Basketball Game Preview: Ishpeming Hematites vs. Houghton Gremlins

The Ishpeming Hematites will take on the Houghton Gremlins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ishpeming is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.

Ishpeming barely beat Bark River-Harris the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Ishpeming breezed past Bark River-Harris to the tune of 73-29 on Tuesday. The Hematites have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight games by 24 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Houghton lost to Ewen-Trout Creek on the road by a 40-26 margin on Tuesday. The match marked the Gremlins' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Ishpeming pushed their record up to 18-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.3 points over those games. As for Houghton, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-8 record this season.

Ishpeming strolled past Houghton in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 61-43. Does Ishpeming have another victory up their sleeve, or will Houghton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.