Hawks place second

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

A strong second-half push in the final of their home tournament just wasn’t enough for the Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) Hawks boys basketball team to prevail.
Trailing 33-17 at half, the Hawks outscored the Notre Dame Collegiate Timberwolves 39-26 in the second half, but still fell 59-56 Dec. 17 at HCC gym.
“It was a close game and a fun environment in the final. The fans were banging the bleachers on defense and trying to distract their free throw attempts,” said head coach Josh Jalbert. “Unfortunately, our three-point shooting got gradually worse as the tournament went on. We need to try and make our shots easier and get higher percentage looks.”
The Hawks only connected on 13 per cent (3 for 23) of their threes in the final. Senior guard Jericho Ricafort sunk a pair on nine attempts.
“When we started to get the ball down low, we were able to get a couple baskets. Then we started forcing some turnovers, got out in transition and scored eight points in two minutes in the fourth quarter,” said Jalbert.
Freshman guard Alex Nwoye scored a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds in the final. Luke Sproul went 6-of-13 for 13 points to go with eight boards and two steals.
In the semis, the Hawks laid waste to the W.G. Murdoch Trojans 73-66 Dec. 17, jump started by an early 24-6 lead after the first quarter.
Nwoye turned in his best game of the tournament, registering a double-double with 28 points (11-of-25) and 10 rebounds. He also picked up four dimes and seven steals.
Reid Jensen shot just under 50 per cent from the floor (8-of-19) to finish with 19 points. He nailed three trays on 12 attempts, hauled down six rebounds and supplied one assist.
Freshman forward Ralph Valencia was efficient, going 4-of-7 for 11 points, 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and drilled both his free throw attempts.
“Our guys are starting to gel now after a couple games together. We still need to work on our ball movement. We need to get away from playing hero ball. We need to give it up and have guys play well without the ball in their hands,” said Jalbert.
The Hawks disposed of the Didsbury High School Dragons 50-34 Dec. 16 in the opener.
Nwoye once again lead his squad with 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but was 0-for-4 from the land beyond. His nine boards were a game high as he also finished with four steals.
Landon Osachuk, Ricafort and Valencia were the only Hawks to sink a three, as the team went 3-for-15 from deep.
Jensen finished with nine points and nine steals, while Valencia chipped in with seven points, two boards and two steals.
The Hawks were more effective the closer they moved to the hoop throughout the tourney. They shot 18.67 per cent from three, but improved to a respectable 40.67 per cent when they moved inside the arc.
The Hawks (2-2) travel to High River Dec. 21 to take on the Timberwolves, who sit 2-0 in a pair of Foothills Athletic Council regular season games. Then, they will break for the holidays and resume action with a tournament in Drumheller, running Jan. 13-14.