Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Opponents get the early jump

Hawk boys can't overcome deficits in 2 losses

Taking advantage of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's defensive lapses, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire jumped out to an early lead and extended it with a big third quarter to earn a 72-62 win on Jan. 4 at Graettinger.

The Titans' 23-14 lead at the end of the first quarter set the tone for the game.

"We really struggled on the defensive end to contain dribble penetration and get out on shooters," Hawk coach Naet Hoaglund said. "GT/RA did a nice job of pushing the ball in transition and punishing our inability to get back by finding open shooters and hitting shots."

The second quarter was a draw, as...