SH GIRLS SURGE AFTER HALF, ROLL: South Hamilton turned up the defensive intensity in the second half and outscored PCM 26-4 to pull away for a 24-point Heart of Iowa Conference girls’ basketball victory Friday night in Monroe.

The 16-minute onslaught carried the Hawks to a 53-29 win, their third consecutive triumph.

“Our defense in the second half really sealed the deal,” South Hamilton head coach Mark Henderson said. “We switched up our press at halftime and that gave PCM fits. To hold any team to four points for an entire half is pretty remarkable.”

Mackenzy Grady turned in a career performance with 19 points and six steals for South Hamilton (5-6, 2-3 HOIC). She knocked down 7 of 9 field goals, part of the Hawks’ 18 of 34 (52 percent) effort.

“Mackenzy had a monster game for us,” Henderson said. “She did a great job creating turnovers and converting them into points. When she had open shots in our offense she made them. She just looked really comfortable and confident on the court.”

Caleigh Hewitt pitched in 11 points and four rebounds. Emma Lewis added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Riley Hjortshoj led PCM (1-11, 0-5 HOIC) with nine points.

South Hamilton 53, PCM 29

Friday at Monroe

South Hamilton (5-6, 2-3 HOIC) — Tanna Thompson 1 1-2 3, Emma Lewis 3 3-7 10, Paige Evans 0 0-0 0, Makena Galetich 1 2-2 4, Kate Barkema 0 0-0 0, Caleigh Hewitt 4 3-5 11, Mackenzy Grady 7 3-3 19, Zoey Duns 1 1-2 3, Ashlyn Erickson 1 1-2 3. Totals: 18 14-23 53.

PCM (1-11, 0-5 HOIC) — Madie Reed 0 1-2 1, Sidney Shaver 0 0-0 0, Paige Steenhoek 1 0-2 2, Emma George 3 0-0 6, Celeste Wagaman 2 0-0 4, Lilli Baird 2 3-4 7, Evelyn Burkett 0 0-0 0, Riley Hjortshoj 4 1-2 9, Eleigh Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 5-10 29.

S. Hamilton 16 11 9 17 — 53

PCM 16 9 2 2 — 29

3-point field goals — SH 3 (Grady 2, Lewis). Rebounds — SH 31 (Hewitt 4, Thompson 4, Lewis 4, Galetich 4). Steals — SH 16 (Grady 6). Assists — SH 9 (Lewis 4). Turnovers — SH 22. Team fouls — PCM 19, SH 9. Fouled out — none.

SH BOYS SURVIVE SCARE AGAINST MUSTANGS: Carter Hewitt and Tycin Barkema took the reins and guided the South Hamilton boys’ basketball team to a grind-it-out style Heart of Iowa Conference win Friday night in Monroe.

Outscored by nine points in the second half, the Hawks (7-3, 3-2 HOIC) were able to hang on by the skin of their teeth for a 54-53 win over PCM.

“I’m always happy to go down to PCM and come away with a win,” South Hamilton head coach Matt Juber said. “I feel like it was a game that shouldn’t have been as close as the final score, but inconsistent play continues to be our Achilles heel. Not too many times are you going to turn it over 21 times, shoot (13 of 22) from the free throw line and somehow win a close game.”

Hewitt, the Hawks’ 6-foot-6 senior center, went off for a double-double — 17 points and 10 rebounds. Barkema had his best game of the season with 14 points and seven rebounds. Clayton Ubben added six points, and Kyler Hodnefield had five and four assists.

Andrew Mitchell (12 points) and Carson Vandelune (11 points) scored in double figures for PCM (5-6, 2-3 HOIC).

South Hamilton 54, PCM 53

Friday in Monroe

South Hamilton (7-3, 3-2 HOIC) — Freddie Lewis 1 0-2 3, Tycin Barkema 4 4-4 14, Carter Hewitt 6 4-4 17, Austin Busch 2 0-0 4, Kyler Hodnefield 1 3-10 5, Chase Friest 1 0-0 2, Carter Balvanz 1 0-0 3, Clayton Ubben 2 2-2 6. Totals: 18 13-22 54.

PCM (5-6, 2-3 HOIC) — Carson Vandelune 4 1-2 11 Sage Burns 1 2-4 5, Andrew Mitchell 5 0-0 12, Gatlin Boell 3 2-6 9, Durant VanDyke 4 1-1 9, Grant Landgrebe 2 1-3 6, August Stock 0 1-2 1. Totals: 19 8-18 53.

S. Hamilton 16 18 9 11 — 54

PCM 11 13 16 13 — 53

3-point field goals — SH 5 (Barkema 2, Lewis, Hewitt, Balvanz); PCM 7 (Vandelune 2, Mitchell 2, Burns, Boell, Landgrebe). Rebounds — SH 36 (Hewitt 10, Barkema 7). Steals — SH 7 (Busch 3). Assists — SH 13 (Lewis 4, Hodnefield 4). Turnovers — SH 21. Team fouls — SH 21, PCM 17. Fouled out — PCM: Vandelune.

HAWK WRESTLERS PERFECT AT STORM DUALS: South Hamilton won 20 of 29 contested matches, 18 of the victories coming by fall, at Saturday’s Storm Duals in Conrad.

The result was a perfect 3-0 day, as the Hawks knocked off Mason City Newman (42-21), BCLUW-SH (57-24) and the Southeast Polk junior varsity (41-36).

Keyton Remsburg (113 pounds) , third-ranked (Class 1A) Lane Swenson (170), Brent Greenfield (182) and Trevor Thompson (220), who is ranked fourth at 195, all went 3-0. Colton Willis (2-0) was 2-0, while Carter Stolee (138), Owen Duns (160) and Elijah Balderas (195) went 2-1.

Swenson, Greenfield, Thompson and Willis combined for 11 pins. Swenson, still unbeaten on the season, didn’t have a match last longer than 1:12. Two of his matches ended in under one minute.