Gwinn’s Tyler Murphy, left, holds the ball looking for an open spot to work to while guarded by Negaunee’s Jordan Guenette early in the third quarter of their high school boys basketball game played at the Modeltowners’ gym in Gwinn on Friday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

GWINN — The Negaunee High School boys basketball team wasted no time making a statement Friday night, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back as the Miners powered past Gwinn 63-40 on the Modeltowners’ Parents Night.

Negaunee’s fast start, coupled with a strong defensive effort, paved the way for its fourth straight win.

“We made plays when we needed to,” NHS head coach Brad Nelson said. “I knew the first four minutes of the third quarter we’re going to make this either a really close game or a game we could kind of get it to be comfortable with… but we just made some plays tonight, when we needed them, and fortunately, we come out with a win.”

Both teams came in riding win streaks, Negaunee (12-4) fresh off a commanding 96-20 victory over Hancock two days earlier, and Gwinn (5-9) having battled to a 47-38 win over Manistique on Tuesday.

But from the opening tip, it was clear this was Negaunee’s game to take.

The Miners came out firing, with Jordan Guenette drilling a 3-pointer right out of the gate. Holden Meyer followed with another deep shot, and Kyle Waterman muscled his way inside for an and-one play to put Negaunee up 9-0 in a blink.

Gwinn struggled to get shots to fall early, while the Miners’ relentless pace helped them build a commanding 21-8 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Gwinn found a spark in the second, thanks to Tyler Murphy, who caught fire from beyond the arc. His sharpshooting helped the Modeltowners cut the deficit to just four, 23-19, bringing the home crowd to life.

But just when it seemed like Gwinn might make a game of it, Negaunee answered. Guenette and Baron Heslip responded with key buckets, and Easton Guenette nailed a clutch 3 to push the lead back to double digits. By halftime, Negaunee had regained control with a 33-21 advantage.

Coming out of the break, the Miners made sure there would be no comeback. Waterman calmly knocked down a pair of free throws, Meyer drilled another 3, and Heslip and Ethan Gauthier kept the offense rolling.

On the other end, Negaunee’s defense tightened, limiting Gwinn’s looks and forcing tough shots. The Modeltowners struggled to generate consistent offense, and by the end of the third quarter, the Miners had stretched their lead to 50-27.

Even with the game slipping away, Gwinn kept fighting. Niemi knocked down multiple 3s in the fourth, and Wayne Sales battled inside for tough buckets, but the deficit was too much to overcome. Waterman and Gauthier finished strong, sealing Negaunee’s 63-40 victory.

“I think we had four games in eight days. So, we’ve been busy,” Nelson said. “The guys at this point of the season have gotten the message that we’ve got to get ready for the tournament.

“Tonight was a good win against a tough Gwinn team that is dangerous and we have to keep it rolling.”

Despite the loss, Gwinn head coach Kyle Aho was proud of his team’s effort.

“They’re (Negaunee) very disciplined, I was proud of us making a run and making an effort, especially when we got down early with the big lead that they took on us, they threw a punch and then we responded,” he said. “For the first time in my coaching career here, we weren’t afraid of those guys.

“There’s always been this little bit of fright when we’ve played them, and it’s unnecessary. So I was proud of the guys in their effort to not quit.”

The Miners play their next two games at their home Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium, hosting Houghton at 7:15 p.m. today, then hosting next-door neighbor Ishpeming at 6 p.m. Friday, the early half of a boys-girls doubleheader against the Hematites.

Gwinn takes to the road, playing at West Iron County at 6:15 p.m. today before returning home to host Hancock at 7 p.m. Tuesday. On Friday, the Modeltowners play at Iron Mountain at 7:15 p.m. EST.

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