Devils outlast host Panthers for semi win

By JASON JUNO

sports@yourdailyglobe.com

Ewen --- Ironwood went into last year's district tournament as the favorite. They had just three losses in the regular season and they were the home team.

This year was different. Ewen-Trout Creek was the home team and the Panthers defeated the Red Devils not too long ago as a part of their 10-game winning streak that moved them into the favorite status.

"There's not as much pressure," Ironwood coach Adam Mackey said. "Obviously at home, you feel that pressure like we did last year - all the teams expect you to win. Going into this game tonight, I told the guys remember who's the favorite here, the home team's the favorite. We're not the favorite, we have to do something about that."

What Ironwood did was hold E-TC standout Austin Gordon to just four points and upset the Panthers for a 36-28 MHSAA Division 4 District 97 semifinal win on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

When the teams last met on Feb. 8 in Ewen, Gordon was as efficient as it gets. He was 14 of 17 from the field in a 34-point effort that sent the Panthers to a 12-point win. Gordon turned in a lot of special performances in that long winning streak with many of them exceeding the 30-point mark.

Ironwood made sure that didn't happen again.

Axton Ruotsala took the job on as his main defender and the Devils also had help ready when needed. Mackey said Ruotsala, who also led Ironwood with 11 points, did a great job on Gordon.

"He's got such great quickness and hands, he just anticipates so well," he said. "He understands basketball, he's been playing basketball his whole life, he plays summer ball."

And, of course, he had some help.

"We also had a few spies, we were sagging off other guys, spies in the paint, trying to make anytime he was in the paint, anytime he had the ball, making it a tough time for him," Mackey said.

All of that focus on Gordon, an All-U.P. player last year already, is a testament to how good of a scorer he is and how good of a season he had.

E-TC coach Brad Besonen lamented the lack of offense and the lack of an answer to Ironwood's defense.

"We can't be a one-trick pony. We had some looks, we had some guys that weren't comfortable with the opportunities," he said. "Axton owned him tonight on the defensive end, and they had helpers. He got by him OK, especially in the second half quite a bit, but there's just helpers waiting. We didn't make a pass out of there, we didn't get buckets out of that when they had the lane loaded, and quite frankly, we didn't make enough passes out of that situation that got all this mess started.

"Really disappointed. Hate to blame sickness, Austin's been sick for four days. He look shook when the pressure was heavy right out of the gates."

Ironwood led a close game 18-15 at halftime. Ironwood scored the first nine points of the third quarter and outscored the Panthers 11-2 in a game-deciding third quarter.

E-TC made a run at it in the fourth, but they missed free throws and didn't come up with the big shots needed to close the gap.

Besonen was proud of his guys for sticking with the comeback effort when their odds looked slim, but it's still a tough way to finish a season.

"It sucks," he said. "Really good season, good season of perseverance, starting 4-7, enough reason to hang your head and pout, but they didn't. They came to work everyday and made that 10-game win streak run and got everybody excited around here and played well even in that last loss that we had (to Jeffers) and then this. I feel bad, I feel bad for our seniors, all three of those guys (Christian Besonen, Easton LeGault and Joey Trotochaud) weren't here for stats and all-conference honors, they were here to try and get a district championship and we didn't get that done."

E-TC finished the season at 14-9 and Ironwood improved to 16-8 and into the district title game once again.

"He's one of the best coaches around here," Besonen said of Mackey. "He gets his guys to play. They're always playing well at tournament time. They're tough, they've got depth."

Ironwood --- Kurt Bissell 7, Evan Oja 4, Axton Ruotsala 11, Brendan McCullough 4, Nick Miskovich 2, Elijah Sprague 3, Landon Buerger 5. FTs: 7-15. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: McCullough. 3-pointers: Ruotsala 1.

E-TC --- Caden Besonen 4, Joey Trotochaud 4, Christian Besonen 5, Easton LeGault 9, Austin Gordon 4, Thomas Logghe 2. FTs: 9-19. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None. 3-pointers: Christian Besonen 1.

Ironwood 10 18 29 36

E-TC 9 15 17 28