Black Hawk girls live on D

Defense again carried the day for the Grafton High School girls’ basketball team at home against West Bend West last Friday.

That was fortunate for the Black Hawks because the offense wasn’t lifting a feather.

The Hawks managed a 46-34 victory in a performance that wouldn’t receive a ribbon for best in show.

“It was ugly. It was really ugly,” coach Matt D’Amato said.

The Hawks went 5-for-33 (15%) on three-pointers.

“I wish I could say that most of them were close,” D’Amato said.

They shot 18-for-66 (27%) from the field.

“We were missing layups,” D’Amato said. “We had the opportunities. You watch a possession and yeah, I’m good with that shot. They were just not dropping.”

One Hawk fared well on offense. Sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius scored a game-high 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting, and she was 3-for-6 behind the arc.

“Sarah was very aggressive. She did very well,” D’Amato said.

He also praised senior guard Maddy Wille, who had two points and five assists.

“She had a plus-minus of plus-12 in that game, and she slowed down Mia Sallinen,” D’Amato said.

The Hawks were up, 23-12, at half over the Spartans, who were without one of their best players, Bella Baker, due to a torn ACL from soccer in spring. Sallinen led the team with 13 points.

Grafton’s edge at the break could have been greater. The Spartans banked in a three-pointer and hit a step-back jumper.

“You’re just like, ‘What do we have to do here?’” D’Amato said.

The Hawks committed 13 turnovers, which is better than last season’s 20 per game and just more than D’Amato’s goal of 10 or fewer. They also had 13 steals and 16 assists, which were positives, their coach said.

Savannah James had seven points and Ava Wilmanns had six, along with three steals.

The Hawks, 4-0, were to play at Port Washington Tuesday, host Cedarburg at 5:45 p.m. Friday in a girls-boys doubleheader and host Whitefish Bay at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14.