NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — The Hutchinson Salthawks closed out the regular season in strong fashion Friday night, sweeping Newton on the road with a 70-38 victory in the girls game and a 69-65 win in the boys contest.
The sweep sends both teams home with momentum as they prepare for a challenging final week before sub-state play.
Girls pull away behind big second half
After a tight first half, Hutchinson’s girls used a dominant second-half surge to roll past Newton 70-38.
Junior Tenley Keeton sparked the breakout, pouring in 21 of her 21 points after halftime to help the Salthawks create separation. Freshman Danai Morgan led Hutchinson with 22 points, while Lynnea Alvarez broke out of a recent scoring slump with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
The Salthawks gradually stretched their lead in the third quarter and put the game out of reach in the fourth, showcasing balanced scoring and defensive intensity.
With the win, Hutchinson improved to 11-9 on the season. The Salthawks return home to the Salthawk Activity Center on Tuesday to host Maize, then face class 5A No. 1-ranked Andover on Thursday before turning their attention to sub-state competition. Hutchinson is still in the running to be able to host a first round sub-state home game the first week in March.
Boys hold off late Railer rally
In the nightcap, Hutchinson held off a late push from Newton to secure a 69-65 victory.
The Salthawks took the lead for good with 32.1 seconds remaining in the first quarter and maintained control for most of the contest. However, Newton (1-21) trimmed the deficit to one point twice in the final two minutes, setting up a tense finish.
Junior Lamar Govain delivered in the closing moments, knocking down three of five free throws in the fourth quarter — none bigger than his final make with 3.5 seconds remaining to extend the lead to four points. Govain finished with 27 points to lead Hutchinson.
Larry Jeremiah Jr. added 18 points, and senior Jalen Grable contributed 11.
Newton was paced by freshman Jace Marsh, who connected on six 3-pointers and scored 20 points, along with Christian Henderson’s 23 points.
Hutchinson returns home Tuesday to host Maize before welcoming Andover on Thursday. Tuesday’s boys game will feature a Granny Basketball exhibition during the boy's game halftime as the Salthawks wrap up the regular season at the SAC. Newton plays host to Salina Central to wrap up their season.