There’s a growing number of people that are circling Ishpeming as a favorite to make a serious run at a Division 4 girls basketball state championship. Munising was witness to just how good the number-oneranked Lady Hematites are on Saturday, traveling there for an afternoon game, which they lost 78-32.

“Ishpeming is a great team,” head coach Matt Mattson said. “They have a very good senior class and two sophomores who transferred in to make them great. We had ten days of prep to work on breaking their press and pressure defense and we didn’t handle it well. Some of it was execution and some of it was philosophy.”

The Mustangs fell behind early, and faced a 22-8 deficit after the opening quarter. At the half it was 41-18 and Ishpeming led 63-26 entering the fourth quarter.

Emmy Crisp led the Mustangs with 19 points in the game. She went nineof- 14 from the free throw line and also knocked down five field-goals. Bailey Corcoran netted eight points, Julie Prunick and Dayne Behning had two apiece and Tessa Salo added one.

Munising (11-2 overall) had a game at Crystal Falls Forest Park on Tuesday, was home with Felch North Dickinson on Wednesday, is scheduled to host Marquette on Monday and heads to Superior Central on Thursday, Feb. 15.