CRYSTAL FALLS – Junior guard Izaiah Tarter led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points and the Forest Park defense stifled the Iron Mountain attack as the Trojans defeated the Mountaineers 54-33 Tuesday in a nonconference game at Eddie Chambers Gymnasium.

Forest Park forced 20 turnovers, recorded 13 steals and held Iron Mountain to just 10 of 40 from the field in winning its third consecutive game to start the season.

The Mountaineers scored a season low in points and fell to 2-2.

“We got off to a slow start and turned the ball over too much,” IM coach Kyle Johnson said. “Give them credit, they have a good basketball team.”

Forest Park held Iron Mountain to 13 points in the first half while taking a 15-point lead into the break. The Mountaineers crept to within 37-24 after three quarters, but the Trojans put the game away in the fourth by outscoring their guests 17-9.

Lyle Price contributed nine points for the Trojans, who shot 21-of-35 (60%) from the field. Forest Park hit four 3-pointers with Tarter, Price, Jace Hagglund and Aiden Waldo knocking down one each.

Iron Mountain sank five triples with Lane Wender leading the way with three. Max White and Kevin Sgrecci added one apiece.

Wender paced the Mountaineers with 11 points to go with six each from Collin Punzel and Brayden Kassin.

Forest Park played without standout forward Vic Giuliani, who missed the game with an injury.

Both teams are back in action Friday night. The Trojans will host Rapid River (2-1) on Friday, while the Mountaineers travel to Norway (0-2).

Iron Mountain won its second game of the season Monday with a 54-43 victory at Manistique. Kassin finished with 22 points and Charles Baldridge added 12.

“Happy with the way our team played in the first half, we had a nice start and made some open looks,” Johnson said. “I thought we played hard and shared the ball well.”

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Compiled by Daily News Sports Correspondent Jerry DeRoche