Sometimes the numbers in a game don't always tell the story.

But sometimes they do.

Sometimes just because you play with heart, it doesn't mean you always win a game.

But sometimes it does.

Both of those scenarios played out in the positive in Hiland's 65-52 win over Div. I Mason Jan. 18, as Hiland put the wraps on another highly successful Classic in the Country basketball showcase.

The numbers showed two fairly evenly matched teams, and the final statistics told the story of why the Lady Hawks were able to win a game which Hiland skipper Dave Schlabach said was exactly what his team needed.  Both teams made 21 action shots, and the rebounding was nearly a dead heat, but Hiland hit an amazing 19-of-23 free throws compared to just 8-of-10 for Mason, and Hiland forced the Comets into 25 turnovers compared to Hiland's 11.  That was the difference in the numbers.

As for the heart, nothing compared to senior guard Noelle Yoder's gutsy 21-point effort coming off of Saturday evening's MRI in which a feared MCL tear turned out to be a sprain, still ugly but not the worst case scenario.  The heart also belonged to McKenzie Miller, who mistook the Perry Reese Center gymnasium for her own personal slip-n-slide, as she careened eight feet across the floor to intercept a Mason pass at a crucial juncture to begin the fourth period in a defining moment which can turn capable players into stars.

"That play Kenzie made was the play of the game," said Schlabach.  "You step out and make plays like that, you're gonna get noticed.  I had three college coaches talk to me about that play after the game."

With Mason on an 8-0 run, and Hiland's seemingly safe 44-32 lead having evaporated to 44-40, Yoder took the first step in putting momentum back into Hiland's corner by draining a long 3-pointer to make it 47-40.  Moments after the inbounds play, Miller took a running head-first slide after a lazy pass, grabbed it, somehow dished it to Hilary Weaver, who laid it in for a 49-40 lead and a Mason time-out.  On Mason's next three trips down the floor, Miller stole a second pass inside, Ashley Weaver forced a five-second call with some ferocious defense out top and Hilary Weaver made a steal and that was that.  The defensive spark was more than enough to propel the Lady Hawks to a win in which they played extremely hard, and extremely well.

"We got better this weekend," said and elated Coach Schlabach.  "We needed this, Noelle's comment after the game was, 'I love these games.'  What a great opportunity for our kids to play in this environment.  It's tough to match this atmosphere."

The Mason win, combined with a solid effort against Potter's House, Fla., (one of the nation's premier teams) in which the Lady Hawks may have been beaten by nearly two dozen points but played well in the process, was a huge stepping stone for a team looking to find out how good it was.

"We had kids step up this weekend, and that tells me that they are getting out of that comfort zone and extending themselves to get better," said Schlabach.  "They are coming into the game ready to make an impact, and that's exciting."

Nobody may have been more excited to make an impact than Yoder, who one night after what could have been a brutally fateful diagnosis, played arguably her best game of the season.

"I tried to tell everyone that I'd be fine, but nobody was listening," said Yoder after the game.  "I was a little nervous about the knee, but I knew I'd be fine once I got going."

Yoder credited her teammates for stepping up and playing well against the state's largest D-I school.

"Tonight everyone from the freshmen to the seniors made plays and contributed," said Yoder.

Hilary Weaver agreed.  The determined point guard scored 18 points and added eight assists on the night, having been to the free throw line 20 times during the two Classic games Hiland played.  "Our defense was a big focus for us tonight," said Weaver  "We gave a lot of extra effort, and created a lot of hustle plays that made a big difference for us tonight."

Mason coach Rob Matula was gracious in defeat.  He said his team has had trouble holding on to the ball all year, and Hiland made the Comets pay with their relentless defense both in the press and in the halfcourt set.

"You can't give good teams as many possessions as we did tonight and expect to win," lamented Matula.  "It wasn't Hiland's press as much as their relentless full court defense all night long.  Give them credit... they played a better brand of ball tonight and deserved to win."

The hustle, the numbers, the heart, all painted a very pretty picture for Schlabach's team as they head into the second half of the season at 11-1.  Now, even after that first defeat, the Lady Hawks know they can play with good competition.  Schlabach hopes that knowledge will lead to confidence, which will in turn help his team grow to even greater heights.