Port, Grafton boys hit rough patch

First it was lack of intensity on defense and next it was a scoring drought that sent the Grafton High School boys’ basketball team to defeat.

The Black Hawks last Friday at home let West Bend West earn its first North Shore Conference victory of the season, 76-67, and on Saturday dropped its second of three overtime games this season to non-conference opponent Pewaukee, 68-64, in the Luke Homan Showcase in Brookfield.

Against the Spartans, the Hawks allowed 38 points in each half.

“It’s all defense right now. The defensive identity of getting consecutive stops and playing without fouling,” coach Damon James said.

“It’s the defensive approach, it’s the mindset.”

Guard Alex Huibregtse scored 22 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 4-for-8 on three-pointers. Forward J.P. Benzschawel scored 11, going 2-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 on three-pointers. Zach Weir added nine.

The Spartans had three players score at least 20 points. Aaron Tennies had 25, Cody Diermeier had 23 and Logan Rupnow had 20.

On Saturday, James said the defense was much better — “It was night and day from Friday night” — but the Hawks had a different element go haywire.

Regardless, the Hawks came through in the clutch in regulation. Jaden Polack dished a pass to Weir, who drained a three-pointer from the top of the key to send the game into overtime.

“Zach Weir hit a huge shot,” James said.

Down three points with 20 seconds left, Benzschawel missed a tying three-pointer, and Pewaukee hung on.

“J.P. had a wide open look and it just didn’t go in,” James said.

A rough first half gave Pewaukee the edge.

For more than 7 and a half minutes — from the 11 minute, 13-second mark of the first half to 3:40 — the Hawks didn’t score. Pewaukee hit five straight three-pointers in the run, before James called timeout.

An early 13-7 lead evaporated into a 38-18 deficit.

“We shot ourselves in the foot with an offensive drought in the first half and that was the difference,” James said.

“Some looks didn’t go. We missed some layups with contact, didn’t finish them.”

After losing three games in a row, the Hawks (5-5 NSC, 6-6 overall) looked to rebound in a non-conference game at Milwaukee South on Tuesday. They host NSC foe West Bend East (6-3) on Friday and play at Homestead (9-1) on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Port drops two of last three games

Port Washington knocked off NSC foe Whitefish Bay, 55-51, at home on Jan. 16, before losing at Homestead, 62-33, on Friday and to non-conference foe Green Bay East at home, 77-71, on Saturday.

Against Bay, Evan Lilly scored 17 points and Adam Baierl had 16. Jake Lippe added nine, and Tamai McKoy-Jackson had six.

Harry Grams led the Blue Dukes with 13 points.

Baierl scored 15 at Homestead, and Lilly had seven. The Highlanders swept the season series against the Pirates.

Baierl scored 27 against East, including going 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Lippe had 16 and McKoy-Jackson had 12. Nolan Mueller had eight.

Deshawn Cooper scored 22 points for East, and Rafe Whalen had 20.

The Pirates (6-5 NSC, 9-6 overall) host Nicolet (10-0) on Tuesday, Jan. 29.