Friday, March 2 was Senior Night at the Hawks Nest. Bryce Tappen, Carter Reinbold and manager Andy Ensrud were recognized for their contributions to the Westonka boys basketball program.

Following the senior recognition, the White Hawks tipped off against the Blake Bears. The Hawks took off on a run and took an early lead, 17-2. The Bears answered back and their shots started to fall. Westonka kept their composure and matched Blake’s physicality. The first half proved to be an even battle shown by the halftime score, 36-36. 

In the second half, the Bears took an early five-point lead, but the White Hawks answered quickly out of a timeout to take a one-point lead, thanks to some transition buckets led by junior Jacob Orenge’s assists. Hot shooting from Tappen and junior Max Kraay blitzed the Bears' zone defense.

The game stayed close throughout, and the White Hawks had a six-point lead with two minutes to go thanks to a couple of and-1s by junior Cole Drill and a clutch 3-pointer by Reinbold. However, a couple turnovers by Westonka closed the gap for the Bears. Leading by one with 13 seconds to go, the White Hawks would need one more stop, and they were able to shut down the Bears for a final shot at the rim to win 72-71 on Senior Night.