IRON RIVER — In many cases, prep basketball teams that win state championships will look much different the next season as seniors graduate and junior varsity players move up to the varsity level.

For the MHSAA Division 4 girls champion Ishpeming Hematites, the team has some recognizable parts, but also a glaring absence with the loss of graduated 6-0 all-U.P. dream team guard Jenna Maki.

In turn, Ishpeming has gotten off to a herky-jerky start in 2024-25, entering Tuesday night’s game at West Iron County with a 4-3 record. But two key returnees, all-U.P. dream teamer Janessa Eagle and senior guard Peyton Kakkuri, looked like their old selves against the Wykons, scoring 27 and 18 points, respectively, in Ishpeming’s 63-47 victory over West Iron County at Charles Greenlund Gymnasium.

Against the Wykon 2-3 zone, Eagle knocked down five 3-pointers and Kakkuri buried four to spark the Hematites to their third win in four games.

“Janessa was able to get some buckets in the first quarter,” Ishpeming coach Ryan Reichel said of Eagle, who tallied eight straight points late in the first quarter to lead Ishpeming to a 15-5 advantage.

“Peyton can score in volume real quick … and in that second half it was basically a layup every time she shot a three.”

WIC coach Eric Shamion knew what the Hematites shooters were capable of, but went with the 2-3 zone because his team would have had some awkward matchups in a man defense against Ishpeming’s bevy of perimeter players.

Additionally, the Wykons (2-7) had to play most of the game without starting point guard Bristol Shamion, who suffered a sprained ankle with about three minutes left in the first quarter.

The injury moved older sister Lacey into the point guard role and she responded quickly with a 3-pointer and a free throw. The Wykons also got a layup from Julia Swenski off an assist from Sidney Storit to pull within 17-10 at the end of the opening period.

Eagle kept her roll going into the second quarter, sinking a short jumper and a layup off a steal. Junior starter Ava Jo Hares added a triple to lift Ishpeming to a 14-point edge.

But the Wykons (2-7) responded with their best stretch of the night, a 12-1 run that pulled the hosts within 25-22 at halftime.

Storti hit a pair of layups and a free throw, Lacey Shamion recorded a lay-in and Lily De Sousa culminated the surge with a deep 3-pointer right at the buzzer leading into halftime.

While the Wykons finished with 30 turnovers in the game against Ishpeming’s 1-2-1-1 full-court press, they did handle the pressure much better during their comeback.

“We’re trying to reestablish some fight (within) our team and I think I got some gritty play tonight from the kids,” Shamion said of his team which fell to L’Anse on Monday night. “We had a nice little run in the second quarter to kind of get us back in the game before halftime, but we ran out of gas in the second half.”

While Eagle scored 14 of Ishpeming’s 25 points in the first half , Kakkuri came alive in the third quarter. The senior sank two triples in the opening minute of the frame and added another at the 5:40 mark as the Hematites burst to a 38-24 lead.

Reichel spoke of Kakkuri afterwards.

“Last year, Peyton came off the bench for us and I think she was fourth on the team with double-digit scoring,” he said. “In the first quarter (tonight) she couldn’t hit Lake Supeior standing on the beach. But shooters shoot and I’m glad she kept shooting because we need her contribution in order for us to have any success in the future.”

That future will include the presence of 6-2 junior Mya Hemmer, a Division 1 volleyball recruit who left Ishpeming in the first half of the year to play volleyball in Wisconsin. She has since moved back to the Ishpeming athletic program and was given a waiver by the MHSAA to play basketball in the second half of the season because she never actually played either sport in Wisconsin this year.

While Hemmer is shaking off rust (she hadn’t played a basketball game since the state title game last March), Reichel knows the benefit of having such a talented athlete on his squad.

“She’s a Division 1 athlete and she’s an outstanding kid so we’re glad to have her around,” he said of Hemmer, who continues to play club volleyball in Appleton, Wis. this winter. “A 6-2 athlete that can dunk a tennis ball? We all dream of having an athlete like that.”

Hemmer finished with three points in limited minutes against the Wykons.

Already up 47-33 entering the fourth quarter, the Hematites put together their final blow with a 13-3 stretch to start the fourth. The Wykons recorded 11 of the final 14 points to close the final differential as De Sousa scored five while Storti, Katelyn Smith and Hailey Murillo had two each.

Storti led WIC with 15 points to go with 12 from De Sousa and 10 from Lacey Shamion.

Coach Shamion talked about his team’s current position after its seventh loss in eight outings.

