Women's Basketball advances to District championship game

The surprising season for the Hocking College women's basketball team continued on Thursday as the Hawks picked a great time for their best offensive game of the year, rolling past Kellogg Community College 85-75 in the semifinals fo the Great Lakes District A Tournament in Flint, MI.

Hocking, now 13-5, will play No. 16-ranked Mid Michigan College on Saturday in the District A Championship game. Tipoff is set for 1:30pm ET.

The Hawks scored a season-high in points and also connected on a season best 14 3-pointers as Hocking rallied from an 8-point first quarter deficit to win their first ever postseason game. Freshman guard Brie Gingras scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Hawks, and sophomore giard Tayen Brown added 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists, including eight free throws in the fourth quarter sending Hocking to the title game, and ending the season for Kellogg, who finished 21-6.

Hocking trailed most of the first quarter before freshman forward Trinity Bellard's three-point play put the Hawks ahead 22-19 with 1:16 remaining, and the Blue and Gold never looked back. Hocking led 39-36 at halftime before taking control of the game in the third quarter, scoring 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, five coming from Gingras, as the Hawks took a 66-54 lead in the fourth quarter.

The closest Kellogg got was seven points in the fourth quarter as the Hawks made key stops and free throws to secure the win. Sophomore guard Dasani Morrow came off the bench to contribute 11 points, including going 3-3 on 3-pointers, and Bellard added seven points, whioe freshman guards Emily Blevins and Cayleigh Dupler added six points each. Blevins also contributed four assists and four steals. Sophomore center Kortnee Smith also played a valuable role for the Hawks, coming off the bench to tally four points and grad a team-high 11 rebounds.

"We came to Michigan confiednt and with a chip on our shoulder after losing to Lakeland in late February, so we came here to prove we belong and compete. I am super proud of the way the girls adjusted at haltime and we make their shooters work," said Hawks head coach Seth Martin. "Saturday (against Mid Michigan) is going to be tough, but our girls are confident and we are going to come ready to play and be physical."