Basketball Game Preview: Gladstone Braves vs. Manistique Emeralds

Gladstone is 9-1 against Manistique since January of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Gladstone Braves will square off against the Manistique Emeralds at 7:15 p.m. Gladstone will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.

Last Tuesday, Gladstone beat Westwood 56-47. Given the Braves' advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Patriots are ranked 265th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Gladstone's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Addy Blowers, who went 5 of 11 on her way to 15 points and three steals, and Lillie Johnson, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 14 rebounds. The matchup was Johnson's 19th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Mayce Hanson, who posted nine points and eight assists.

Gladstone smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Manistique). They blew past Engadine, posting a 54-12 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Emeralds as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Gladstone's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Manistique, their victory ended a nine-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-3.

Gladstone strolled past Manistique when the teams last played back in February of 2024 by a score of 52-35. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gladstone since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.