BRANDON- The Blackhawks split the difference in their recent match-ups with Fenton and Lakeland on Jan. 24 and 28.
In their home contest against the Tigers of Fenton, the Hawks came out the dominant party, winning the fray 71-49.
“It was a good win for the kids,” Coach Bryan Ray said. “They executed well and really stepped up in the final period.”
The Blackhawks improved their record to 5-0 in the Flint Metro League with the win over Fenton.
“We will have some showdowns in the end of the season,” Ray said, “but we still control our destiny. Right now we are leading the league and could stay on top.”
In the Metro victory over the Tigers, Gino Torelli was the points leader, racking up 31 points. His closest follower was Tom Schaeffer, who added 12 points to the board for the Hawks. Joe Turcsak had a good night, adding seven, while Nick Emery hit two three’s for the night.
Moving into action last week, the Blackhawks lost a non-league contest on the road to Lakleand.
Lakeland ran away with the first half of the game, outshining Brandon 23-12 at the half. The Hawks picked up the pace after the break, hitting 17 points, but strong defense held them down in fourth quarter.
The Hawks lost 36-46.
Tom Mahaffy was hot from the top of arch, and led the Blackhawks in scoring for the evening, with four 3-point shots and a bonus, for 13 points. Torelli added six points, and both Schaeffer and Mitch Brady put up five points.
Mahaffy and Torelli each pulled down six rebounds.
“Our biggest challenge this season has been to improve day by day,” Ray mentioned. “We have had to fight through some games, and others seem to be no challenge. What we need to improve on is our consistency.”
The Blackhawks record stands at 6-5 overall, 5-0 in the league.
On Jan. 31, the Hawks faced their toughest competition, Lapeer East, however, scores were not available by press time.
Moving into this week, the Hawks will face Fowlerville at home tomorrow, and will travel to challenge the Linden Eagles on Friday, Feb. 7.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., after JV play, for both games.