North Central sophomore Kaden Malone looks to make a pass during a game against Stephenson on Dec. 2, 2024 at North Central High School. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

SPALDING — Stephenson senior Owen Kuehnau needed 19 points to achieve basketball immortality.

He entered Monday’s game against North Central at 981 points. It was such an occasion that Stephenson provided a spectator bus so fans could safely make the 20-minute trip.

In the end, Kuehnau was bottled to seven points. The Jets used a pair of 13-0 runs to capture a 60-26 win.

“It felt really good tonight,” Jets’ player Kaden Malone said. “Our help defense was very good tonight. We shot the ball well. It was a great team effort.”

The first run came to start the second quarter with the Jets leading 10-6. Jets senior Spencer Willa drove to the basket for a layup.

After a pair of free throws by Malone, senior Jordan Walters knocked down a corner three to extend the Jets lead to 17-6. Moments later Malone came up with a steal against Eagles senior Owen Kuehnau and took it to the basket for a layup and the Jets led 19-6.

On the Eagles’ next possession Walters came up with a steal and took it the length of the court for the layup.

“We are proud of our effort tonight but we are not satisfied yet,” Walters said. “It is just the first game of the season. We have to bring this effort every night out and that should put us in a good position.”

Moments later Willa capped off the run as he drove to the basket for a layup to give the Jets a 23-6 lead.

The Jets took a 30-12 lead into the half and held Kuehnau to three points in the first half after his 30-point performance in the Eagles last game against Rapid River.

The second run came in the third quarter as Malone nailed the wing three to put the Jets up 38-19. Ben Stage then scored the next 10 North Central points including a pair of three-pointers, a nice pull-up jumper and a driving layup that put the Jets up 48-19.

“We really came out strong,” Stage said. “Kaden is a great defender and he did a great job tonight. I’m proud of him and how we played defensively as a team was amazing.”

The Jets had three players in double figures as Malone led the team with 18 points, Walters had 16 and Stage had 12 coming off of a bout with pneumonia.

“We wanted to play our style of basketball and establish our identity,” Jets’ coach Tyler Mercier said. “Ben played a great game tonight after having pneumonia last week. He gritted that performance and hit some big shots for us.”

Kuehnau finished the night with eight points. Asher Priebe added seven and Zack Schwartz had five for the Eagles.

North Central hosts Rapid River Thursday. Stephenson hosts Munising Thursday.