Manistique junior Mack Pugh (22) looks to get past Iron Mountain’s Brayden Kassin (12) during a game on Dec. 9, 2024 at Mountaineer Gymnasium in Iron Mountian. (Courtesy photo Terry Raiche)
IRON MOUNTAIN – With their skill, athleticism, doggedness and hunger, the Iron Mountain Mountaineers are certainly going to produce some blowout victories in 2024-25.
So far, they’re 2-for-2.
The Mountaineers pounced on Manistique right from the opening tip, taking a 20-0 lead just 3 1/2 minutes into the game, and went on to record their second consecutive rout, this one an 82-26 victory over the Emeralds in a West Pac Conference game Monday night at Mountaineer Gym.
Senior Oskar Kangas scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter to spark Iron Mountain to its second straight victory, their first coming three nights previous in a 72-22 blowout of West Iron County.
The 6-foot-6 forward explained his squad’s first-quarter blitzes (they led WIC 27-2 after one quarter) in their opening two games.
“I guess the whole thing is, before the year we said we want to play faster,” he said. “So I think on Friday we showed that, and I think today we did that really well. I think that’s what led us to that because when we get going, we’re hard to stop.”
The Mountaineers hit Manistique (0-1) with a full-court man press with menacing traps. Against the hounding of guards Brayden Kassin, Gerald Sampoll Torres and Ian Marttila, the Emeralds turned the ball over 13 times in the first quarter, including seven before they even got a shot off.
And by the 5:03 mark of the opening period, Iron Mountain had built a 20-point advantage and the game was effectively over.
“I told the guys, ‘I don’t think it’s going to be 27-2 at the end of the first quarter tonight,” IM coach Harvey “Bucky” Johnson said. “I wasn’t thinking that way. So, the kids obviously got off to a great start.”
The dominant run to begin the game was one part a quick offensive attack and one part a tenacious defensive effort.
After Sampoll Torres began the game with a jumper and fed Marttila for a lay-in and after Evan Copley buried a trey, Kangas scored three quick hoops in transition, including two tomahawk dunks.
Kangas, a four-year starter and a standout from the time he was a 14-year old freshman, was explosive off the drive and deadly in the post and on the perimeter. He seemed to play the game Monday night with an ease which speaks both to his experience and to his participation in AAU ball in the past off seasons.
“He plays all summer and spring against some pretty high-level competition and I think that helps him move faster like he has to be successful,” Johnson said.
While Kangas led the way during the decisive opening run, he had plenty of help. Sampoll Torres tallied seven of his 16 points in the first quarter, Copley registered nine of his 15 and Marttila had all five of his points.
Kassin then rang up all 13 of his points over the second and third quarters when IM increased its 53-10 halftime lead to 76-17 after three.
While the sophomore guard impressed offensively as the game wore on, he put his stamp on the game immediately with his defense on Manistique point guard Mack Pugh.
“Brayden’s an athletic kid, he’s smart, he understands angles.” Johnson said. “He’s going to work hard, he’s going to listen, he’s going to be coachable, and he’s just a pleasure to coach.”
With the game being played with a running clock the entire second half, Johnson began to work his reserves into the fray. Sophomore forward/guard Charles Anderson scored four points and junior forward Collin Punzel sank a pair of free throws down the stretch.
The Mountaineers held Manistique to just 11 made field goals. Junior Jayce Goudreau topped the Emeralds with six points and sophomore Wesley Segerstrom finished with five.
So it’s so far so good for the Mountaineers, who were set to face Gladstone (1-1) on the road on Tuesday evening.
How long and in how many games the Mountaineers can play an all-out pressing, fast-break game is yet to be seen, but when they can, they can be deadly.
“We want to play fast, we want to pressure the ball, and we want to rebound the ball because when we play good defense and rebound the ball, it’s a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “We’d like to continue that style of play, but we also understand that there are points in the year that you’d better be able to execute in the halfcourt.”
Manistique – Segerstrom 2 0-0 5, Pugh 1 1-2 3, Mason 2 0-3 4, Goudreau 2 1-2 6, Bellville 2 0-0 4, Graphos 1 0-0 2, Maesano 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 2-7 26. 3-point field goals: Segerstrom, Goudreau.
Iron Mountain – Sampoll Torres 7 1-1 16, Marttila 2 0-2 5, Copley 6 1-2 15, Kangas 12 1-3 28, Ellis 0 1-2 1, Kassin 5 0-0 13, Punzel 0 2-2 2, Anderson 2 0-0 4. Totals 34 6-12 82. 3-point field goals: Kassin 3, Copley 2, Kangas 2, Marttila.