“We’re working on some really small things here at West Iron and we’re trying to take some small steps to become a better basketball team,” he said. “I think we took some strides forward in this game (like) getting the ball into the paint instead of settling for 3s game after game.

“So it’s little things like that that we’re trying to build on. But we’re very inconsistent. I just don’t know what we’re going to be at times. We have the capability of being a pretty good team, but we’re just not there yet.”

LADYCATS 65, JETS 21

FLORENCE, Wis. — CeCe Mills led the Florence girls varsity basketball team with 15 points on Tuesday as it easily dispatched North Central, 65-21, in Florence, Wis.

The LadyCats jumped on the Jets right away in the first half. Mills scored 10 points, while Naomi Millian and Kelsi Chrisman added seven. They led 40-11 at halftime.

Florence made three 3-pointers in the second half and rolled to the non-conference win.

The LadyCats received contributions from Kamdan Johnson (8 points), Millan (9 points), Miley VanDenHeuvel (4 points), Chrisman (8 points), Abby Novak (6 points), Bryn Sullivan (10 points) and Ashley Peterson (5 points).

Florence made eight 3-point shots in the game and went 1 for 6 from the free throw line.

KNIGHTS 59, EAGLES 52

NORWAY — The Norway girls varsity basketball team welcomed Stephenson to town on Tuesday for a Skyline Central Conference-Large School clash.

With junior Lauren Adams back in the mix, the Knights extended their win streak to three games, beating the Eagles, 59-52, in Norway.

“Proud of them for grinding out a win in a game where I felt like we were moving a step slow, fouling too much, and had a lot of mental errors,” Knights’ head coach Brian Adams said.

Lauren Adams opened the first quarter in a frenzy. She scored 11 points in the frame and Norway went into the second ahead 18-14.

She continued her scoring tear in the second quarter. Lauren Adams added 10 points to her total and the Knights’ advantage grew to nine points at halftime.

Stephenson slowed down Lauren Adams in the third, holding her to two points. However, Norway’s offense didn’t slow down as Jessa Rossler pitched in five points.

The Eagles got another dose of Lauren Adams in the fourth quarter. She scored nine points, Kara Stanchina and Payton Carlson each added three allowing the Knights to hang on for the win.

“Jessa Rossler hit big shots for us,” coach Adams said. “Kara Stanchina made big free throws at the end of the game. Lauren returned to the court for this game, and quickly made her presence felt. Payton Carlson was excellent defensively, being in the right spots and position.

Lauren Adams led all scorers in the contest with 32 points. Norway also received contributions from Abby Richter (2 points), Mary Cavagnetto (3 points), Payton Carlson (8 points), Stanchina (5 points), Lila Kleikamp (2 points) and Rossler (7 points).

NORDICS 45, LADY TROJANS 44

CRYSTAL FALLS — Two games in two days, is a tall task for professional players let alone for a high school girls basketball team.

After beating Kingsford on Monday, the Forest Park girls varsity basketball team found itself in that exact position as they welcomed North Dickinson to town.

The Lady Trojans battled, but the Nordics’ fresh legs were too much to overcome as North Dickinson picked up a 45-44 win on Tuesday.

“We had a slow start, but we fought our way back into the game,” FP head coach Kim Bjork said. “We had some great effort plays defensively. We are going to keep grinding and focusing on our improvements.”

The Nordics jumped out to a nine point lead after the first quarter. They extended that lead to 12 points at halftime.

The Lady Trojans outscored North Dickinson 28-17 in the second half, but the first half deficit was too much to overcome.

Forest Park’s Elsie Williams led all scorers in the contest with 20 points. She also tallied six assists and five rebounds.

The Lady Trojans also received contributions from Harper Anderson (2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal), Kaidince Woollard (2 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), Audrey Williams (11 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, 2 steals), Evie Anderson (2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal), Lily Sarder (1 steal), Khali Woollard (3 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds, 1 steal), Aubrey Waara-Shamion (4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2 steal) and Jessie Loehr (1 assist, 5 rebounds, 2 steals).

The Nordics received contributions from Jessica Harwath (2 points, 1 rebound), Raina Ledzian (12 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds, 6 steals), Alyson Steinbrecher (12 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds), Ava Oman (7 points, 1 assists, 4 rebounds), Lauren Jungwirth (12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal), Aspen Anderson (1 rebound, 1 steal), Aunika Lindholm (1 assists, 4 rebounds).

Both teams return to the court on Friday at home. North Central faces Norway in Felch Township while the Lady Trojans welcome the Jets to Crystal Falls.

Daily News sports editor Sean Chase contributed to this report.