 02/03/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE - The Gibault Hawks trailed Okawville for most of the
first three quarters of play on Saturday night.
Coach
Dennis Rueter's squad trailed 27-22 heading into the fourth
quarter as they struggled offensively against the Rockets' 2-3
zone defense.
The
Hawks, however, put together a game-changing 16-3 final frame
to rally for a hard-earned 38-30 win in front of a large crowd
at Okawville's O-Rena.
With
the end result the two teams continue to head in opposite directions.
Gibault
won just four of twelve contests to open up the campaign and
were sitting at 6-10 after a 2-2 showing at the Columbia/Freeburg
Holiday Tournament back in December.
But
the Hawks have posted victories in 10 of its last 11 games as
they improved to 16-11.
“You
have to find ways to win. We've done that a few times here in
the last month. We're not pretty and we're not playing great
but right now we're finding ways to win,” said Coach Rueter.
“We're playing a little better than we were earlier in
the year. Right now it is about finding ways at the end of the
game to win.”
Meanwhile
Coach Ryan Heck's club continues to search for answers as they
have now dropped five-consecutive games and are at 8-20 on the
season.
The
Rockets can point to 18-turnovers, 12 in the second half, as
the young squad continues to learn lessons.
“Some
of it (18-turnovers) is our youth. We have freshman and sophomore
guards who are not the most physical yet. But they competed
and we gave ourselves a chance to win,” said Coach Heck.
“I told them after the game hopefully this is a regional
championship preview of some sort and we know that we can compete
at that level.”
Gibault
has two veteran players on its squad that were big parts of
the state championship run from a year ago and both produced
on Saturday.
Senior
guard Kanen Augustine scored 13-points for the Hawks and senior
forward Gavin Kesler added 12.
The
duo combined to can 5-of-6 fourth quarter free throws to help
put the Rockets away.
Gibault
also got important points from senior Ryan Biffar (five), freshman
Jack Holson (three), junior Blake Powers (three) and sophomore
Jai Lavington (two) in the low scoring triumph.
Okawville
was led by 6-9 junior center Aidan Anderson with 12-points while
sophomore Landon Shubert added eight.
Coach
Heck got contributions from freshman Braylen Turner with five-points,
three-points from senior Rylan Nelson and a basket from sophomore
Ryker Obermeier.
The
numbers didn't add up for a victory at home over their long-time
rivals.
Neither
team put up good offensive numbers with Okawville hitting just
12-of-27 shots overall and just 4-of-13 from the 3-point line.
Gibault
connected on just 14-of-41, 3-of-11.
The
Hawks managed to limit the turnovers to just seven, just one
in the fourth quarter, as they took advantage of a late technical
foul on the Okawville bench and put away the win by not allowing
the Rockets to score after a 3-pointer by Shubert with 5:31
remaining.
The
score gave Okawville its final lead at 30-29 as the final nine
points came from the visitors.
Gibault
got two key plays on offense that helped decide the outcome
in the fourth quarter.
Biffar
scored on a fast break lay in where a goal tend was called against
Okawville and then Lavington took an inside assist from Kesler
for a short bank shot to give the Hawks a 33-30 lead with 2:03
remaining.
After
an Okawville turnover, the Hawks held the ball for nearly a
minute before Augustine was sent to the foul line.
The
senior guard nailed down both free throws.
Kesler
stepped up with a huge defensive play, blocking a shot by Shubert.
Augustine
added 1-of-2 foul shots for a 36-30 lead with just :22.1 remaining.
Anderson
was whistled for a charging foul just seconds later and it led
to the Okawville technical.
Kesler
added the final two points with :17.4 left and Gibault inbounded
the ball and ran out the clock for the win.
“He
(Augustine) has been a key for us but he was a key for us last
year as well. I don't think people understood how important
he was and how good he was last year,” said Coach Rueter.
“He is scoring a little big more this year.”
(CONTINUED) |
(CONTINUED)