Intense week of play for Hawks

It was a roller coaster of a weekend for the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks. As the end of the regular season nears and the teams prepare for the District 7-B tournament in Ronan next week, the Hawks welcomed Loyola and Eureka to Thompson Falls last week.

The Lady Hawks were losing by 10 points to the Loyola Heart Breakers on Friday going into halftime. But the Hawks came back re-energized and took the lead in the third, fueled by two three-pointers from junior Avery Burgess. Loyola tied up the game at 44, but the Hawks kept the lead 54-51 at the end of three, setting up an intense fourth quarter. The Hawks were up by five points, when Loyola made a run and regained the lead 65-61. The Hawks were unable to catch up to Loyola despite making several free throws in the fourth quarter, and Loyola won 77-66. Ellie Baxter led the Lady Hawks in scoring with 22, Maliyah LeCoure scored 16, Burgess 15 and Chesney Lowe 13.

The Blue Hawk boys played a physical game against Loyola. The Hawks went into the locker room up 25-23 at the half after a tight second quarter. Senior Nathan Schraeder fouled out with three minutes left in the game as the Hawks were up 48-45. The Hawks took advantage of being fouled in the last few minutes of the game and sank free throws to secure their lead and win 60-51. Josh Wilhite and Schraeder led the Hawks with 16 points each against Loyola, Braxton Dorscher scored 15, Jesse Claridge led the team in rebounds with eight and he and Claridge also snagged two steals each.

The Blue Hawks kept the intensity going Saturday night at home against Eureka in a rematch the teams had been looking forward to since losing to the Lions on the road earlier in the season.

The Hawks girls sank shots from beyond the three-point line in the first quarter. In the first eight minutes, senior Maliyah LeCoure sank two three-pointers and classmate Caity Alexander another for the Hawks' first nine points. The Hawks led by just one point at the half, 26-25, but again came out of the locker room with intensity and kept their lead through the second half, winning 63-42. LeCoure led the Lady Hawks with 19 points, Baxter scored 16, Burgess 12, Alexander 10 and Lowe six.

The Blue Hawk boys also pulled off a win against Eureka. The Lions led after the first quarter, but the Hawks took over in the second and were up 23-19 at halftime. Eureka again took the lead by three in the third quarter, setting the stage for an intense fourth quarter with fouls, a technical against Eureka and free throws sealing the win for the Blue Hawks, who ended the game up 57-52. Schraeder led against the Lions with 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal. Claridge had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Wilhite added seven pints, Bryson LeCoure seven, Breck Ferris and Ben Cooper four each, Adam Childers three and Dorscher two.

On Saturday, both Hawk teams played intense matchups against the Eureka Lions. The Blue Hawks celebrated senior night with the girls winning 63-42 and the boys winning 57-52.