The Hiawatha girls basketball team entered Friday night’s Thunder Classic championship game undefeated at 13–0, but Class 4A No. 7 Rock Creek stood in the way of a perfect run.

In a tightly contested and physical matchup, the Mustangs handed the Redhawks their first loss of the season, securing a 44–33 victory to claim the tournament title.

Hiawatha advanced to the championship game with a 65–40 quarterfinal win over St. Marys, followed by a 47–33 semifinal victory against Nemaha Central. Rock Creek reached the title game after defeating Holton 77–33 in the quarterfinals and Troy 58–33 in the semifinals.

Rock Creek opened the championship game with a 10–7 first-quarter lead. While the Mustangs accumulated several fouls early, Hiawatha was unable to capitalize at the free-throw line, shooting just 3-of-10 in the opening quarter. The Redhawks edged Rock Creek 7–6 in the second quarter, but the Mustangs held a narrow 16–14 advantage at halftime.

Rock Creek extended its lead to 27–19 by the end of the third quarter and maintained control throughout the final period to seal the win.

Kylie Nelson led Hiawatha with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Kenzie Nelson added six points and eight rebounds. Michaela Williams contributed six points and six rebounds. Kylie Nelson also posted a strong tournament performance, scoring 26 points against St. Marys and 19 points versus Nemaha Central.

Rock Creek was led by Kylee Frazee with 12 points, while Lucy Martinie finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

Hiawatha outrebounded Rock Creek 33–23 but committed 20 turnovers and shot 15-of-31 from the free-throw line. The physical nature of the game was evident, as Rock Creek had four players foul out during the championship contest.