Harmsen’s 33 helps Golden Hawks darken Knights

WELLMAN - Ahead of the defense, Carter Harmsen took the pass from Golden Hawk teammate Will Cavanagh and flew toward the rim with the intent to throw down a dunk during Mid-Prairie's 71-55 River Valley Conference boys basketball win over visiting North Cedar Friday.

Although he did not convert the dunk, he still shot over 66 percent on his other 17 field goal attempts including 6-of-11 from 3-point land. He went 5-for-5 on free throws to finish with 33 points. Alex Bean and Aidan Rath also had double-figure totals with 10 points each and Ethan Kos added nine points and nine rebounds.

In the first game Friday, Mid-Prairie's girls improved to 3-2, 3-1 RVC in a 64-8 win over the Knights.

'We were active defensively, which was one of the keys we had,” Mid-Prairie head girls coach Danny Hershberger said. 'We did a good job communicating, which is something we want to get better at.”

The Golden Hawks torched the nets with four girls reaching double-figure scoring totals and the team shot 55 percent from the floor, 71 percent if the 1-for-15 on 3-pointers statistic isn't figured in. Two Hawks - Nora Pennington Phelan Hostetler - were each 6-of-8 shooting. Hostetler added three blocks to her season total, which is second in Class 3A at 14, and scored 13 points. Pennington came off the bench and snatched eight steals while scoring 12 points. Maddie Nonnenmann had a team high five rebounds and also scored 12 points. Myah Lugar filled up the stat line with 10 points, seven steals, four assists and three rebounds.

Hostetler provides a 'huge advantage” with her height and ability to affect shots, even without connecting on a block. 'She works on it. She does a great job of going straight up and timing her jumps,” Hershberger said.

The work Harmsen put in during the offseason has him averaging 25 points a game in the Hawks 3-1 start, which is first in the RVC and second in Class 2A.

”All summer for me was really just basketball,” he said. 'I have a hoop at home and I have a good guy that runs the YMCA that plays a lot of basketball with me.”

Harmsen was hot early, hitting five triples in the first half, then drove his game inside drawing fouls as he hit four 2-pointers in the second half and all of his foul shots.

'With the Covid rules and more warm-up time before a game, I get double the amount of shots up and I think that has helped me be on,” Harmsen said. 'If my shooting isn't there, I can always rely on my driving skills.”

Mid-Prairie has developed multiple skills as a team, pouring in 23 points in each of the first two quarters for a 46-36 halftime lead. Then the Hawks did not score for the first 4 minutes, 20 seconds of the third quarter, but their defense allowed just one Knights basket during that time.

'We might've spent five seconds on offense at halftime and we hammered them about the defensive end,” Mid-Prairie boys coach Daren Lambert said. 'Scoring 70 points, you're most likely going to win, but defensively we have to be better.”

In the second half, the Hawks cut down the amount of North Cedar offensive rebounds, and that cut down its scoring. The Hawks have a number of weapons they bring to pressure teams.

'Aidan has a year under his belt. Ethan is contributing off the bench and Alex has been hitting shot,,” Lambert said. 'Last year teams could focus on Carter, but having other weapons really opens things up. It's a pick your poison thing and we have guys that haven't been scoring that have the ability. Jack (Pennington) or Will (Cavanagh) or Lukas (Boyse) will go off for double digits.”

Mid-Prairie hosts RVC foe Cascade (boys 2-3, girls 3-3) Friday, then plays another RVC game Saturday, going to Monticello (boys 1-0, girls 2-0).