Defense and discipline

BY MIKE PETERSEN

Competing for the entire game, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn combined tough defense and disciplined offense to hand South O'Brien a 52-41 loss on Jan. 18 at Paullina.

South O'Brien quickly scored the first four points, but the Hawks responded on both ends of the floor to go in front, 11-10.

"I'm really proud of how our guys came out and competed for the duration of the game," Hawk coach Naet Hoaglund said. "I was especially happy with how we competed on the defensive end. We had great communication. We were solid in our rotations. We made them work for everything they got."

The Wolverines didn't get much in terms of scoring in the second quarter as they were limited to four points. H-M-S scored the first eight points and extended the lead to 28-14.

"We really got going in the second quarter. I feel like we were swinging the ball well and working the ball inside-out, which led to some open threes," Hoaglund noted. "Hitting those shots combined with our focus on the defensive end shifted the momentum."

South O'Brien made a run in the third quarter that cut the margin to 34-27. Although things "got a little shaky," the Hawks made critical baskets and defensive stops to rebuild the lead to 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Lance Berends led H-M-S with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Kooper Ebel contributed on both ends of the floor, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists. Mason Brinkman scored six points; Travis Kamradt scored five points and grabbed three rebounds; Keevyn Jacobsma had four points and five rebounds; and Jordan Ortega scored three points.

"Overall, that was a big win for us against a quality South O'Brien team," Hoaglund said.

• vs. Remsen St. Mary's

Remsen St. Mary's proved its lofty ranking (1A No. 2) was deserved, but H-M-S didn't make it easy during a War Eagle Conference game Jan. 20 at Remsen. The Hawks battled throughout, but St. Mary's had enough scoring to hang on for the 55-49 win.

H-M-S struggled on the defensive end which allowed St. Mary's to get good looks at the basket. Defensive adjustments coupled with Berends' inside scoring and three-pointers by Ebel and Ortega helped H-M-S stay within striking distance (36-27) at the half.

"St. Mary's is a tough, physical team. They make it so tough to get going on the offensive end," Hoaglund said. "We felt pretty good only being down nine given some of our early defensive struggles."

The Hawks emphasized defense in the third quarter and it paid dividends. St. Mary's was limited to just five points, which allowed H-M-S to get to within three. St. Mary's extended the lead in the fourth quarter but they struggled at the foul line (3-of-17), allowing the Hawks to stay close.

"We just couldn't connect on the offensive end down the stretch to get over the hump," Hoaglund acknowledged. "It wasn't the result we wanted in terms of wins and losses, but there are a lot of really good things that we are doing."

Berends led all scorers with 27 points, Ebel scored 11, Brinkman scored five, and Kamradt and Ortega each hit a three-pointer.

Berends also grabbed 11 rebounds; Ebel had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals; Kamradt had four rebounds and two assists; and Brinkman also had a pair of assists.

• vs. West Sioux

H-M-S came up one point short in a 54-53 loss to West Sioux, on Jan. 21 at Hawarden.

Even the individual scoring was a close as the team totals. Both teams' leading scorers finished with the same number of points and their next highest scorers each had six. They also shot similar percentages from the field.

The Falcons' most significant edge was at the free throw line, where they connected on 12-of-13 attempts while the Hawks were only 7-of-13.

Ebel and Berends were the leading scorers with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Jacobsma scored six, and Brinkman and Kamradt each scored three.

H-M-S did have a big advantage on the glass (45-19), led by Berends with 21 rebounds. He also had four blocks and two assists. Ebel had 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals; Jacobsma had seven rebounds; and Brinkman dished out three assists.

H-M-S (5-8, 1-5) plays at home over the next week, hosting Boyden-Hull on Jan. 27, Hinton on Jan. 28, MMCRU on Jan. 31 and Harris-Lake Park on Feb. 1.