Rolling over rival

It took a little while for the Grafton High School girls’ basketball team to get its running game going in the Black Hawks’ home opener on Nov. 20.

Once they did, the game against rival Port Washington was over.

The Hawks went on an 18-0 run in the final seven and a half minutes of the first half to pull away and cruise to a 72-19 victory.

North Shore Conference Player of the Year Hannah Belanger outscored the Pirates herself with 21 points. Lexi Hilgart and Julia Place each scored 13, and Morgan Ruona added eight.

“The first few minutes we didn’t come out ready. We kind of got the flow, we got into the game and we started making our shots,” Belanger said.

Belanger scored 10 points during the 18-0 stretch to pull away, mostly on drives to the basket that started in the backcourt.

“We knew that their bench was short and knew if we got out and ran they would have to start subbing in because they would get tired, so the more we pushed, the more we knew we could get ahead,” she said.

Place hit a three-pointer at the end of the first half to give the Hawks a 34-11 lead, and then hit two more in the first few minutes of the second half for a career high.

“I kind of was just getting open and I just called for the ball, and they just passed it. I was ready,” she said.

Senior guard Lizzie Egan led the Pirates with eight points, and senior forward Kaytlin Kassens had six. Sophomore Tiana Davis made four first-half steals and hit a three-pointer that cut the Hawks’ lead to 16-11 before they went on their run.

“She’s doing a nice job, she plays hard. She’ll get more comfortable throughout the season,” coach Jakob Wahl said.

He said he knew coming into Grafton wouldn’t be easy.

“They’re a good team. They move the ball well. They make their open shots, are fundamental on defense,” he said.

Grafton coach Mike Grzesiak said his team needs to get better right out of the gate.

“In the two years I’ve been here, we historically start slow. Tonight was probably pretty indicative of it. We’ve got to figure out a way, because when we play quality teams we can’t get down early,” he said.

He said his team’s 13 turnovers were too many as well.

But the Hawks got to rest their starters in the second half and get everyone some playing time. Nine scored in all, and Grzesiak said senior point guard Hailey Block ran the show well.

“I thought it was really good as a Port rivalry game to go out there and put a lot of points on the board,” Block said, “especially girls stepping up confidently and taking some three-point shots and making some big plays.”

While Belanger will get her points — she averaged nearly 20 per game last season and is 103 away from breaking the school’s all-time record — Grzesiak also liked that Hilgart and Place stepped up with nearly identical statistics, each with three three-pointers and 13 points.

“That’s what we need from both of them for 22 nights,” Grzesiak said.

The Hawks were scheduled to host West Bend West on Tuesday and West Bend East on Friday. On Friday, Dec. 7, they play at Homestead.
Cudahy 61, Port Washington 34

After falling behind, 36-9, at halftime, the Pirates tied Cudahy on the road in the second half, 25-25, on Nov. 21.

“There are some good things to take from it,” Wahl said.

The Pirates didn’t necessarily do anything differently in the second half aside from improving their execution.

“The girls were just being accountable with what they have to do as individuals,” Wahl said.

Egan led the team with 10 points, and Ella Bierman scored seven. Davis and fellow sophomore Kayla Hartmann came off the bench to provide some good minutes, Wahl said.

The Pirates (0-3) host Whitefish Bay on Friday and then host Nicolet on Friday, Dec. 7.