Stars lift Ishpeming to Division 4 state title over Portland St. Patrick
East Lansing — Ishpeming seniors Jenessa Eagle and Mya Hemmer showed why they are two of the best girls basketball players to ever play in the Upper Peninsula. After being sophomore starters on Ishpeming’s Division 4 state championship team two years ago, Eagle and Hemmer carried Ishpeming to another crown on Saturday, dominating Portland St. Patrick in a 48-28 win at Michigan State’s Breslin Center.
Signed with Michigan Tech, Eagle finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Headed to play volleyball in college for Baylor, Hemmer made everyone around the state wonder if she should keep pursuing basketball, registering 18 points, 17 rebounds, nine blocks and six steals in a monster all-around game. She also eclipsed 1,000 career points.
“This is my last organized basketball game, which is sad for me,” Hemmer said. “This is my first sport and my first love. I changed to volleyball my freshman year, so it’s kind of a shock I’m already done.
I’m going to be honest. I don’t like running. So I’ll stick with volleyball.
” Ispheming head coach Ryan Reichel, who said after the game it was his last as head coach after 14 seasons with the program, said having a day of rest did wonders for his team. Following a brutal snow storm earlier in the week in the Upper Peninsula, Ishpeming’s quarterfinal game was postponed to Wednesday, and it had to turn around and play its semifinal game against Morenci on Thursday in East Lansing. Ishpeming gutted out a 37-34 semifinal win over Morenci despite shooting 0 of 22 from 3-point range, and had Friday to recover and prepare for the final.