Westwood junior Ethan Marta, right, attempts a midrange jumper during an MHSAA Division 3 regional tournament semifinal basketball game played against Iron Mountain on Tuesday at Gladstone High School. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Adam Hinch)

Up next: Westwood plays for the MHSAA Division 3 regional title at 7 p.m. today in Sault Ste. Marie against Maple City Glen Lake; Radio: WZAM 106.9 FM and 970 AM

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GLADSTONE — A last-second buzzer beater by junior Ethan Marta led the Westwood boys’ basketball team to a 55-53 victory over Iron Mountain in an MHSAA Division 3 regional semifinal game at Gladstone High School on Tuesday evening.

“The play we drew up in the huddle was to use me as a decoy to see if they would chase me,” Marta said. “I saw the shot was going to be short so I had to grab it. I saw I had some time, so I went up and put up the shot and it fell and the emotions just poured (out) at that moment.”

The matchup between Westwood’s Marta and Oskar Kangas of Iron Mountain lived up to the billing from the opening tip. Westwood led 16-13 after one quarter with Kangas scoring 10 of Iron Mountain’s points and Marta scoring 11 for the Patriots.

Westwood went on a run to start the second quarter as junior Caden Balzarini drove to the basket for a layup. Moments later, senior teammate Reid Frustaglio also went to the basket for a layup, extending the Patriots lead to 20-13.

Then off an IM turnover, Marta took a pass from Balzarini to the basket for a layup and Westwood led 22-13.

Iron Mountain answered with a layup by Kangas and a 3-pointer by Evan Copley to cut its deficit to 22-18.

Westwood senior Tristan Miller pulled up for a midrange jumper but was fouled. Miller made the pair of free throws to extend his team’s lead to 24-18. Frustaglio went to the basket for a layup to extend the Patriots lead to 26-18, though Kangas responded with a layup to cut the Pats’ lead to 26-20.

Marta drove to the basket for a layup to put WHS up 30-20. Then off a Mountaineers turnover, Marta went to the basket for the layup and the foul and the Patriots took a 33-22 lead into halftime.

“We played absolutely horrible in the first half,” Mountaineers coach Bucky Johnson said. “We acted like we weren’t ready, like the stage was too big for us. Probably partly my fault. Give Westwood some credit on that, give us some blame on that.”

The Mountaineers came out strong in the third quarter as Kangas hit a 3-pointer. Moments later Kangas hoisted up another 3, but was fouled on the shot, going to the line and making all three free throws to cut the deficit to 35-28. IM outscored the Patriots 23-8 in the third with Kangas scoring 16 of his 35 points as the Mountaineers assumed a 45-41 advantage headed into the final quarter.

“The kids battled back and showed some character in the second half,” Johnson said. “Oscar held us in there, we just didn’t have enough help for him.”

Westwood scraped and clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter. Balzarini had eight of his 14 points in the fourth, including a pair of 3-pointers. The second 3-pointer tied the game 51-51.

“Balzarini had eight points in the fourth quarter, that killed us,” Johnson said. “It absolutely killed us.”

Kangas gave the Mountaineers a 53-51 lead on a layup. Marta responded with a layup of his own to tie the game at 53 and then had the game-winning putback as time expired.

“It was the relentless effort of Ethan Marta,” Patriots coach Luke Gray said. “He probably had the highest percentage of a chance to make that shot. He’s just a special player.”

The Patriots are scheduled to face Maple City Glen Lake at 7 p.m. today for the regional championship in Sault Ste. Marie.