A strong first half set the tone for the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn girls' basketball team during a 44-23 win over Trinity Christian on Dec. 8 in Hartley.

A 10-0 run to start the game sparked the Hawks' early success. Trinity Christian pulled to within 11-5 at the end of the first quarter, but H-M-S put together another 10-0 scoring run that solidified control of the game. Trinity Christian was limited to two points in the second quarter and trailed 26-7 at half time.

Neither team generated much offense in the second half. A late run in the third quarter increased the Hawks' lead to 35-25, and they maintained it over the last eight minutes.

Leading scorers were Jasmine Lux with 15 points, Olivia Grooters and Taya Mason with eight points each, Elise Haack with six and Lydia Harders with five. The Hawks improved their field goal shooting to 36 percent, but were only 8-of-17 at the foul line.

Grooters grabbed nine rebounds, Mason had five and Lux came down with four. Defensively H-M-S came up with 13 steals including four by Mason and three each by Grooters and Lux.

Alyssa Maassen scored seven points to lead Trinity Christian (1-4), which only made nine of their 50 shot attempts from the field.

• vs. West Sioux

A big third quarter by West Sioux switched the momentum and sent the Falcons to a 52-31 win over H-M-S on Dec. 11 at Hawarden.

The Hawks limited West Sioux to three points in the first quarter while building a six-point advantage. Despite being outscored by two in the second quarter, H-M-S maintained an 18-14 lead at half time.

Fortunes changed as West Sioux scored 22 points in the third quarter to build a 36-26 lead. The Hawks only scored five points in the final period which saw West Sioux extend the final margin to 19 points.

Lydia Harders and Taya Mason each scored eight points, Elise Haack scored five, Olivia Grooters scored four, and Jasmine Lux, Emily Mutombo and Emily Otto each finished with two. The Hawks made just 12-of-49 shots from the floor and were 6-of-13 at the foul line.

MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS

Lydia Harders closely guards Trinity Christian's Leah Gritters in the first half of H-M-S's 44-23 win on Dec. 8.

Lux also had eight rebounds and four steals; Harders grabbed eight rebounds; and Haack added two rebounds and two steals.

Leading scorers for West Sioux (3-3) were Megan Waterman with 20 points and Emily Hulshof with 15.

H-M-S (1-3, 1-1) closes out the pre-holiday portion of the season hosting Remsen St. Mary's on Dec. 18 and playing at South O'Brien on Dec. 22.