The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls basketball teams travel to Wilton Friday for a River Valley Conference doubleheader with the Beavers. The Golden Hawk girls are 13-3 on the year, 8-1 in the RVC and winners of five straight after downing Durant 70-39 Tuesday behind 21 points from Morgyn Bender. This year, the Hawks score 62 points per game and give up 42 on 41% shooting, 31% from three and 65% at the line with 37 rebounds, 16 assists and steals and 17 turnovers per game. Individually, Callie Huber goes for 12 points and nine boards per night, Katelyn Harland has three assists and Jeorgia Evans three steals per night.
Wilton is 3-14 this season and 1-8 in the River Valley after a 43-37 loss to West Liberty Monday, despite 19 points from Kinsey Drake. This year the Beavers score 36 points per game and give up 61 on 28% shooting, 19% from three and 46% at the line with 29 rebounds, 10 assists and steals and 26 turnovers per game. Golden Hawk head coach Danny Hershberger joined the postgame show after their win over Durant to talk about his team’s play during their winning streak.
Hershberger said, “We’ve been able to force turnovers and have done a great job turning those into points on offense. Our ball movement has been really good the last couple weeks and we’ve hit threes, we’ve gotten the ball inside and attacked the basket well. Great effort by our girls to turn our defense into offense and then step up and hit the shots.”
These two teams have split their last 10 meetings with the Hawks beating the Beavers 92-31 in Wellman in December.
The Mid-Prairie boys are 14-2 this year, 8-1 in the league and winners of five in a row, after a 94-57 demolition of Durant Tuesday, led by 26 points from Bryce Henry. This year, the Hawks score 68 points per game and give up 51, shooting 45% from the floor, 35% from distance and 72% at the line with 32 rebounds, 15 assists, eight steals and 13 turnovers per game. Individually, Henry leads with 22 points per night, Conner Wiles has five boards and Brady Weber four assists and two steals per night.
Wilton is 3-13 this year, 1-8 in conference play. They scored a 79-68 Tuesday win over Mount Pleasant, led by 24 points from Oaklan Jirak. This season, Wilton puts up 58 points per game and gives up 72, shooting 43% overall, 35% from three and 53% from the line with 33 rebounds, 13 assists, eight steals and 19 turnovers per game. Individually, Bryce Putman puts in 22 per night with 14 boards, Briggs Oien has four assists and two steals. Golden Hawk head boys coach Daren Lambert was live on the KCII Postgame show after the Hawks win over Durant to talk about their recent play.
Lambert said, “Teams know what we’re going to try to do, and sometimes they can hang around for a quarter or two, but as long as we stay the course we really start to wear down the other team. (On defense) there’s two phases. One is full court pressure, but also, when we defend and get that rebound, that’s our other opportunity to really push the pace. We feel like we have a really deep bench, so anytime we can make them get into their bench, we feel like we have reinforcements coming. Like I told these guys, if we handle our business and the opportunities that are presented to us night in and night out, we’re going to see Regina again and that second game we’re still playing for something. Any conference game is still a conference championship game. That’s the mindset you have to have.”
The Golden Hawks were 75-56 winners in Wellman earlier this year over Wilton, snapping a five game losing streak to the Beavers. You can hear all of the action live tonight on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com, beginning with the Golden Hawk Basketball Pregame Show at 5:30p.m., Unc N Nephs Food & Brew tip of the girls game at six with the boys to follow from Wilton High School.