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Calumet Girls Come Up Short In State Semifinal
 Photo courtesy of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Click for the full box score. EAST LANSING – The Calumet Copper Kings had their magical girs basletball season come to an and Thursday night aftter a 43-38 loss to Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest in a Division 3 state Semifinal on Thursday at the Breslin Center. After making its first Semifinal trip last year and falling in that game, Lutheran Northwest (21-6) took the next step this time by jumping out to a big lead and then holding off a late Calumet rally. Trailing 42-30 with 2:59 remaining, the Copper Kings fought back with an 8-0 run to cut the Lutheran Northwest lead to 42-38 with 38.9 seconds remaining after a 3-pointer by sophomore Millie Loukus. Calumet managed to climb back after trailing by 18 points early in the third quarter. But too big of a hole had been dug. “I thought early on, their length gave us some trouble,” Calumet head coach Charlie Kemppainen said. “We adjusted a little bit too late to that. I think the fourth quarter was probably a better indicator of who we were all season long. But that’s a credit to them for taking us out of that.” Sophomore Jess Anderson scored 10 points and Loukas, sophomore Bailey Strom and senior Jackie Kiilunen each added eight points for Calumet (22-6), which stayed in Mackinaw City after its Quarterfinal win Tuesday over Sanford Meridian in Manistique before driving down to East Lansing. This was Calumet’s second Semifinal appearance over the last five years. Junior Paige Macavage scored 14 points, and Griswold added 12 for Lutheran Northwest (21-6). “I think having the experience from last year, we knew what to expect,” Crusaders junior Charlotte Gramzow said. “We know how the day was going to go and coming out for warmups, we were trying to build our own energy with one another and build confidence within one another. Just keep it relaxed, and I think we did that really well.” |
