Golden Hawks prey on No. 9 Bears

WEST BRANCH -- Defense is what wins games.

Most coaches believe in that motto and Mid-Prairie High School's boys basketball coach saw proof of that adage in Friday's 47-41 victory over River Valley Conference foe West Branch, which is ranked ninth in Class 2A.

Mid-Prairie, which improved its record to 6-13 overall and 6-11 RVC, won its third straight game.

'The guys have figured out what we need to do and that has us peaking at the right time of the year,” Mid-Prairie coach Daren Lambert said. 'They trust in each other and have gained confidence which makes the game a lot of fun.”

The Golden Hawks had challenged West Branch (16-3, 13-3) previously, losing to the Bears in Wellman, 57-55, Jan. 20.

'We played phenomenal defense, holding West Branch scoreless for more than 9 minutes in the second half,” Lambert said. 'We challenge the kids to only allow 10 points a quarter and we basically did that.”

West Branch converted just three field goals in the second half.

'They sat in a zone, so we had no choice but to be patient and that allowed us to take great shots,” Lambert said. 'We were 8-of-10 in the first half because we waited until we got good looks.”

The Golden Hawks had a great offensive night, shooting 21-of-35 from the field. Aidan Rath was 8-for-12 that included 2-of-3 3-pointers to finish with 18 points. Carter Harmsen was 8-of-11 to record his 17 points. Rath had six rebounds and Harmsen four. Ethan Trimpe grabbed five rebounds while Brad Tornow dished out four assists.

'We made enough plays to pull it out in the end,” Lambert said. 'We have learned from this season.”

Mid-Prairie hosts Durant Tuesday.

In the girls game, Mid-Prairie lost 63-25 to the Class 2A's No. 6 ranked team, 63-25.

The Golden Hawks fell behind 21-7 after the first quarter and trailed 33-18 at halftime.

Colby Rourke scored six points in the loss while Myah Lugar and Caitlyn Riggan added five points each.

Mid-Prairie hosts Monticello's girls tonight.