The Kasson-Manorville Komets came to the Hawks' Nest on Jan. 24. Both teams were out for a battle for much of the first half, as each team tried to control the tempo. Senior George Eberhart led the White Hawks' scoring attack early on with 13 points at halftime.
After a nice fast break layup finish, senior Lane Gordon, unfortunately, went down hard and reaggravated an ankle injury, leaving him out for the remainder of the game. The White Hawks hope to have him back for the stretch run of the season.
In the second half, the Westonka senior captains took over, with Max Kraay and Cole Drill finishing with 16 points each. After a series of close games, the Hawks were in full control of this one, finishing 73-53.
On Jan. 28 the White Hawks traveled to Richfield High School for a rematch against the team that ended their season last year in the section playoff game. The White Hawks came out fired up and ready to compete, building a first half lead as big as 14 points. After a timeout, the Spartans battled back and got the deficit down to four points at halftime.
In the second half one of the state’s leading scorers, CJ Armstrong, started playing more aggressively for the Spartans and finished the game with 23. Considering he averages 33 points a game, the White Hawks did an admirable job defending him. For the Hawks, Kraay finished with a game high 28 points and Drill added 19. Eberhart dished out eight assists and Brenden Sexton had 10 rebounds. Richfield ended up on top with a 83-71 win, but this was a competitive game throughout and these teams could meet up again soon in the playoffs.
On Jan. 30, the White Hawks had another road game at Southwest Christian. The Stars defense made things difficult for the Hawks early on, with Westonka only scoring 19 at halftime. Despite getting the offense flowing better in the second, the Stars won the game, 64-51. Kraay led the White Hawks in scoring with 18.
The White Hawks participated in the annual Community Clash Breakdown event hosted at Delano on Feb. 1 and faced the Osseo Orioles. The White Hawks' offense seemed a little sluggish in the first half, possibly because of the matinee start time of 1:15 p.m. However, they received a much needed scoring boost from sophomore Mika James, who had four 3-pointers in the first half alone. James also contributed in the second half, finishing with 17 points. Despite building nine-point leads multiple times in the second half, Osseo consistently fought back with their 3-point shooting against the Hawks' zone defense. Kraay led the way with 22 points and Drill added 10 points.
This was a much needed victory for the White Hawks after dropping seven of their previous nine games. And a gutty performance considering they were short handed having only six players available from their main rotation.
Max Kraay
Cole Drill
Mika James
Westonka bench