Class 2A sectional semifinal at Luther North
Hales 72, Walther Lutheran 65
Records: Hales 12-16, Walther Lutheran 20-9
Halftime: Hales 38-29
Summary: Hales jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first two minutes and never trailed in advancing to Friday’s sectional championship against Northridge Prep. Walther pulled within two points twice in the fourth quarter at 51-49 and 53-51, but Hales senior Kenneth Rhymes scored six of his game-high 24 points and junior Jamie Adams added six of his 11 down the stretch to seal the victory.
Top performers: Hales — Rhymes; Adams; sophomore F Aaron Armstead 10 points, 7 rebounds. Walther Lutheran–senior G Brandon Smith 20 points; senior F Brandon Stanciel 13 points; senior G Danny Vasser 11 points.
The bonus: “We lost our momentum and we had to catch up,” Rhymes said. “It was a good game, and we had to knock down our shots. We played a very tough schedule in the Catholic League, and coach [Gary London] said ‘Don’t let the fact that they have a winning record faze us.’ “