Lions give it their all, but Go-Hawks capture win

The Clear Lake boys gave number two ranked (3A) Waverly-Shell Rock all they could handle, but fell just short of an upset in a District 5 final played Thursday, Feb. 23 at Mason City.  The Go-Hawks (22-1) used free throws down the stretch to squeeze out a 70-63 victory.  The Lions finished the season with a 12-11 record.
    The Lions broke out to a 16-2 lead which they didn’t give up until midway through the third quarter.
    “We got off to a great start in the first quarter and really played three and a half good quarters against a quality Waverly team.  I thought we handled their pressure pretty

well, for the most part, and did what we had to do,” said Clear Lake Coach Kevin Kahler.
    The many things that the Lions did well in the game included shooting 46 percent from the field (22/47), 41 percent from three-point range (7/17) and 85 percent at the free throw line (12/14).
    The Lions started the game shooting a blistering 7/10 from the field.  Meanwhile, the Go-Hawks got off to a 2/9 start and missed their first four free throws.  Clear Lake was scoreless for more than half of the second quarter, but still led at the half, 26-21.
    Ozzie Adams took just seconds to drain a three-pointer as the teams resumed play, putting the Lions up 29-21.  But from there, the Go-Hawks began to claw their way back.  They closed the gap to four, 29-25 at the seven minute mark in the third before Spencer Davidson scored and was fouled, providing another Lion three-point play, 32-25.  Chase Crosby kept the pressure on, pulling down an offensive rebound and scoring to make the score 34-27 at the halfway mark in the third.  Crosby followed up his own missed shot a few plays later to put his team up, 36-30.
    The Go-Hawks stayed within striking distance late in the quarter, helped by Lion fouls and turnovers, and finally tied the game at 37-37.  Crosby dished out an assist to Tanner Tusha to put the Lions ahead again 39-37 and Adams nailed a 25-footer with :30 left in the period to lift Clear Lake, 42-37.  The Go-Hawks successfully worked for a final shot in the quarter and got it to fall, 42-39.
    Free throws allowed the Go-Hawks to tie the score at 42-42 before Adams hit his fifth three-pointer on the night, 45-42.  W-SR converted a pair of free throws, but then Davidson netted a three to keep the Lions ahead, 48-44.
    Fouls began to pile up for the Lions in the final five minutes.  Free throws and a pair of steals provided the Go-Hawks with their first lead, 51-48.  The Lions tied the game once more, 51-51 with four minutes to play, but from there the Go-Hawks scored at the free throw line.  They built the lead to 59-51 with two minutes remaining. 
    Gavin Sheakley gave the Lions hope by draining a three-pointer to cut the margin to 59-54, but again the Go-Hawks made their free throws to add to their lead.  With under :30 seconds to play the never-say-die Lions had pulled back to within four points on a pair of Sheakley free throws, 67-63.  The Lions were forced to foul and hope W-SR would miss at the line, but they did not.  The Go-Hawks escaped with a 70-63 victory and advanced to meet Waukon Monday in the Sub-State game at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. 
    The Go-Hawks were 22/30 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and ended up 28/45 from the line in the game.
    The Lions were 8/9 at the line in the second half; they were 12/14 in the game.
    “We got into some - Read More Via e-Edition