HAWKS BASKETBALL

Tigers pull away from Hawks in second half

Central Lee boys hang around with high flying Tigers for a half

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DONNELLSON - The Central Lee boys were giving New London a run for its money early on Friday night, but a 3-24 shooting drought in the second half gave the Hawks another loss on the year.

The Hawks trailed by just 12 at the half, but the Tigers, behind some theatrical dribbling and shooting from Brigham Porter, pulled away for a 68-33 Southeast Iowa Superconference win.

"We just didnt knock shots down," said Head Coach Kritter Hayes.

"We were running good stuff, setting good ball screens. We're getting to the rim,  but we were just missing shots. I won't fault them for that. We kept attacking."

The Tigers never trailed in the game, but just couldn't seem to pull away from the 2-10 Hawks in the early going.

Kade Benjamin got things revved up for the Tigers with a steal and a dunk with 2:35 left in the first quarter to go up 18-10. Leo Gebauer followed with a bucket in transition to put New London up by 10.

But sophomore Brayden Wyrick, who led Central Lee with 15, hit from 3-point land to cut the lead to just seven.

Porter then responded with back-to-back 3 balls from the wings to push the lead to 12 and force a time out just before the end of first quarter.

Benjamin, who plays mostly within the blocks, converted again inside for a 20-point 33-13 lead, but Cory Jones and Corbin Pohren hit back-to-back threes to cut into the lead with 1:33 left. After a couple traded buckets, the Hawks trailed by just 12 at the half.

"Dante Merschman said at the half, they're not going to be happy - and I said yes, and you  have to respond to that," Hayes said. "Then they came out and were just more physical than us."

"I was really fired up and hopeful coming in, but we're just not applying the things we are doing in practice at certain times of the game. There are moments when they are, but then they start to doubt themselves. They gotta keep believing in themselves."

The Tigers came out of the locker room on a 7-0 run capped by an Evan Reed 3-ball. Jones finally got the Hawks on the board slashing to the hoop. Central Lee would convert just two more field goals the rest of the half, scoring just 10 points in the final two periods in the loss.

Jones and Merschman each contributed five to supplement Wyrick's 15 for Central Lee.

Benjamin had 26 for New London. Porter had 21 for the Tigers.

New London improves to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the SEI Superconference South Division.

The Hawks travel to Burlington Notre Dame on Tuesday night for a girls/boys doubleheader.

The jayvee squad won 56-51 behind  13 from Will Hayes, 11 from Reece Hayes and 10 from Ryan Wilbert.

Basketball, sports, varsity, Pen City Current, Central Lee, Hawks, Tigers, New London,

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