Second-half surge sends Hawks over Suns

By MITCH MAERSCH

Ozaukee Press staff

The last time the Grafton and West Bend East high schools girls’ basketball teams met, the Black Hawks won on a buzzer-beater in the playoffs.

The Suns had slowed Grafton’s fast break and controlled the pace for most of the game.

On Dec. 20, the Suns, sans one of their best scorers due to injury, got off to another good start before the Hawks took over in the second half in a 55-45 victory.

Grafton junior Sarah Aleknavicius scored 13 points, had five rebounds and three assists. Senior Gracie McNabb had 11 points and three assists. Junior Savannah James had 10 points and four assists. Sophomore Marissa Morgan had eight points. Junior Josie Gehrke had seven points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

“East came out setting the tone like they were going to take control of that game. We let them get away with it until the second half when we finally calmed down and started running our offense and getting stops,” coach Matt D’Amato said.

“We ended up locking them down. We didn’t foul. It was great discipline, which was awesome.”

Gehrke was one of the keys.

“Josie played really well for us. When she got in there, she was disrupting what they were doing on offense,” D’Amato said.

D’Amato is also a fan of his team’s balanced scoring.

“Gracie was hitting from the outside early. Sarah was driving to the hoop. Josie was getting to the free-throw line. Savannah hit a couple (of shots) and then started attacking the basket,” he said.

Getting in the paint in the second half sparked the Hawks’ offense.

“We stopped settling for threes and we started really trying to get it inside, which worked well because even if we missed we were able to get those rebounds and put them back in,” D’Amato said.

Last season, the teams split the regular season series 1-1 and East came to Grafton for a regional playoff game. Grafton senior Emily Grisar drained a three-pointer as time expired to give the Hawks a 40-37 victory.

The Hawks, 5-1 in the North Shore Conference and 6-2 overall, were to play Randolph at Kewaskum on Dec. 28. They host nonconference foe Waupun on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The Port Washington girls on Dec. 20 got off to a slow start at Whitefish Bay in a 59-44 loss. The Blue Dukes held a 31-17 halftime lead.

Post player Lillian Merow scored 10 points. Guard Maggie Zirbes had nine points and point guard Sierra Miller had seven. Guard Abby Grisar had six.

For the Blue Dukes, Sage Miskel had 13 points, and Grace Lodl and Cate Sullivan each had 12 points.

Port, 0-6 in the NSC and 2-6 overall, was to host Milwaukee Lutheran on Tuesday, Dec. 27, play an undetermined foe on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and hosts Ozaukee on Tuesday, Jan. 3.