Gilman City's boys were faced with a tough test Thursday as Mormon Trail, at 6-4, came to town, but the Hawks held off a Saint charge in the third quarter and came away with a 59-37 win. The Hawks dropped a close game to Hale (10-2) the game before, but they got back on the winning track to win eight out of their last 10 and remain one of the hottest teams in the area. Camden Griffith scored 31 points, and the rebounding came through again, with Kenyon Puls grabbing 12 boards and Jace Estrada staying out of foul trouble and getting 11. Mormon Trail came in with Owen Anderson averaging 22 points per game and post player Lane Flesher capable of doing a lot of damage on the boards, but the Hawks were able to hold Anderson to 10 points in Thursday's game. Landon Preston had 9 assists for the game and Puls dished out another 6. Camden Griffith made his presence felt on defense with 9 tips, while Landon Preston adding 6.
The Hawks led wire to wire after Kenyon Puls threw one to Landon Preston to make it 2-0. Anderson cut it to 2-2, but Landon Preston found Camden Griffith for three and a Griffith tip and steal led to a layup by Preston on the other end to make it 7-2. The Saints hung around, first using a 2-2-1 press, then a man to man, and even some box and one on Griffith, while the Hawks sat back in their zone to keep Anderson out of the paint or Flesher from getting it in the post, dared the Saints to shoot from deep, and got out and ran whenever possible when the Saints pulled the trigger and missed.
Flescher closed the Saints to within 17-14 after one despite eight in the period from Griffith and seven from Preston, but then Camden Griffith took over in the second, going off for 13 in the period. He started off the scoring with a putback. Then, a block from Bo Eads was corralled by Jace Estrada, who fed Camden Griffith, who fed Preston for a layup. After another Hawk stop, Griffith stopped like he was going to pull it out, only to explode to the rim and convert a three-point play to make it 24-14.
Lane Flescher cut it to 26-17 at the 4:26 mark of the second, but then a chaotic sequence swung the momentum in the Hawks' favor. First, Gilman City stole the ball; then, Cooper Smith stole the ball back for the Saints. Landon Preston stole it back and fed Camden Griffith to make it 28-17 and spark another run. Kenyon Puls added two free throws, Landon Preston got a steal and fed Dakota Meringa, who fed Griffith for two, and Griffith posted inside and scored again to make it 34-17 at the half.
The Hawks had been struggling to get out of the gate in third quarters; for instance, they let Tri-County back into the game in that frame and they took the Hawks to overtime. Sure enough, Ethan Hostetler hit a 3-pointer from the left wing. Mormon Train came out in a box and one on Preston and as Gilman City was trying to solve it, Lane Flescher connected for a three point play to cut it to 34-23. Camden Griffith got one over Flescher to make it 36-23, but Anderson, who had been quiet since the first quarter, struck with a guarded three to make it 36-26.
But the Hawks didn't fold and Parker Virtue came off the bench and got a pass from Puls to break the run. Camden Griffith aired one out to Landon Preston, and then Griffith hit from his favorite spot on the baseline off a pass from Puls to restore order at 42-26. A defensive lapse, where the Hawks left Ben Eslick all alone underneath the basket threatened to spark another run as the Saints cut it to 42-28 and the gold shirts got a stop on the next possession, but Landon Preston got a steal, missed, but Dakota Meringa cleaned up to make it 44-28. Flescher's free throw was countered by Camden Griffith's steal to make it 46-29 after three.
Parker Virtue went off to start the fourth quarter, scoring from inside to start the scoring. Flescher scored off an Eslick steal to make it 48-31, but then Parker Virtue grabbed an offensive board and drew a foul from him, hitting one of two from the line. A Kenyon Puls drive set up Virtue inside again, Landon Preston hit Camden Griffith in transition, and Griffith and Estrada worked the inside as the Hawks led by as much as 57-33 in the fourth.
Camden Griffith had 31 points. Landon Preston had 13, Parker Virtue 7, Jace Estrada 4, and Kenyon Puls and Dakota Meringa 2 each.
Bo Eads had 2 blocks.
Kenyon Puls had 12 boards. Jace Estrada had 11, Camden Griffith 9, Parker Virtue 4, Landon Preston 3, Dakota Meringa 2, and Bo Eads 1.
Landon Preston had 9 assists. Kenyon Puls had 6, Camden Griffith 3, and Dakota Meringa, Bo Eads, and Jace Estrada 1.
Camden Griffith had 9 tips. Landon Preston had 6, Kenyon Puls 4, and Parker Virtue and Jace Estrada 1.
Landon Preston had 5 steals. Camden Griffith and Parker Virtue had 2 each.
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