One year removed from an historic Final Four run in Division IV, the Hawks have moved up to D-III and began their journey to the top of the mountain with a 97-65 bludgeoning win over visiting Madison on Feb. 27.
Game photos click here.
One year removed from an historic Final Four run in Division IV, the Hawks have moved up to D-III and began their journey to the top of the mountain with a 97-65 bludgeoning win over visiting Madison on Feb. 27.
Sixth-seeded Hawken set the tone early, racing to a 9-2 lead and stretching the margin to 30-17 after one quarter. The pace — and the pressure — never let up.
“We knew at the end of the day we’d have to adjust to every team we play in the playoffs, and this time we knew we had to use our athleticism to speed them up. They didn’t play anybody that had matched our athleticism,” said Hawken Head Coach Anthony Burns. “We didn’t want to play at their pace; we wanted to play fast. And in the two weeks off, we did a lot of conditioning, five-on-five, to get up and down the court just to stay in shape.”
Daron Hill ignited the fast start with a pair of early baskets, including a rim-rattling transition dunk, and Lewi Walter knocked down a 3-pointer as Hawken seized control.
The Hawks turned the game into a showcase by the second quarter. Hill soared for another emphatic finish on a backdoor alley-oop from Greg Price, part of a decisive surge that sent Hawken into halftime with a commanding 59-29 lead, and they carried that 30-point gap to the finish line.
This playoff opener was the perfect storm for Hawken, and got everybody geared up for that postseason intensity.
“The good thing about the newer guys, or the guys who didn’t play much last year and are getting some time this year, is that they can learn from four guys,” said Coach Burns, a two-time CVC Coach of the Year. “Usually, many teams bring back one or two guys. We bring back four guys that started for me and that have been there and know what it takes.
“These (older) guys are really good at just keeping the younger guys calm in the moment, even in practice. They know I get a little different in practice, and they tell them, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just Coach Burns in playoff mode’. I’m a different coach in playoff mode. So they got those older guys to keep everyone level-headed, and they actually did an amazing job keeping those younger guys ready.
“Now, when the opportunity presents itself, it’s no rush. There’s no pressure. They were prepared, and they trusted the process.”
“Playoff mode” will also come in handy as the Hawks host the University School Preppers on March 3 in a rematch of Hawken’s 74-67 win on Jan. 2. This time, though, it’ll be for a trip to a district title game.
“We knew no matter who we played, we’d have to adjust, and I think, besides Division I, D-III is the toughest in Ohio,” Coach Burns said. “What better way than to have a home, second-round playoff game against the US, a rival? It gives us that championship-type atmosphere. It’s going to be a packed house. It’s going to give these guys that feel of a regional final, and that’s what we want for these guys.”
Significant, too, was a recent bonding trip to a Cleveland Cavaliers game at the invitation of Cavs General Manager Koby Altman, who has kids attending the Hawken Lower School. The team tries to do some type of team bonding every couple of weeks, although the proximity of basketball and football made scheduling this game a challenge. Still, the timing couldn’t have been better, Coach Burns said.
“It was really awesome being out there on the Cavs floor. It was so cool,” he said. “I mean … it kind of gave them that edge to understand they can do something again like this, and maybe more like this, stuff like this can come.”
Sophomore Ice Taylor paced a balanced offensive effort with 20 points and three steals. Hill added 17 points, while Price finished with 15 points and two steals.
Lewi Walter contributed nine points and three assists, Charlie Mallett totaled eight points and nine rebounds, Steve Herron scored seven, Donovan Moorhead added six, and Jap Aujla closed with four points and six boards.
