Hawks start 2015 with wins

Missed free throws could define the season so far for the Mid-Prairie girls? basketball team.

Shooting 45 percent from the charity stripe so far this season, missed free throws were hurting the Hawks who had dominated much of the second half against Durant on Friday night.

After halftime, the Hawks found themselves down two points, 24-22, to the visiting Wildcats, but held Durant to two points in the third quarter, to take a 35-26 lead going into the fourth quarter.

?We were talking and knew where the shooter was,? Mid-Prairie senior Taylor Kurtz said. ?We were stopping drives and knew that if they were in the high post they were going to dump it down, and we were able to stop that. We talked really well defensively.?

After extending the lead to 40-28, Mid-Prairie missed next four free throws, as Durant closed the gap by two points.

A bucket by Taylor Kurtz gave the Hawks a 12 point lead, then two free throws from Alex Rath continued to extend the lead, but Durant clawed its way back into the game.

Mid-Prairie missed five of its next seven free throws, but the defense was able to hold Durant to a five point deficit as the Hawks won 47-42.

The next day, Mid-Prairie (6-4) traveled to Bellevue and pulled out a 51-40 victory, making the Hawks 2-0 in 2015.

?It?s really nice,? Rath, a Mid-Prairie junior, said. ?We came in thinking new year, new season. We were 0-0 and starting off with a win was great.?

In Friday night?s game, the Hawks shot 9-of-24 from the free throw line (37.5 percent), something they will have to fix for future games.

?When you are shooting 44 percent for the season from the free throw line, I don?t think there is a lot of confidence from the players, but it?s a mental thing,? Mid-Prairie head coach Stephen Bender said. ?You have to want to go to the free throw line and hit it. We?ve talked about our free throws and it?s getting better, but if you don?t believe the shot is going to go in, you aren?t going to make it.?

Of the 11 players that saw action on Friday night for the Hawks, 10 players scored, as they were able to open their offense up to multiple looks, both inside and outside.

?We knew they were going to sink in on our post, but having (Addison Rath) who was able to drive really opened up the short corner game for me,? Kurtz said. ?It was really effective.?

Kurtz led the Hawks on Friday with 10 points and seven rebounds, both team highs, while Ali Riggan hit three 3-pointers for nine points in the contest.

On Saturday, the Hawks trailed at halftime again, 17-16, but a 20-point third quarter on offense, and only allowing five points defensively in the fourth quarter helped Mid-Prairie to the victory over Bellevue.

Kurtz had 13 points and seven rebounds in the second victory of the weekend,  while Ireland Hostetler had nine points for the Hawks in the game.

Mid-Prairie will get set for a road contest with Regina, weather permitting, on Tuesday night.