What the Hawks have lacked is consistency, and that trend continued here Tuesday night.

Trailing Saydel 16-10 after one quarter, South Hamilton put it together over the next 16 minutes and built a lead to as many as eight points in the third period. And yet it was Saydel that had the closing stamina, as the Eagles outscored South Hamilton 12-6 in the fourth quarter to prevail, 43-39.

“Another close game we didn’t finish and get the job done,” South Hamilton head coach Matt Juber said. “Hats off to Saydel … when we made a run in the third quarter to build the lead to eight, they stuck with it and fought back into the game. We missed some opportunities defensively and they made us pay by hitting some open shots.

“We had our chances down the stretch and a few times we didn’t execute well enough, we didn’t box out well enough, (and) that’s the difference in a close game. The guys are giving great effort, we just are struggling to put it together for four full quarters.”

South Hamilton’s Carter Balvanz (30) puts up a shot over Saydel’s Judd Roberts Tuesday night in Des Moines. The Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter to beat South Hamilton, 43-39. DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

Saydel (6-8, 4-6 HOIC), which swept the season series from South Hamilton, received 13 points from Judd Roberts and 20 more from the Lo brothers, Shyne (11 points) and Camden (nine points). Mason Hicks added eight more.

South Hamilton’s Teagan Trask led all scorers with 14 points and Landon Grove gave the Hawks a second double-digit scorer with 11. Chase Friest and Ryland Ubben had four points each.

Friest and Landen Skartvedt both crashed the boards for five rebounds, and Skartvedt doled out five assists. Trask and Carter Balvanz both collected two steals.

South Hamilton will host South Hardin this evening before it resumes HOIC play at Nevada on Friday.

Saydel 43, South Hamilton 39

Tuesday at Des Moines

South Hamilton (3-12, 3-7 HOIC) — Teagan Trask 6 0-0 14, Landon Grove 4 2-2 11, Landen Skartvedt 1 0-0 2, Chase Friest 2 0-0 4, Nic Flaugh 0 0-0 0, Jonathan Drake 0 0-0 0, Carter Balvanz 2 0-0 4, Ryland Ubben 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 2-2 39.

Saydel (6-8, 4-6 HOIC) — Mason Hicks 3 1-2 8, Camden Lo 3 2-2 9, Shyne Lo 4 1-2 11, Dallas Wicks 0 0-0 0, Judd Roberts 5 3-5 13, AJ Ollin 0 0-0 0, Brayden Mallory 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 7-11 43.

South Hamilton 10 13 10 6 — 39

Saydel 16 4 11 12 — 43

3-point field goals — SH 3 (Trask 2, Grove); SAY 4 (S. Lo 2, Hicks, C. Lo). Rebounds — SH 30 (Skartvedt 5, Friest 5). Steals — SH 7 (Trask 2, Balvanz 2). Assists — SH 12 (Skartvedt 5). Turnovers — SH 11. Team fouls — SH 16, SAY 8. Fouled out — none.