Slow start dooms Hawks in loss

Rushing things

Our shot selection these first two games has been bad at times and we have to be aware of who's on the floor and what kinds of shots we're looking for.”

Kritter Hayes, Central Lee boys Head Coach

DONNELLSON - Central Lee's Corbin Pohren opened Tuesday's home game with Mediapolis with a driving layup from the right side.

That would be the first and only lead the Hawks would hold as the Bulldogs rolled to a 64-34 win in SEI Superconference boys basketball action.

The Bulldogs would answer Pohren's runner with a 19-0 run while the Hawks went just 1-9 shooting the rest of the first quarter to trail 19-4. It wasn't until freshman Owen Swan buried a 3-pointer with just 3:41 left in the half that the Hawks broke a 1-14 cold spell from the field.

"We just got off to a slow start," said Head Coach Kritter Hayes.

"Defensively, we were getting outhustled. Offensively, we weren't moving like we should've been and we had too many turnovers."

Mediapolis had stretched the lead to 39-10 on a couple free throws from Ben Egan. Pohren would answer with a couple free throws and Brayden Wyrick added one on the back end of two free throws to set the halftime score at 42-13.

Central Lee recovered a little in the third period outscoring Mediapolis 14-11, but couldn't cut into the lead any more than 28 points at 55-27 at the end of the third.

Both teams began subbing liberally in the fourth period, keeping scoring down as the clock ran out on the 30-point loss.

"The second half we refocused. I was proud of our effort in the 3rd quarter when we battled back a little bit," Hayes said.

"We're trying to find that combination and rhythm of guys. These guys are still getting used to each other, really. Probably even more so than last year it feels like."

Hayes said the Hawks are rushing shots when they really don't have to. He said the newly instituted shot clock may be part of that.

"I think they've got in their heads that they have to rush. We really don't need to," he said.

"Our shot selection these first two games has been bad at times and we have to be aware of who's on the floor and what kinds of shots we're looking for."

Wyrick led the Hawks with 12 points and Pohren contributed nine in the loss.