A tough road test awaits the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys basketball team Thursday in the semifinal round of Class 2A District 9, when they travel to Eddyville-Blakesburg. Mid-Prairie is 12-9 this season after a 68-53 opening round win Monday over Cardinal where Bryce Henry scored 21 points, Brady Weber 18 and Ace Peck 16. This season, The Hawks average 63 points per game and give up 61, shooting 42% from the floor, 35% from distance, and 66% at the line with 30 rebounds, 14 assists, seven steals and 15 turnovers per game. Individually, Bryce Henry leads at 14 points per game, Dylan Henry averages six rebounds per night and Weber puts up six assists and two steals per game.

Eddyville-Blakesburg is 16-5 this season, they finished 12-2 in the South Central Conference, winning the championship by one game over Clarke of Osceola. They closed the regular season a week ago with a 79-69 win over PCM, behind 32 points from Brooks Moore, 19 for Jesse Cornelison, and 11 for Landon Glosser. The Rockets had a bye in the opening round of the 2A Tournament. On the year, EBF scores 68 per night and gives up 58, shooting 46% from the floor, 33% from three, and 66% at the line with 35 rebounds, 15 assists, nine steals and 12 turnovers per game. Individual leaders include, Moore at 26 points, Karic Stout nine rebounds, and Cornelison with five assists and three steals. Mid-Prairie head coach Daren Lambert joined the KCII Postgame show after Monday’s win over Cardinal to talk about getting ready for the matchup with the Rockets. Lambert said, “They’re a long, tall, athletic team. They have a lot of guys that hover around 6’2″ or 6’3″. They’re going to make it tough. They’re going to defend well and close on shooters. They can also shoot and get to the rim as well. It was back and forth in that jamboree and we have some guys that were playing then that aren’t now. So we have to make sure we have guys ready to go. We have to work on the defensive end. That has to follow us wherever we go.”

The Hawks beat EBF in one half of basketball this year at the jamboree in November, 41-37, with Brady Weber scoring 11 and Brock Harland 10. They have not met in an official game since a 68-39 Golden Hawk win in 2006. You can hear all of the action live tonight from EBF High School between the Rockets and Hawks, beginning with the Golden Hawk Basketball Pregame Show at 6:30p.m. and tip at 7p.m. on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com.