Crookston Boys Basketball late rally comes up short in loss to Hawley

The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball got behind early, and a late-game rally fell short in a 71-61 loss to the Hawley Nuggets in a Section 8AA matchup at the Hawley High School gymnasium.

FIRST HALF
Hawley started the game on a 13-2 run behind the red-hot shooting of Tucker Anderson, who made three three-pointers. Crookston responded with six points, with Reggie Winjum scoring four, while Nolan Cassavant added a basket to get within a 13-8 deficit seven minutes into the game. Hawley countered with an 11-2 run for a 24-10 lead with 7:36 left in the half. Crookston figured out the Hawley zone and started to get some points as Carter Fee made a three-pointer, and Cassavant added a basket to get within a 24-15 deficit. Hawley’s Jaxon Schenck responded with two baskets before Crookston’s Beau Smith made a three-pointer. The back-and-forth continued as the Pirates trailed 35-23 when Smith made another three-pointer, and Winjum added two free throws to bring Crookston within a 35-28 deficit. Hawley made two free throws with 39 seconds left in the half and took a 37-28 lead at halftime.

SECOND HALF
Crookston’s Nolan Johnson scored the first basket of the half to get the Pirates within a 37-30 before Hawley’s Jaxon Schenck made a basket, Tucker Anderson made a three-pointer, and Elliot Lee added a basket for a 44-30 lead two minutes into the half. The teams exchanged baskets for the next nine minutes as Hawley had a 63-48 lead with eight minutes left in the game. Crookston finished the rest of the game playing outstanding basketball. It started with freshman Nolan Johnson scoring in the paint, eighth-grader Beau Smith added a basket, and Carter Fee made a free throw, and the Pirates trailed by 10 points (63-53) with 6:56 left in the game. Hawley answered with four points before Crookston’s Johnson scored four points, and Reggie Winjum added a basket, and the Pirates trailed 67-59 with 3:08 remaining. Crookston got a steal, and Fee drove into the lane, and a Nugget defender tried to take a charge within the restricted circle, and the officials called a charging foul on the Pirates. Crookston got another steal, and Winjum cut to the basket, and another charge was called on the Pirates. Hawley scored a basket with 95 seconds remaining for a 69-59 deficit. Hawley missed the front end of the bonus two trips in a row, but Crookston wasn’t able to capitalize and Hawley held on to win 71-61.

Crookston falls to 3-15 on the season and will travel to Thief River Falls on Friday. Hawley improves to 5-16 on the year.

Beau Smith

Reggie Winjum

Gunnar Groven

Nolan Johnson

Nolan Cassavant

Carter Fee

Beau Smith

Reggie Winjum

Gunnar Groven

Nolan Johnson

Nolan Cassavant

Carter Fee

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