Norway’s Lila Kleikamp (33) boxes out Iron Mountain’s Ava Marttila (14) during Thursday’s game in Mountaineer Gym. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — With 1.3 seconds left in the game and trailing by two points, everyone in Mountaineer Gym knew who the Iron Mountain girls varsity basketball team was turning to — senior Macy Linsenbigler.

Linsenbigler already had 16 points in the fourth quarter alone, so it made sense.

“I figured we’d try to get the ball to Macy,” IM head coach Chad Lindeman said. “She just scored 14 points in like two and a half minutes, so stick with the hot hand and see if we can get her the ball. I think everybody in the gym knew we were going to her.”

The inbound pass was on target, setting Linsenbigler up near the hoop. However, Norway was ready and swarmed her once she received the pass. The pressure caused the shot to miss and the Mountaineers (4-13, 1-9) fell to the Knights (7-8, 3-2), 48-46 in a non-conference game on Thursday.

The winning margin came from Norway junior Lauren Adams’ basket with just ticks remaining.

“It was a sluggish game for us for the most part,” Norway head coach Brian Adams said. “The third quarter we played well and luckily that was enough to carry us through and get the win.

Macy had an incredible fourth quarter for them. We knew it was going to her and she still got what she wanted.”

Iron Mountain senior Gerilis Sampoll-Torres opened the scoring in the first quarter with back-to-back layups, putting the home team ahead.

Then Adams found her rhythm. She tied the game with two baskets in the paint. Senior Mary Cavagnetto put the Knights ahead with a 3-pointer from the right corner, with two minutes left in the frame.

Sophomore Jessa Rossler added four points down the stretch and Norway took an 11-9 lead into the second.

Linsenbigler added two points and Ava Marttila scored four to kick off the second quarter and Iron Mountain held a four-point lead.

The Mountaineers held the lead entering halftime.

After a back-and-forth first half, Lindeman kept his message simple at the break.

“Just to stay focused and play hard defense,” Lindeman said. “Unfortunately, we started to turn the ball over and that’s something that we’ve struggled with all year. We’re trying to get better at it.”

The third quarter was all Norway. Adams scored eight points in the quarter and Rossler added five points. The Knights led 37-28 entering the fourth quarter.

After Linsenbigler was held to three points in the third, Lindeman knew she needed to get going.

“My mindset is we have to ride Macy as long as we can,” Lindeman said. “She’s our leading scorer and she’s basically our offense.”

The fourth was a battle with four ties and four lead changes.

Linsenbigler scored the first six baskets for Iron Mountain in the final quarter. The Mountaineers blanketed Adams early in the fourth and junior Paytan Carlson kept the Knights’ offense going. She scored five points in the frame, but in the final moments it was all Adams.

The junior guard scored four points in the final 40 seconds, including a euro-step layup to put Norway ahead, 48-46, in the final four seconds.

Linsenbigler led all scorers in the contest with 24 points.

Iron Mountain also received contributions from Marttila (6 points), Alysia Wood (8 points) and Sampoll-Torres (6 points).

Although senior Bella Pickett didn’t record a basket in the contest, Lindeman was impressed with how she handled guarding Adams.

“Bella (Pickett) played fantastic defense on Lauren (Adams),” Lindeman said. “Lauren’s a really good player and she did a good job on her tonight. Bella is a good defensive player.”

Adams led the Knights with 18 points.

Norway also received contributions from Abby Richter (2 points), Cavagnetto (4 points), Rossler (9 points), Carlson (11 points), Kara Stanchina (2 points) and Lila Kleikamp (2 points).

The Knights head to Bark River on Monday to face the Broncos while the Mountaineers are in Manistique.

LADYCATS 50, BLUEJAYS 39

THREE LAKES, Wis. — Tied at 21 entering halftime, the Florence girls varsity basketball team needed a spark on Thursday to get past Three Lakes (6-11, 0-5).

The LadyCats (12-7, 4-3) turned to senior Kamdan Johnson. She scored 12 points in the second half, and Florence picked up a 50-39 Northern Lakes Conference road win over the Bluejays.

