The #8 in 3A Hiawatha boys basketball team had a tale of two halves on Friday night, overcoming a double-digit halftime deficit to secure a 62-48 road victory over #10 in 2A St. Marys. The Redhawks flipped the script with a dominant 45-point second half to keep their league title hopes alive and avenge a 58-54 loss to the Bears earlier this season at the Thunder Classic.

Early on, it was all Bears. Despite being without starter Cole Hurla due to injury, the Bears jumped out to a 15-8 lead, mainly from beyond the 3-point arch, after the first quarter and continued to build momentum, taking a commanding 30-17 advantage into the locker room. St. Marys had 8 threes going into the third. 

However, the third quarter marked a total shift for Hiawatha. After the already growing momentum from defensive stops, senior Karson Henry provided the spark the Redhawks needed, draining a game-tying triple. Hiawatha’s defense tightened, and they began to exploit a St. Marys lineup plagued by foul trouble, as Ben DeVader, Louis Archer, Killian McCann, and Lane Smith all finished with three fouls, while Zach Sommars sat on the brink with four. The Redhawks outscored the Bears 26-8 in the period to lead 43-38 heading into the final 8 minutes.

The fourth quarter saw Hiawatha show their shot-clock execution. Ethan Morton and Michael Jensen both buried three-pointers at the end of separate positions to kill the Bears' comeback attempts. Perhaps most impressive was Hiawatha’s efficiency at the charity stripe. The Redhawks went 18-of-19 from the free-throw line in the second half alone (21-of-23 on the night) to pull away for the 14-point win.

Braylen Siebenmorgen led the offense with 20 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 mark from the free-throw line, while adding five rebounds, one steal, and a block. Ethan Morton followed closely with 18 points, three rebounds, and two blocks. Lane Kesler had 12 points and four rebounds, while Michael Jensen tallied seven points and two boards. Karson Henry’s lone three-pointer went along with a team-high six rebounds, and Alex Ross chipped in two points and two boards. Hiawatha’s discipline and persistence was the story of the night, as they committed just three turnovers the entire game.

St. Marys was led by Jace Hurla, who finished with 18 points (3 3-pointers) and three rebounds. Ben DeVader provided the spark from deep, accounting for 15 points, all the three-pointers, while Zach Sommars added 11 points and three boards. Louis Archer chipped in four points, and Landon DeVader provided three rebounds off the bench. Killian McCann also added two rebounds for the Bears. While St. Marys connected on 11 three-pointers as a team, they were held back by seven turnovers and a 3-of-6 performance from the free-throw line.

With the win, Hiawatha moves to 16-3 on the season and 8-1 in Big East League play. This sets up a championship matchup Thursday at the Roundhouse for the league title against Silver Lake. Before that championship showdown, Hiawatha will host Sabetha in a non-league contest on Tuesday. St. Marys falls to 15-6 (6-4) and will look to bounce back at home against Riley County on Tuesday.