A good start against South O'Brien did not translate to overall success for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Jan. 16 at Paullina. After scoring 15 points in the first quarter, the Hawks managed just 10 the rest of the way in a 78-25 loss.

Four Hawks scored in the first quarter which ended with the Wolverines (1A No. 10) leading 29-15. South O'Brien limited H-M-S to five points in the second quarter while extending its lead to 47-20.

"I thought our offense in the first quarter was some of the best possessions we have had all year. We shared the basketball and were getting good looks," Hawk coach Naet Hoaglund observed. "South O'Brien put a little more pressure on the ball starting in the second quarter and we were really affected by that."

H-M-S went scoreless in the third quarter while South O'Brien built a 61-20 advantage.

Jayden Leth scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds; Lawton Schiphoff scored six points and had three assists and two rebounds; and Bradley Van Beek scored six points and contributed three rebounds and two assists. George Vargas had four rebounds and two steals, Isaac Schierholz had three rebounds and Kolby Douma added two.

"We've had games where we can compete for a quarter or two, but now we have to learn to stack those quarters and compete for the duration of the game," Hoaglund said.

Derek Paulsen led the Wolverines with 17 points.

• Improved point total at West Sioux

The second-highest point total of the season wasn't enough for H-M-S in a 54-43 loss to West Sioux. The game was played Jan. 19 at Hawarden.

The Hawks led 17-14 after eight minutes of action but suffered through a scoring drought in the middle of the game. They scored five points in the second quarter and fell behind 28-22, and were limited to six points in the third quarter. Fifteen points in the final period were not enough to overcome a 14-point deficit.

Schierholz and Schiphoff scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, Leth scored eight and Douma and Van Beek each scored three. The Hawks struggled at the foul line, making 7-of-19 attempts.

Vargas grabbed seven rebounds; Schierholz had six rebounds; Leth had four rebounds and two assists; Van Beek also had four rebounds; Schiphoff had three rebounds and two steals; and Zac Pearson and Douma had two rebounds and two assists.

• Fall to Royals

In the first of two games to be played in a stretch of four days, MMCRU handed the Hawks a 59-35 loss on Jan. 20 in Hartley.

The Royals scored first and were leading 15-9 at the end of the first quarter. A 15-2 scoring margin during the first four minutes of the second quarter helped MMCRU build a 34-16 halftime lead.

H-M-S scored 10 points in the third quarter and trailed 50-26. Both teams scored nine points during the final eight minutes.

Schierholz and Schiphoff each scored 13 points, Brody Meendering and Leth scored three and Vargas added two.

Leading rebounders were Schierholz with 10, Vargas with eight, Leth with six and Schiphoff with five. Vargas also contributed four steals and two assists, Schiphoff had three steals and Schierholz had two assists.

Brayson Mulder scored 19 points to lead MMCRU.

H-M-S (0-13, 0-7) hosts Boyden-Hull on Jan. 25, Hinton on Jan. 26 and Harris-Lake Park on Jan. 30.