Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle dribbles in front of the Hematites’ bench during the third quarter of a high school game played against Escanaba at the Ishpeming High School gym on Thursday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

ISHPEMING — While the Ishpeming High School girls basketball team may have started well Thursday night against visiting Escanaba, the Hematites really turned it into high gear in the second half for a 78-46 victory.

The dominant second half allowed Ishpeming to roll up its highest point total of the season, providing momentum for the home stretch of the regular season. The Hematites are now 12-5 after their second straight win with five more games remaining before the MHSAA Division 3 district tournament starts the first week of March.

“I thought defensively the first half we weren’t very good,” Ishpeming head coach Ryan Reichel said. “We gave up a lot of points. A lot of it was in transition.

“We focused in the second half on … limiting those chances. And I thought it worked out pretty well for us.”

Escanaba opened the game on a strong note with Katey Lamb getting on the board first. The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to create much separation.

Jenessa Eagle and Mya Hemmer played key roles in keeping the Hematites in range so that by the end of the quarter, Ishpeming held a slim 20-16 advantage.

The Hematites gained more momentum in the second period. Eagle found her way to the free throw line and converted both shots to give Ishpeming a 22-21 lead, and after a series of strong defensive plays, Ishpeming started to pull away.

A crucial steal and layup by Hemmer helped fuel an Ishpeming run that produced a 38-28 halftime lead.

The Hematites came out of the locker room determined to shut down the Eskymos in the third quarter, and that’s exactly what they did. The Hematites held Escanaba to just 11 points in the quarter, as meanwhile Ishpeming’s offense caught fire.

Peyton Kakkuri set the tone with back-to-back 3-pointers, quickly pushing the lead back into double digits. Eagle followed with a deep shot of her own, and the Hematites never looked back.

Escanaba struggled to respond as Ishpeming’s defense continued to force tough shots. Grayson LaMarche provided most of Escanaba’s scoring, but her team struggled to keep pace as by the end of the third, the Hematites led comfortably, 57-39.

The fourth quarter was much of the same, with Ishpeming continuing to pile up the points. Eagle drained another 3, and Hemmer converted an and-one play to further extend the lead. Izzy Perry swished a deep 3-pointer, sealing the deal as Ishpeming cruised to the 32-point win.

After the game, Reichel praised his team’s ability to execute in the second half.

“We were able to get stops, and (there) wasn’t a lot of dead ball,” he said. “(The Eskymos) also weren’t able to set up (their) 1-3-1 (defense), which slows us down.

“We were able to get those transition buckets, and that really got us going.”

With the playoffs approaching, Reichel is optimistic about his team’s direction.

“As long as we’re making progress toward March, I think we’ll be in good shape,” he said. “I’m happy that we took a step in the right direction.”

With this commanding win, the Hematites continue to build momentum as they prepare for postseason play, one they hope can replicate to some degree last season’s run to the school’s first-ever girls basketball state championship.

The Hematites hit the road to take on Manistique at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, then host Hancock at 7 p.m. Friday.

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