Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn got it’s first win of the season December 10, beating Harris-Lake Park 47-35 at Lake Park. In fact it was the first win of the last two seasons for the Hawks.
“I’m very excited for our guys and happy with how they competed,” remarked HMS head coach Naet Hoaglund. “We’ve been close a few times and to finally get over the hump and get back on the right side of things is uplifting for our guys. I’m proud of the mindset and attitudes our guys continue to have and their willingness to be coached and get better.”
The Wolves pounded the ball inside during the first half while Hoaglund thought his team settled for the outside shot. The offense benefited from a shift in the second half. “We did a much better job of attacking the rim in the second half and it paid off for us,” noted Hoaglund. “We got a little more aggressive with our defense and emphasized pushing pace offensively and eventually got it tied up going into the fourth. “Lawton (Schiphoff) hit two big threes early in the fourth quarter to put us up. We continued to attack the rim and clamp down on defense. It ended up being an 18-0 run that we went on and we were able to seal the game.”
Isaac Schierholz paced the Hawks with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists. “I thought Isaac had a great game for us,” said his coach. “He hit a few outside shots early, but when we needed someone to attack, he was able to get to the rim and finish.” Hoaglund feels Schierholz’ ability to find his open teammates is a part of his game that is often overlooked. “He sees the floor really well and he’s tough to guard one on one and he does a great job of recognizing when help comes and where the ball needs to go to punish the help,” said his coach.
Jackson Vogt was second in the scoring column with 14 points. He was one of two Hawks, along with Caden Douma, to record four steals as HLP committed 27 turnovers. “Jackson did a really good job for us,” stated Hoaglund. “He was very disruptive defensively and hit some really crucial shots for us.” Alex Billings again came off the bench to provide defense and rebounding (seven boards). “The work Alex did doesn’t show up in the stat sheet but he was a difference maker defensively,” said Hoaglund. “He’s a strong kid and was able to get physical with their post. His effort was awesome to watch.” Billings did not record a blocked shot but Jayden Leth and Schierholz each had two and Vogt one.
Schiphoff finished with eight points, Douma with seven and Jayden Leth with three. The Hawks were 16-of-53 from the floor (9-of-35 from deep) and 6-of-12 at the foul line. “I thought we did a great job of valuing the basketball,” shared Hoaglund. “We only had 11 turnovers, so there’s growth there and we’re getting more opportunities to score. We need to continue to emphasize the shots we want and shot selection to get the balanced scoring we need to be successful.”
HMS 12 4 15 16 – 47
HLP 11 11 9 4 – 35