By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com

The Bluehawks sprinted to a 12-point lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to a 58-44 victory over the Whippets.

It was St. Cecilia's second win over Minden in the past two weeks. The Bluehawks also downed the Whippets, 62-50, in a subdistrict final matchup.

St. Cecilia (21-2) got off to a fast start in that game as well.

"In practice we focus on getting quick starts," St. Cecilia junior Jake Hamburger said. "That's been our focus all year long. Nothing has changed here at state. We had a quick start, they made a run the way great teams do. We just came back and held them down until the end of the game."

Hamburger led the Bluehawks with 17 points while Blake Wright added 11 and Dalton Sealey 10.

The win moves St. Cecilia into a 9 a.m. semifinal game this morning at the Devaney Center against top-ranked Pierce.

Minden, making its first state tourney appearance since 1985, finishes its season at 17-5. Senior Josh Werner led the Whippets with 21 points.

Minden coach Dave Mroczek said the start of the game Thursday was similar to the beginning of the subdistrict game.

"They did that too us last time, too," Mroczek said. "We thought we could stay with them for a little ways and try to do some different type zones like we did. The zones worked again against them, but that initial run, again we just can't weather that.

"It seems like they get that 10- or 12-point lead and it just stays there. Every time we made a run we just couldn't get over the hump."

But the Whippets weren't going to give up after a slow start. Minden held St. Cecilia to five points in the second quarter and pulled to within 26-20 at the half.

"Our kids knew they weren't going to quit," St. Cecilia co-coach Rob Kober said. "We came out and got the lead on them and they fought back. We knew until the final buzzer went they weren't going to quit."

Kober said the Bluehawks fouled too much in the second quarter and throughout the game. They finished the day with 21 fouls.

"Part of it was we put them on the line and we just weren't finishing shots," Kober said. "We need to do that. We got some good looks on the inside. We just didn't finish them."

The Bluehawks got off to another fast start in the third quarter when Hamburger nailed a 3-pointer right off the bat.

"That was big," Mroczek said. "We were in position right before half time to do some good things against them, then they come out and hit that first three in the third quarter and get on a run a little bit.

"We battled back, but just couldn't get to that single-digit mark."

St. Cecilia outscored the Whippets 15-8 in that third quarter to take a 41-28 lead into the final period. Minden was unable to cut into that lead throughout the fourth quarter.

Hamburger, who leads St. Cecilia in scoring this season at 14.6 per game, hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter to help the Bluehawks build their lead.

"Jake has done a nice job finishing things," Kober said. "Jake will tell you too that his success goes to the rest of the guys because they find him when he's open and set screens for him. For us to keep winning, they're going to have to keep doing that."

The semifinal against Pierce is a rematch of a game earlier this season that saw the Bluejays take a 57-45 victory.

"It's going to be fun," Hamburger said of the rematch. "It's going to be at Devaney, a lot of people, a big atmosphere with two great teams. Hopefully we can execute our plays and take away theirs."

HASTINGS SC 58, MINDEN 44

MINDEN (17-5)

Werner 7-11 4-6 21, Choquette 3-6 2-5 9, Schwenka 0-7 0-0 0, Blum 0-0 8-12 8, Christensen 1-5 0-0 2, Krall 1-2 0-1 2, Pearson 0-2 0-0 0, Anderson 0-2 0-0 0, Holliday 0-0 0-0 0, Z. Grams 0-0 0-0 0, C. Grams 0-0 0-0 0, Trausch 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 13-36 14-25 44.

HASTINGS SC (21-2)

Sealey 4-6 0-0 10, Nikkila 2-6 2-6 7, Hamburger 6-10 2-2 17, Wright 5-9 1-8 13, Anstine 0-0 0-0 0, Goedert 2-3 0-0 4, M. Sterup 0-1 6-8 6, Esch 0-1 1-2 1, Souchek 0-0 0-0 0, Farmer 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 19-39 14-26 58.

Minden 9 1 8 1644

Hastings SC 21 5 15 1758

3-Point goalsMinden 4-8 (Werner 3-4, Choquette 1-3, Anderson 0-1). Hastings SC 6-11 (Hamburger 3-4, Sealey 2-3, Nikkila 1-2, Esch 0-1, Farmer 0-1). Fouled outNone. ReboundsMinden 25 (Blum 11). Hastings SC 32(Wright 7). TurnoversMinden 18, Hastings SC 11. Total foulsMinden 22, Hastings SC 21. TechnicalsNone.