Hazelwood Central Girls Win 38th

Hillsboro Basketball Invitational

By Jim Wieners

It has been a teeter-totter Girls Basketball season at Hazelwood Central High Season but after a 2-3 start, the Hawks won the next 10 out of 15 games ahead of a difficult home stretch before hosting Class Five, District Five Feb. 29 or early March.
Last week, Hazelwood Central went to the Jefferson County town of Hillsboro and came home with a championship from the 39th Hillsboro (High) Invitational. After demolishing host Hillsboro 75-16 and Imperial-based Seckman 91-30, the Hawks ran away from a 20-win Freeburg, Ill., team 79-67 to win the tournament.
In the Feb. 1 championship game Hazelwood Central took a 41-35 lead over Freeburg at halftime but the Midgets out scored the Hawks 17-10 in the third quarter. Going into the fourth quarter with a 52-51 deficit the Hawks took over by out scoring the Midgets 28-15. Senior Jakayla Kirk poured in 37 points and grabbed 15 points while senior Sydney Dukes added 14 points and 11 assists, in snapping a 10-game winning streak for Freeburg (20-7 prior to Feb. 3).
The Jan. 31 semifinal game against .fourth-place finisher Seckman (7-7 prior to Feb. 3) the Hawks rolled out to a 56-15 lead at halftime and coasted from there using a mercy rolling-clock rule in the fourth quarter. Four Hawks scored in double figures against the Jaguars including Kirk (32 points and 14 rebounds), junior Nariyah Simmons (22 points), Dukes (17) and junior Tristan Stith (12).
Hazelwood Central began the Hillsboro Invitational Jas.27 with a battle of the Hawks but Central nearly had the tournament host shut out with a 45-1 first half, including a 26-0 second quarter. Hazelwood Central had a two-to-one ratio (30-15) in the second half against Hillsboro (3-12 prior to Feb. 1), even with a fourth-quarter rolling clock. Leading the way for Central are Simmons (19 points), senior Kaniya Sanders (16), Kirk (14) and junior J’Lessa Jordan (10 rebounds).
Hazelwood Central took a 12-8 record to 8-9 Pattonville Feb.4 and to McCluer (0-10 prior to Feb. 3) Thursday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 before resuming Suburban Conference Yellow Pool play Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. at Parkway North
. After the road trip, the Hawks will have at least four consecutive home games including two Yellow Pool games— Feb. 14, 5:30 against Parkway Central and Feb. 21, 5:30 against Kirkwood — and a Feb. 18, 5:15 nonconference game against Whitfield, before opening Class Five District Five against Hazelwood West, McCluer North or Ritenour. The Hawks are 1-1 in the Yellow Pool defeating Hazelwood West 64-40 and losing 48-48 to Webster Groves, and with a 65-21 rout of McCluer North and not playing Ritenour (2-13 prior to Feb. 1) the Hawks will likely be a district top seed.
BOYS — Hazelwood Central (9-9 prior to Feb. 5) took second place in the Parkway West Showdown, losing 52-47 Jan. 31 to DeSmet Jesuit after defeating host Parkway West 51-42 on Jan. 27 and Parkway Central 57-44 on Jan. 29. The Hawks play six of their last seven games in the Suburban Yellow Pool beginning Friday, Feb. 7 at the Hazelwood Central Fieldhouse with a 5:30 game against Class Five, District Five rival Ritenour (3-14 prior to Feb. 4). Against other Class Five, District Five rivals Hazelwood Central won 58-47 Jan. 21 at McCluer North (6-10 prior to Feb. 1) and do not have Hazelwood West (7-8 prior to Feb. 3) on their schedule.
TRINITY CATHOLIC won three out of four Boys games against Illinois High School Association members from the Southwestern Conference, three on neutral Courts including Feb. 1, 66-64 over East St. Louis in Alton. In the Belleville East Classic the Titans swept the two Belleville Township High School District 201 teams, 62-54 Jan. 22 over the West Maroons and 60-53 Jan. 24 over the host East Lancers. On Jan. 25, the Titans took second inn the Belleville East Classic following a 77-57 loss to now 23-1 Collinsville, thanks to 53 points from Kahok senior Ray’Sean Taylor.
The Titans took their 14-4 overall record to St. Louis University High Feb. 4 and their 2-1 Archdiocesan Athletic Association Division II record Feb. 5 to Lutheran St. Charles County, which visits Trinity’s Bob Strub Gym Friday, Feb. 7, 7:30.. Trinity plays against 2018-2019 Class Three State Champion Vashon Saturday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. at St. Louis Community College at Meramec. Trinity hosts O’Fallon (Living Word) Christian Feb. 11 then visits Duchesne Feb. 12 and Bishop DuBourg Feb. 17 in 7:15 AAA-D2 games before playing at McCluer Feb. 19, 5 :30 in the M-4 Gym prior to starting Class Three, District Seven

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