DES MOINES, Iowa – The last time South Hamilton walked away a winner at the state tournament, Nathan Hill was on the court. Now, he’s the head coach and his son Conner was the top scorer on Monday night.
The Hawks (22-1) shot 59% percent and poured in 42 points in the first half against Rock Valley, then held on for a 73-61 win to snap a skid that went back to 1988 with the quarterfinal victory.
Conner Hill’s 22 points came on 8-of-14 shooting and included three made 3-pointers. He got 17 points from Cole Berg and 16 from Logan Peters in support to bolster the cause.
The Rockets (18-8) were a game No. 7 seed in the 2A field, but could only get as close as three points in the fourth quarter. Once the contest got to 61-58 with 2:47 remaining, the Hawks quickly scored five straight with Berg and used free throws to thwart any rallies.
Rock Valley was making its first state tournament appearance since wining 1A in 2010. South Hamilton will take on another Siouxland foe, Boyden-Hull, in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. semifinal.
