Niagara’s Mallory Sanicki (5) penetrates and looks to put up a floater in the lane over three Norway defenders, including Hannah Burklund (33), Donna VanHolla (00) and Lyneha Hauswirth (20), as the Badgers upset the previously undefeated Knights 39-34 on Friday night at Norway High School. Norway entered the cross-border clash having started the 2022-23 season 14-0. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo)

NORWAY — Niagara’s Erin Lukowicz and Josie Wells hit a trio of three-pointers to help propel the visiting Badgers to a 39-34 upset of previously undefeated Norway in a cross-border clash between the two girls varsity basketball teams Friday night at Norway High School.

The Badgers (13-4) trailed Norway (14-1) by six, 19-13, at the half. But Niagara held the host Knights to only two points in the third and hit huge shots in the third quarter to surge ahead 29-21.

Lukowicz hit a pair of treys to account all six of points in the game, with Rock knocking down another on her way eight points, in the second-half run that helped put the Badgers in front for good.

Badger Mallory Sanicki also stepped up to the line to hit 4-of-5 free throws in the fourth, scoring six of her nine points in the final stanza, to hold off the Knights.

“We just didn’t have it in the second half tonight, especially that third quarter obviously,” said Norway coach Brian Adams. “You don’t beat a team as good as Niagara when you are out scored 16-2 in a quarter.”

Iron Mountain hoopster Callie Bianco (14) drives to the basket, despite the defensive efforts of Negaunee’s Cooper Atkins (34), during Friday night’s West Pac/Mid Pen game at Mountaineer Gym. (Terry Raiche photo)

Morgan Borchardt added a team-high 13 points for the victorious Badgers, with Abby Wells chipping in three points.

Coach Adams said the loss doesn’t diminish his team’s accomplishments so far this season.

We are 14-1. If you asked me before the season started if I would accept starting off that way after 15 games, I would have took it and ran,” the coach said. “Nothing is lost by this, nothing we have done previous to this game is tarnished by this.

“Every goal we have is still on the table,” he added. “We need to fix somethings and just move forward.”

Norway’s Lauren Adams led all scorers with 16 points, with teammate Jada Freudinger hitting for nine points and Hannah Burklund adding four points. Also contributing offensively for the Knights were Taylor Adams with three points and Andi Carlson with two points.

MINERS 54, MOUNTAINEERS 38

IRON MOUNTAIN — The second and third quarters proved to be the difference Friday night when Negaunee defeated Iron Mountain 54-38 in a West Pac/Mid-Pen contest at Mountaineer Gym.

Senior Ellison Powell scored 10 of her 12 points in the opening quarter to keep the Mountaineers (1-11) within 15-12 entering the second quarter.

But the Miners (13-4) took over from there, outscoring Iron Mountain 23-9 over the next two quarters to stretch their lead into double-figures.

Mountaineers’ coach Karen Ellis said her team played competitively and tough the entire game.

“The girls played good against a good team,” IM coach Karen Ellis said. “We went through a couple of stretches when our shots just wouldn’t fall, even the putbacks wouldn’t drop and that can’t happen against a team like Negaunee.”

Anja Kleiman posted 10 points for Iron Mountain, which finished with six 3-pointers. Powell and Callie Bianco sank two each while Emma Ellis and Emily Copley each hit one.

The Mountaineers are back in action Monday when they travel to Ishpeming (9-4).