Ross Peters scores 32 to lead Hawks past Crusaders

Junior guard Ross Peters of Kelly looks the defender in his eyes as he readies himself to make a move on Tuesday, January 23 at Saxony High School.

Jacob Blassingame ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

The Kelly Hawks (14-3) emerged victorious on the road against the Saxony Crusaders (11-7) with a 70-52 rout on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in Jackson, Missouri.

Kelly junior guard Ross Peters scored 30 of his game-high 32 points through the first three quarters. Dalton Forck added 16 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Michael Dollins scored six of his 12 points in the third quarter. Reese Eftink chipped in 10 points with an occasional basket in each quarter.

“We shot the ball really well and just didn’t have as many turnovers as we usually do, and that was the key to the game right there,” Peters said.

While his performance pushed the offense, he said the team focused on defense at practice because “they’ve got some good guards and shoot the ball well.”

The Hawks' prep proved effective, having kept the Crusaders to 41 fewer points than their whopping 93-point total against Delta on Monday. While Luke Eggemeyer led the Crusaders with 22 points, John Hartmann was held to only five points. Owen Buchheit picked up the slack with 14 points, starting in the second quarter.

The Hawks took the lead quickly after going up 17-8 in the first quarter. The Crusaders were able to cut that down a hair by outscoring the Hawks 16-14 in the second quarter, entering halftime trailing 31-24.

A 26-point third quarter by the Hawks turned the game from a competitive bout into a full-fledged rout.

When asked about the team's objectives for the remainder of the season Ross replied, “Our goal is to win Districts obviously.” Additionally, the Hawks have a goal of putting up 20 total wins on the season. Tuesday's win puts them just six wins away from that mark with exactly six regular season games left before the district tournament.

The Hawks plan to use their momentum from the win in their next game on Jan. 25, against St. Vincent. The Crusaders hope to bounce back strong on Jan. 26 against Doniphan.