. 2.

Kramer finished with three 3-pointers as MSHS made 7 of 10 free throws.

Marquette is back on the hardwood tonight, when its girls team hosts Bark River-Harris at 7:30 p.m. in the second half of an unusual boys-girls doubleheader. It’s unusual as a different boys team will be coming to Marquette’s Barb Crill Gymnasium — Westwood — for the 6 p.m. boys game.

The Sentinels girls are back in action at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Westwood.

Story contents based on an email received from Marquette Senior High School girls basketball coach Ben Smith. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.