PIRATE BOYS BASKETBALL’S SEASON COMES TO AN END IN LOSS TO HAWLEY

The Hawley Nuggets used several big runs throughout the game to beat the Crookston Pirate boy’s basketball team 76-40 in the first round of the Section 8AA tournament in Hawley.

First Half –
Crookston scored the first points of the game with a Tanner Giese three-pointer for a 3-0 lead.  Hawley answered with five straight points before Giese recorded a three-point play to give Crookston a 6-5 lead.  The Nuggets’ Noah Nelson responded with a three-pointer before Crookston’s Hunter Nicholas scored two straight baskets on nice assists from Ryan Abeld for a 10-8 lead with 13:45 left in the half.  Crookston, as they have all season long, went into an offensive drought after Hawley picked up the defensive pressure and went on a 12-3 run to take a 20-13 lead halfway through the half. Crookston stopped the run with a Giese three-pointer for his ninth point of the game to get within a 20-16 deficit.  Hawley responded with a 9-0 run, with three different players scoring for a 29-16 lead with five minutes left in the half.  The Pirates stopped the Hawley run with a Ryan Abeld reverse layup, but Hawley slowly built a 37-18 lead late in the half.   Crookston finished the half strong by scoring the final five points, with Jack Everett scoring a basket and Reggie Winjum recording the final three points to bring the Pirates within a 37-23 deficit.

Second Half –
Crookston had a solid start to the second half as Nicholas made a basket in the paint, and Winjum made a three-pointer from the corner to cap a 10-0 run from the end of the first half into the start of the second half to get within 37-28 deficit two minutes into the half.  Hawley answered with an 11-2 run for a 48-30 lead.  Crookston’s Giese made a three-pointer to bring his team within a 48-33 deficit six minutes into the half.  Hawley used tough defense and turned Pirate turnovers into easy points on an 11-2 run for a 59-35 lead.  Giese stopped the run again, this time with a basket, only to have Hawley respond with a 17-0 run for a 76-37 lead with 1:26 left in the game.  Both teams went deeper into the bench, and Crookston ended the game with five seniors on the floor, Gavin Winger, Omar Petithomme, Ryan Abeld, George Widman, and Elliot Bartrum.  Winger scored two points, and Petithomme made one free throw.  Widman had a three-pointer at the buzzer go halfway down and pop out, and Hawley won the game 76-40.

Crookston’s season comes to an end with a record of 8-19 on the year, and will say goodbye to six seniors.  Tanner Giese, Gavin Winger, Omar Petithomme, Ryan Abeld, George Widman, and Elliot Bartrum.
Hawley improves to 16-9 on the year and will host Wadena-Deer Creek on Saturday in the Section 8AA quarterfinals.

FOR COACH GREG GARMEN’S POST-GAME COMMENTS CLICK BELOW-