Manistique, MI - The Meridian Mustangs most successful season ever ended Tuesday night after a hard-fought effort in a 48-33 loss to the Calumet Copper Kings in the state quarterfinal.
Meridian senior Halen McLaughlin scored 24 points in her final high school game. She netted 16 in the second half, all her team's points in the final 16 minutes.
Calumet, in the second half, would outscore Meridian 29 to 16. They would have three scorers finish with double-digits; sophomore Bailey Strom with 14, junior Kiirsi Johnson had 12 and sophomore Millie Loukus got 10 off the bench.
In the first quarter, Calumet had a six-point advantage, Loukus hit two threes to counteract six points from McLaughlin.
The Mustangs were +4 in the second quarter, adjusting to Calumet's 2-3 zone. Lily LaFave had four points, getting open looks attacking the baseline. Meridian would grab a one-point edge with 30 seconds remaining but the Copper Kings responded. Bailey Strom hit a three to take the lead back into halftime.
To start the third quarter, Calumet pressed and jumped to a 7-0 run to start the third quarter. The Copper Kings pressure and speed forced Mustangs turnovers, they led 34-25 entering the final frame. Calumet went on another run, tallying the first six points scored and distancing themselves from Meridian.
Overall, Calumet hit six threes to Meridian's one. The Mustangs finished the season 23-4, putting on their mantle their first-ever regional title.
Tonight's full game archive is available here.
Rounding Things Out
Meridian graduates three seniors; Halen McLaughlin, Sydney Crowder, and Becca Nohel.
Up Next
Our high school sports broadcasts for the 2024-25 school year concluded last night marking our 33rd game of the season. Full game archives are available here. Thank You for listening, our coverage returns in Fall 2025.
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