Improvement in some areas was evident as Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn played its second girls' basketball game of the young season. Compared to the opener, the Hawks cut their turnovers in half and shot well (88.3 percent) at the free throw line against visiting Gehlen Catholic.

H-M-S also had plenty of looks at the basket, taking 60 shots from the floor. But they made just 25 percent of those attempts while Gehlen Catholic made 44 percent of their 66 field goal tries. That disparity resulted in H-M-S's 69-42 loss on Dec. 1.

MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS

Olivia Grooters is the first to get her hand on the ball during this rebound battle in H-M-S's 69-42 loss to Gehlen Catholic.

The score was close until late in the first quarter when Gehlen Catholic scored eight straight points to take a 17-8 lead. The margin grew to 13 points in the second quarter and the Jays led 34-23 at half time. H-M-S trailed by 22 at the end of the third quarter.

Taya Mason led H-M-S in scoring with 15 points. Jasmine Lux scored eight points, Darby Mastbergen scored seven and Olivia Grooters scored four. Contributing two points each were Elise Haack, Lydia Harders, Emily Mutombo and Emily Otto.

Harders grabbed six rebounds; Grooters, Lux and Mason each had four, and Haack and Mutombo had two each. Lux and Mastbergen both had two steals.

Scoring leaders for Gehlen Catholic were Rachel Langel with 17 points and Larissa Sitzmann with 12.

H-M-S (0-2) plays at West Sioux on Dec. 11, hosts GT/RA on Dec. 14 and is on the road at West Bend-Mallard on Dec. 15.