Playing it close

A total of six points decided the outcome of the first two games for the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn girls' basketball team.

H-M-S opened the season on the plus side of the scoreboard, defeating Woodbury Central by a 56-52 margin on Nov. 25 at Moville. The Hawks led 35-21 at half time and needed that advantage, as Woodbury Central cut the deficit to 45-38 after three quarters and to the final margin of four points.

Scoring leaders were Kylee Schiphoff with 15 points and Abby Douma and Lindsey Van Es with 10 each. Gracie Knobloch added eight points, and Frankie Mohni and Moriah Otto each scored six.

The teams combined to take 125 shots from the floor. H-M-S made 17-of-62 attempts while the Wildcats were 21-of-63. At the foul line, the Hawks were 16-of-26 while Woodbury Central was only 8-of-16.

The Hawks also had a 51-30 advantage on the boards. Otto grabbed 13 rebounds, Mohni had nine, Douma and Schiphoff each had eight rebounds and three blocks, and Van Es had seven rebounds.

Schiphoff also had three assists and three steals; Otto had two assists and two steals; and Eliza Tewes and Knobloch each had two assists.

• Fall short against the Rebels

The point differential was much closer but the final result was the same for H-M-S in the annual early-season matchup with Sioux Central. The Rebels took the lead in the second quarter and withstood a late Hawk rally to win, 49-47.

The loss on Nov. 26 in Hartley was the eighth straight to the Rebels.

The Hawks scored the first nine points and led 16-9 after one quarter. A 7-0 second-quarter run pushed the advantage to 23-11, but the Rebels scored 18 of the next 19 points to go in front to stay.

Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Hawks were outscored 11-6 in the third quarter. But they responded, outscoring Sioux Central by nine to cut the deficit to 46-45 with three minutes left on the clock. Late in the game the Rebels made two free throws, Otto made a basket and Sioux Central added a free throw. H-M-S had the ball at the end but could not get the shot to fall.

Otto scored 16 points and pulled down 16 rebounds; Douma scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots; and Schiphoff had 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Mohni added five assists and two rebounds, and Knobloch had four rebounds, four steals and two assists.

H-M-S (1-1) hosts MMCRU on Dec. 6 and plays at Harris-Lake Park on Dec. 10. Both are girl-boy doubleheaders.