The Gilman City Lady Hawks and Hawks were in semifinal action Wednesday night in the Class 1, District 14 Tournament in Trenton. The Lady Hawks got themselves back into the title game after falling in the semifinals last season with a 54-22 win over Pattonsburg. The boys, however, came up just short in their bid to return to a district title game for the first time since 2004 as they fell 70-58 to Ridgeway.
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Lady Hawks
The Gilman City girls continued to roll over opponents in the district tournament as they had the clock running continuously in the fourth quarter yet again.
The Lady Hawks used solid post play from Kyla Payne and three solid outside shots to jump out to a 13-8 lead in the first quarter. Monica Wilson took over in the second quarter, putting up 10 points as the Lady Hawks went on a 13-6 run. At halftime, Gilman held a 26-14 lead.
The third quarter was where the Lady Hawks really took control of the game. Payne and Abbie Herrold each put in six points as the Lady Hawks took off on a 20-4 run that gave them a commanding 46-18 lead with just a quarter to play. The Lady Hawks cruised through the fourth for the win.
Gilman City was led by Payne, who scored a game-high 18 points. Wilson was right behind her with 16 and Herrold added 13.
The win moved Gilman City to 24-2 on the season. The win also moves the Lady Hawks into the district title game, where they will face Newtown-Harris on Friday at 6 p.m. ath the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton.
Hawks
The Gilman City boys got a great first two quarters of play, but could not find the same success in the second half as they fell to Ridgeway for the fourth time this season.
Gilman City came out of the gates fast, running the court well. Freshman guards Taylor Eoff, Ross Oram and Nick Wilson gave Ridgeway ballhandlers fits and created several Owl turnovers. After a quarter of play, Gilman City held an 11-8 lead. Gilman City continued to control the pace of the game in the second quarter, but the Owls kept pace and only allowed Gilman City to add one point to its lead. At halftime, Gilman City led 27-23.
The third quarter was where the tide turned as Ridgeway went on a 26-11 scoring run. The breakout quarter by the Owls gave them a 49-38 lead. Ridgeway’s offense continued to play strong in the fourth period, building their lead to 19 points. The Hawks closed the game on an 8-0 run that saw back-to-back three’s by Wilson and Ross Oram. It would not be enough, however, as the Hawks’ season came to a close with the loss.
“Our boys played a great first half,” Gilman City Head Coach Brent Burke said. “They got hot in the third quarter and we couldn’t answer. The kids played their hearts out and that’s all I can ask for. We gained a lot of experience this year with our young team and I am very proud of them.”
Gilman City was led by Cody Griffith and senior Blake Johnson. Griffith put up 19 points and seven rebounds while Johnson ended his career with the Hawks, posting a double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds.
The loss gave Gilman City a final record of 15-11 on the season.