Westwood junior Ethan Marta (10) attempts a mid-range jumper against Iron Mountain during a Division 3 regional semifinal game on March 4, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — A last second buzzer beater by junior Ethan Marta led Westwood boys’ basketball to a 55-53 victory over Iron Mountain in a Division 3 district semifinal matchup here Tuesday.

“The play we drew up in the huddle was to use me as a decoy to see if they would chase me,” Marta said. “I saw the the shot was going to be short so I had to grab it. I saw I had some time, so I went up and put up the shot and it fell and the emotions just poured at that moment.”

The matchup between Marta from Westwood and Oscar Kangas for Iron Mountain lived up to the billing from the opening tip. Westwood led 16-13 after one quarter with Kangas scoring 10 of Iron Mountain’s 13 points and Marta scoring 11 of Westwood’s 16.

Westwood went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter as junior Caden Balzarini drove to the basket for a layup. Moments later, senior Reid Frustaglio went to the basket for a layup extending the Patriots lead to 20-13. Then off an Iron Mountain turnover, Marta took the pass from Balzarini to the basket for a layup and Westwood led 22-13.

Iron Mountain answered with a layup by Kangas and a 3-pointer by Evan Copley to cut its deficit to 22-18.

Westwood senior Tristan Miller pulled up for a mid-range jumper but was fouled. Miller made the pair of foul shots to extend the lead to 24-18. Frustaglio went to the basket for a layup to extend the Patriots lead to 26-18. Kangas added a layup to cut the deficit to 26-20.

Marta drove to the basket for a layup to put the Patriots up 30-20. Then off a Mountaineers turnover, Marta went to the basket for the layup and the foul and the Patriots took a 33-22 lead into halftime.

“We played absolutely horrible in the first half,” Mountaineers coach Bucky Johnson said. “We acted like we weren’t ready, like the stage was too big for us. Probably partly my fault. Give Westwood some credit on that, give us some blame on that.”

The Mountaineers came out strong in the third quarter as Kangas hit a 3-pointer. Moments later Kangas hoisted up another three, but was fouled in the act of shooting and went to the line for three free throws, connecting on all three to cut the deficit to 35-28. The Mountaineers outscored the Patriots 23-8 in the third quarter with Kangas scoring 16 of his 35 points.

“The kids battled back and showed some character in the second half,” Johnson said. “Oscar held us in there, we just didn’t have enough help for him tonight.”

Westwood scrapped and clawed their way back in the game in the fourth quarter. Balzarini had eight of his 14 points in the fourth including a pair of 3-pointers. The second 3-pointer tied the game at 51.

“Balzarini had eight points in the fourth quarter, that killed us,” Johnson said. “It absolutely killed us.”

Kangas gave the Mountaineers a 53-51 lead on a layup. Marta responded with a layup of his own to tie the game at 53 and then had the game winning put back as time expired.

“It was the relentless effort of Ethan Marta,” Patriots coach Luke Gray said. “He probably had the highest percentage of a chance to make that shot. He’s just a special player.”

The Patriots will face Maple City Glen Lake at 7 p.m. Thursday in Sault Ste. Marie.

Box score

Iron Mountain 13 9 23 8 — 53

Westwood 16 17 8 14 — 55

Iron Mountain — Kangas 35, Sampoll-Torres 7, Kassin 8, Copley 3. FT: 20-24; F: 11; Fouled Out: None; 3-pointers: Kangas 3, Sampoll-Torres, Copley

Westwood — Balzarini 14, Marta 26, Frustaglio 8, Miller 7. FT: 9-12; F: 23; Fouled Out: Frustaglio; 3-pointers: Marta 2, Balzarini 2