Hawks have plenty of experience on their side

Kelly is feeling the effects of its gauntlet-like schedule this year, and it won't get easier when the Hawks face eighth-seeded Advance today in the first round of the seMissourian Christmas Tournament.

Coach Nick Lanpher said his rough schedule is helping his club though.

"Advance hasn't played Bell City and Twin Rivers, and that makes a difference too," he said. "But don't take anything away from Advance -- they're good."

To run a gauntlet requires balance. The Hawks have that one covered: With four seniors and eight juniors, Kelly isn't hurting for experience. The team also spreads the ball around evenly on offense, scoring about 60 points a game.

"We never know who's going to do our scoring. We don't have one standout that a team can really key on," Lanpher said.

Lanpher also said he likes the balance because it enables him to substitute freely.

While there is no star, there is a leader. Senior guard Major Burger leads with about 17 points per game. Second on the team is senior guard Lance Scheffer with about 10.

Scoring points haven't been a problem, but rebounding has. The Hawks should get a boost there from center Lee Zigler, who has missed most of the season so far with a foot injury. Lanpher expects him to play today.

To make it through a gauntlet, a team needs intensity and concentration, too, and that's something Kelly has yet to find. Lanpher says his team should have won all the games it's lost so far. Against Bell City, Kelly had a 14-5 lead and lost 22. The team got out of its game plan against Portageville, too.

"We didn't play hard in those first three games we lost," Lanpher said. "But these kids can go when they want to."

Kelly would like to hold opponents to fewer than 60 points per game, and -- for the most part -- the Hawks have. The team allows 62 points per game.

It takes strength to battle through a gauntlet, as well. No player on Kelly's team is taller than 6-foot-3, and Lanpher says that leaves his team at a disadvantage.

"We don't have the size to compete with some of these teams," he said. "But any team is capable of being beaten if they don't come to play."

And that's been the problem for Kelly so far. Poor intensity on defense has led to two 70-point games.

"Advance is going to be hard to beat," Lanpher said of the first-round game. "But there's a lot of good clubs you have to watch this year. We're in a tough bracket."

Not just a tough bracket, but a gauntlet.