Hospitable as they try to be as team for the event, the Hawks weren't about to let a win leave their gym.

Spurts at the end of the second and third quarters helped the Hawks maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half and the top-ranked Div. IV team in the state ran away in the fourth quarter of a 62-44 win at the Perry Reese Jr. Community Center.

"To be honest, I didn't think we played well tonight at all," Hiland coach Dave Schlabach said. "We turned it over too much and just got out of sync. You could use not having played for 14 days as an excuse, but by the second half that shouldn't be a factor. We got to a point where we would draw a play up in the huddle, something we run in practice every day, and get to the floor and go braindead. I can't remember a game like this one."

Leading 14-9 midway through a sluggish second quarter, the Hawks (9-0) began to pull away when an offensive rebound and basket from freshman Missy Mast pushed the lead to 16-9. Hilary Weaver hit a pair of foul shots and the Hawks started stretching the lead. Only 3-pointers from Lauren Geroski and Chelsie Rutter kept the Mohawks (8-3) in reach of the Hawks, as Weaver ripped off five straight points and Noelle Yoder pushed it to 25-15 by halftime with a foul shot and a 3-pointer.

In the third, a 3-pointer from Karli Mast got the lead back into double figures and a pair of buckets from Mykeila Mast and a score from Missy Mast helped stretch the lead more. Hiland put an end to the competitive portion of the night at the start of the fourth. Katelyn Stuckey scored twice on the block, Yoder scored an old-fashioned three-point play and Weaver made two free throws to push the lead to 52-35.

At that point, it was time to cue the closing music.

"We didn't fully expect to come to Berlin Hiland and beat the No. 1 team in the state," Mohawks coach Aaron Smith said. "But, we wanted to come out knowing that if we changed a few possessions that we could make it a different game.

"The last thing we wanted was to come in here and be down 30 in the first half. It's part of a learning process for our kids. I think they'll get a lot from it."

At the start of the game, the key was clear. St. Wendelin was going to hope guards Lauren Geroski, Francena Tate and Chelcie Rutter could keep them in striking distance. Hiland's goal was to make those talented guards work for everything.

That trio was 12-for-43 from the floor and scored 30 of their team's 44 points. But, Hiland's quartet of Hilary Weaver, Noelle Yoder, Karli Mast and Mykeila Mast made 19-of-45 for 50 points and all four made double digits. Karli Mast led the way with 14 points, while Mykeila Mast had 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

"They have three good scoring guards, Geroski and Tate especially," Schlabach said. They were a big part of a good team last year. I thought we lost them a few too many times. But, we did a good job with them."

Now, the focus for the home team shifts to Monday's Classic finale and a Twinsburg team that features 6-foot-5 freshman Malina Howard and lost on a basket with 14 seconds left to nationally-ranked Mount Notre Dame. Another effort like Saturday's -- Hiland turned the ball over 21 times -- might end badly.

"The important thing with Twinsburg is how hard they play," Schlabach said. "They play eight guards with Howard. It will be the first team we've played this year that can match our depth. We have to find a way to deal with a 6-5 player inside and must be better than we were tonight or we'll get beaten very badly."