After a heartbreaking loss to Norway to open the 2023-24 season, Munising was able to pass the pain along to rival Manistique 45-37 on Friday, Dec. 1 in Munising. It was the first win of the year for the Mustangs and the season opener for the Emeralds.
“Told (the team) we were going to have a target on our back and it’s showing. Everyone is bringing their best game,” Munising Head Coach Terry Kienitz said. “It was a good game, a physical game and we didn’t play all that well, but enough to win.”
The first quarter saw a big presence by Munising’s lone senior Tyler Nelson. The fivefoot- 11 guard scored six points, had three steals and three rebounds in the opening frame, statistically leading all players early in the contest. Nelson came off the bench last season for the Mustangs, but is showing that he is ready to take on a bigger role this year.
“I thought he played great and that’s what he brings is both sides of the ball,” Kienitz said. “Tyler’s a really good defender and an offensive threat. He can shoot the three ball good, but also good at driving and getting in that lane. We had the senior captain talk with him and I think it showed.”
Nelson and company started strong against Manistique, leading 15-8 after the first and 25-17 at half. The Emeralds were playing their trademark physical defense, but found themselves in foul trouble.
Manistique Head Coach Cody Kangas enjoyed the effort from his roster.
“We are a physical team. When we get a crew like this where it’s very tight, we have to adjust, but I like our physicality and aggressiveness and intensity – all things we can build on next week,” he said.
Coming out of the half, Manistique significantly slowed down the pace of play. This allowed more shots from beyond the arc, longer rebounds and an opportunity to better use their physicality. According to Kangas, it was important to come out of the break strong after tweaking the game plan.
“We started switching defenses a little bit. We made some offensive changes as far as what we thought would work. When we get into halftime and make those adjustments, our third quarter should be our best quarter,” he said.
But Munising was able to adapt once again in the fourth quarter. Carson Kienitz scored half of his 12 points in the final frame to build a nine point lead for the home team. Manistique was able to climb back into the contest late, getting as close as one point thanks to a Parker Graphos steal-and-score with 1:05 left in regulation. But Mustang sharpshooter and defending SCC free throw champion Trevor Nolan hit 5 of 6 free throws in the last three minutes to seal the victory.
The Munising coach said that clock management and shot selection were important in capturing the team’s first victory since winning the MHSAA championship last year.
“(I was) telling them we have enough to win and not turn it over. We’re not in a hurry, so we don’t need to take a bad shot,” Kienitz said.
For Kangas, the fatal flaw in the Emeralds’ game was the turnover battle, where Manistique had roughly five turnovers for every two from Munising.
“We had way too many turnovers against a team like this. That’s the number one thing to clean up next week is the turnover margin,” Kangas said.
Graphos led all scorers with 14 points, but no other Emeralds were in the double digits. Munising was more well rounded with their scoring, as Nolan, Kienitz and Jack Dusseault scored 13, 12 and 11 points respectively.
Both Munising and Manistique will be home for their next respective games, with the Mustangs hosting Pickford and the Emeralds hosting Iron Mountain. Both games will be on Monday, Dec. 11.
