Sunday, February 23, 2025

Eight Hawks Honored at Gilman City Senior Night

Eight Gilman City players and cheerleaders were honored Friday at Senior Night against state-ranked Princeton. Honored were girls basketball players Riah Crump, Shelby Gibson, Colbi Webb, and Kelsey Sperry; boys basketball players Landon Preston, Parker Virtue, and Kenyon Puls; and cheerleader Hayley Jennings. Shelby Gibson, Kelsey Sperry, and Riah Crump were also cheerleaders.

Previously, the Lady Hawks upped their winning streak to 17 games and hit their 20th win with a 55-49 win over OSHS. The Wildcards always play well on their home floor, and Khloey Sperry was in foul trouble, sitting out for much of the second quarter with three as the Wildcards led much of the way in the half and led 23-21 at the half. Shelby Gibson kept the Hawks in the game with eight second quarter points.

But then Khloey Sperry came back and went beast mode in the third quarter, erupting for 13 points as the Hawks took a 39-32 lead after three. Sperry fouled out in the fourth, but Avery Gregg took over in that period and carried the team on her shoulders, scoring 11 points  as the Hawks hung on.

Khloey Sperry had 27 points. Avery Gregg had 14, Shelby Gibson 8, Alli Burke 4, and Kelsey Sperry 2.

The girls 20-win season was their first since the 2007-2008 season, when they won conference and won 22 games. The Hawks also won 22 games in 2005-2006.

The boys were not as fortunate as they fell 68-54 to the Wildcards. But Camden Griffith got his 1,000th point in the game. Needing 28 points to do so, he got 29.

But the girls saw their 17 game winning streak come to an end against state-ranked Princeton, falling 50-44. They led most of the way, crashing the boards hard and jumping out to a 12-3 first quarter lead at one point. Shelby Gibson, Khloey Sperry, and Kelsey Sperry all had 4 in the period. But then Addie Henke, who is on track to score 2,300 points for Princeton, suddenly started taking over. Every time the Hawks had her stopped, she would pull up and hit one midrange shot after another, just like what Jordan and Bird used to do back in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

The Blue Tigers cut it to 14-12 in the second, but a Princeton lane violation allowed Avery Gregg a second chance at a free throw and she made it 20-14. The Hawks led 26-22 at the half.

Henke and the Princeton squad looked like they were going to take over in the third quarter as Henke scored six straight to make it 28-26, but then a basket from Shelby Gibson, free throws from Avery Gregg, and a chaotic sequence in which Princeton stole the ball but Gregg stole it back and fed Khloey Sperry made it 32-28. The Hawks led 35-30 after three, but then Henke took over for the fourth, scoring 15 of her 31 points in the period as Princeton pulled ahead for a 50-44 win.

The boys saw a similar ending. They fell behind by as much as seven in the third, but fought back to tie it at 33 and 35 after three. But Clay Evans scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Blue Tigers pulled away for a 56-43 win. Camden Griffith had 20 for the Hawks.

 

 

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