The LadyCats distributed the scoring in the first half. Johnson, freshman Kelsi Chrisman, and Abby Novak each scored five points.

However, the Bluejays stayed step-for-step with Florence through 18 minutes. Both teams entered halftime, tied at 21-all.

The second half was all LadyCats.

Chrisman added seven points to her total, and CeCe Mills scored four, helping push Florence to the conference win over Three Lakes.

The LadyCats were 19-for-36 from the charity stripe, while the Bluejays went 12-for-20. Both teams made one 3-pointer in the contest.

Johnson led all scorers in the contest with 17 points. She was 9-for-10 at the free-throw line.

Florence also received contributions from Mills (6 points), Miley VanDenHeuvel (3 points), Chrisman (12 points, 16 rebounds, 9 steals), Novak (7 points) and Bryn Sullivan (4 points).

“Dandy performance for any player, let alone a freshman,” Florence head coach Kris Johnson said about Chrisman’s performance. “She provided a big spark when we needed it down the stretch.”

The LadyCats return home on Tuesday to face Lena at 7:15 p.m.

NORDICS 47, MUSTANGS 38

MUNISING–Although the North Dickinson girls varsity basketball team narrowly lost its last contest, it didn’t let that affect its performance on Thursday against Munising.

The Nordics (10-5, 3-1) led the entire way and easily downed the Mustangs (14-1, 5-1) for a 47-38 Skyline Central Conference win.

“We had a good week of practice, prior to the game,” Nordics’ head coach Kirk Mattson said. “The girls were focused on what they needed to do and they performed like I knew they could.

“Defensively, we were all over the court. To hold them to 14 points in the first half was amazing. We communicated well and played great help defense, which led to some good offensive breakouts for us.”

Freshman Alyson Steinbrecher led North Dickinson’s attack in the first quarter with nine points.

Aunika Lindholm added three points and the Nordics took a 13-5 advantage into the second.

“We were severely outsized,” Mattson said. “They’ve got a girl in the middle that’s around 6-foot, and they have a guard that’s almost 5-foot-10. So we just packed in a zone against them. If they were going to beat us it was going to be from the outside.”

Munising picked up the pace on offense in the next frame, scoring nine points. During that span, it held North Dickinson to five points.

However, the Nordics still led 22-14 at the break.

Both teams tallied 10 points in the third quarter. Steinbrecher scored six points in the frame for North Dickinson.

Leading 32-24 entering the fourth quarter, the Nordics leaned on freshman Lauren Jungwirth. She scored eight points in eight minutes, helping propel North Dickinson to the win.

The Nordics were 2-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Steinbrecher led all scorers in the contest with 21 points.

North Dickinson also received contributions from Oman (10 points), Jungwirth (13 points) and Lindholm (3 points).

The Nordics head to Powers on Monday to square off with North Central.

LADY BADGERS 68, EAGLES 53

SURING, Wis. — Earlier in the week, Niagara girls varsity head basketball coach Karl Lamoreaux said his team was coming along at the right time. The Lady Badgers (11-9, 7-7) proved him right on Thursday.

They took their talents on the road and leaned on junior Alivia Kleikamp to secure a 68-53 Marinette & Oconto Conference win over Suring (10-10, 4-10).

Niagara was rolling in the first half. Six players scored four or more points in the frame, while Kleikamp led the way with 12 points.

Senior Mallory Sanicki made two of the Lady Badgers’ five 3-pointers in the half. Bristol Sanicki, Peyton Neuens-Allred and Sydney Swanson each made one.

As a result, Niagara held a 37-20 advantage at halftime.

Kleikamp continued her dominance in the paint in the second half, scoring 12 points.

Bristol Sanicki added seven points, and the Lady Badgers easily locked up the road win.

Kleikamp’s 24 led all scorers in the contest.

Niagara also received contributions from Mallory Sanicki (11 points), Bristol Sanicki (12 points), Marley Jones (6 points), Neuens-Allred (7 points), Swanson (4 points) and Rachael Walker (4 points).

The Lady Badgers are in Norway on Tuesday.