But, the Hawks answered plenty of questions well enough to leave Sugarcreek happily Saturday.

Despite a 2-for-17 3-point shooting night that highlighted a difficult offensive game, the Hawks beat Garaway 40-26 Saturday in an Inter-Valley Conference game at Garaway High School with a stifling defense and clutch plays in crunch time.

"I don't know if we hit back-to-back shots all night," Hawks coach Dave Schlabach said. "That's the best defensive team we've played this season. They made us take the shots they wanted us to take. We were never really able to get a run together. I'd be curious to see if we ever hit back-to-back shots. I know we had times where we missed layups and had good shooters take shots and throw it over the rim by six feet."

Despite the way things looked at the end, Hiland (6-0, 6-0 IVC) had a start that could have set a tone for the night.

Off the tip, Noelle Yoder beat her defender off the dribble and scored at the basket for the Hawks' first basket. Hiland never trailed after that and had chances to put Garaway (6-2, 4-1) to bed early. Arrianna Schrock hit a pair of free throws to give Hiland a 4-0 lead before Kristen Troyer, who had eight points and Garaway's only two assists, went about keeping her team afloat.

Troyer scored on consecutive possessions that kept the game from getting to a big Hiland lead. The Hawks scored after each of her baskets, including an open drive from Hilary Weaver and a 3-pointer from freshman Meagan Hall. After a pair of free throws from Katelyn Stuckey had the Hawks threatening to run off again, Troyer hit a deep 3-pointer that kept her team in the game.

Garaway's best player had seven points in the first quarter and one more the rest of the night. After the first quarter, the Hawks sent every available defender at her, made shots hard to get and controlled the game most of the way.

"She's a great guard," Schlabach said. "She had a really big start for them. We knew we needed to pay a lot more attention to her because if we didn't she's good enough to beat you."

Hiland put the game away in the third quarter on the opposite end of the floor from where it has normally done its best work this season.

With a 20-13 score at halftime, the Hawks started the second half by forcing Garaway into seven turnovers and a free throw in their first eight possessions. Hiland wasn't scintillating offensively in the third, with just eight points. But, by holding the Pirates to a single point in the quarter, put the game away.

Yoder's 10 points and five rebounds led Hiland. Mykeila Mast had eight points and Hilary Weaver added six.

"We wore down a bit in the second half," Garaway coach Scott Bardall said.

"I think fatigue and inexperience combined there to make things hard for us. They do a good job taking you out of what you like to do."

Hiland now prepares for another big game against a strong defensive team in a week when West Holmes will come to the Reese Center for a non-conference tilt that will have the energy of a state tournament game.

"I think we got a little tired today," Schlabach said. "Our kids played hard and we did some good things. But, I just think we needed a game like this. The emotion and energy in this game was important for our kids. We needed to play a team like this."