Watkins goes for 41 as Falcons outlast Hawks

DONNELLSON – The Central Lee boys basketball team likes to play at home.
So much so that they hung around with one of the better 2A teams in the state Friday night.
The Hawks were within two points at 65-63 about two minutes into the fourth quarter but couldn’t sustain early hot shooting as the Falcons pulled away for a 78-65 win in Southeast Iowa Super Conference boys basketball action at Central Lee’s gym.
The two teams came out blistering from the field and raced to a 23-20 Hawk advantage at the end of the first period.
Central Lee hit on seven of their first nine shots and hit four 3-balls in the first period keeping the Falcons a little on their heels.
Just a little, tho.
West Burlington’s Mason Watkins, who’s getting consideration as a McDonald’s All-American, put up 27 points in the first half to keep West Burlington on the attack. Watkins slashed his way to the basket when Central Lee went to a 1-2-2 zone defense to start the second quarter and scored regularly - while drawing contact regularly.
Watkins would finish with a wicked 41 on the night.
While the Hawks were getting balanced scoring from its five starters, Watkins was almost single handedly pulling the Falcons’ wagon.
The Falcons started slow missing their first three shots from the field, while Central Lee hit its first three and pulled out to a quick 7-0 lead prompting a quick time out from West Burlington Head Coach Cody VanFleet. Out of the break, Watkins converted. The Hawks’ Brayden Wyrick would counter in the lane on the next Hawks’ possession, and then Watkins would convert again and start to feel it.
He would score seven more points in the first period including consecutive three-point plays followed by another bucket in transition to cut the lead to 17-14. Kobe Davis would answer in the lane off a Watkins’ miss and then Carson Morrison buried a three from the left wing for a 20-16 Central Lee lead. He would hit another before the end of the first quarter in a sequence where the Hawks pulled down two offensive rebounds off misses and kicked it out to Morrison for 23-20 lead at the end of one.
West Burlington would catch up and pass the Hawks on another Davis score inside with 5:08 left in the first half. Will Hayes would give the lead back to the Hawks on a floater in the lane, but Watkins would answer and give the Falcons a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
A bucket inside at 3:07 by Wyrick on an inbounds play tied things at 34, but Central Lee wouldn’t catch the Falcons again the rest of the night, despite keeping the game dramatic until the final five minutes.

Kaden Swan's buzzer-beater bank shot from 3 at the end of the third quarter looked to still be in his hand but officials ruled the bank shot good bringing the Hawks to within six at 65-59 going into the fourth. Swan and Hayes would get buckets early in the period to cut the lead to just two, but Quincy Collins would score cutting to the basket from the right side, and that would trigger a scoring drought for the Hawks. West Burlington would go on a 12-0 run down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Hayes had 22 on the night to lead Central Lee and is getting very comfortable off the dribble in the lane.
“Our thought was to pound the ball inside because we have that height advantage. We also have Brayden down there and we’re confident in our inside game. I feel confident going off the dribble taking it to the rim,” he said.
“We just went on a dry streak late and a team that good won’t do that. We had a couple minutes without a bucket, and they kept scoring. Obviously, it’s encouraging knowing that we were with them, and I think we can make a good run in the post-season.”
Head Coach Jonny Swanson said it was the best offensively the Hawks have played all year. He said they are getting very comfortable in the Hawks' gym.
“Offensively, I thought that was our best game by a lot,” Swanson said.
“We hit a bunch of shots early and we play so much better offensively when we’re at home. It's clear we’re so much more comfortable shooting the ball and things at home.”
He said the boys have been playing better and better and they hope to get a couple more wins down the stretch to maybe force a rematch with West Burlington in the district championship. Both Falcons and Central Lee play in 2A and could find each other in the post-season.
“We haven’t gotten assignments yet, but that’s a team were probably going to see. We’re hoping we play well enough to see them in the district championship. We’re setting our goals on that and we’re capable of doing that, but defensively we got to clean things up for sure,” Swanson said.
But he saw a resilience in the squad Friday night.
“It was so amazing to see that we went down 12 at half and we came out in the third quarter and got six or seven stops in a row. We made an adjustment and then we were scoring on the other end. We had the opportunity in the first half to say, ‘we shot well and we still can’t keep up with them’, and then just fold it in and lose by 30," he said.
"That didn’t happen.”
Owen Swan had 12 points for the Hawks (6-6,7-8). Wyrick finished with 10 for Central Lee. Davis had 16 for the Falcons and Quincy Collins added 15.
The Hawks have a three-game homestand starting Tuesday with Mediapolis. Van Buren comes to town on Friday and Keokuk comes up 61 for a Saturday afternoon contest next week.