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Grand Rapids rallies to defeat Farmington at St. Olaf Holiday Hoops Classic

By Nick Gerhardt, SportsEngine, 12/27/17, 12:00PM CST

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Heaven Hamling finished with a team-high 18 points and played a key role in a first-half scoring run that put the Thunderhawks in control.


Senior guard Heaven Hamling (11) scored 18 points Friday to lead Grand Rapids to a 56-47 victory over Farmington at the St. Olaf Holiday Hoops Classic on Friday. Photo by Korey McDermott, SportsEngine

Grand Rapids fought back from a five-point deficit in the first half against Farmington on Friday, and the Tigers took control with a scoring outburst just before halftime en route to a 56-47 victory at the St. Olaf Holiday Hoops Classic in Northfield.

Heaven Hamling and Hannah DeMars each had five points as the Thunderhawks (7-3), ranked No. 5 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, went on a 10-0 run in the final minutes of the first half to enter the break leading 29-21. 

Hamling finished the game with 18 points despite being hounded defensively by Farmington. Hamling, who scored 35 in a 92-74 loss to No. 1-4A Hopkins on Thursday, had just four points prior to the late first-half run. 

Grand Rapids coach Kris Hamling said her daughter has struggled on offense when teams focus on closely guarding the Thunderhawks senior, but Heaven finds ways to overcome the challenges, including against the Tigers.

“Things that she’s able to do up north, she wasn’t able to do today," Kris said. "It takes her a little bit to figure out where can I cut, where is she covering me, how is she covering me?”

DeMars added 12 points in the game for a Thunderhawks team that got out in transition early in the second half to build a 10-point lead. 

“We had to contain the post a little more, just playing our game and not getting into a run-and-gun game we’re so used to playing with other teams,” Kris Hamling said. “Just getting back to our style.”

Farmington cut the deficit to four points with 13 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the game and trailed by seven with 1:36 left to play, but a turnover eliminated any chance of a Tigers' comeback and sent the team to its second consecutive loss.

Farmington stumbled Thursday against Beaver Dam of Wisconsin, the reigning Division II state champion.

Molly Mogensen led the No. 9-4A Tigers (7-2) on Friday with 18 points.


Farmington's Molly Mogensen scored a team-high 18 points Friday night against Grand Rapids, but it wasn't enough to help the Tigers, who lost their second consecutive game. Photo by Korey McDermott, SportsEngine

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