Guler was joined in double figures by Miguel Torres with 17, Charlie Larson with 15 and Jack Welch with 13.  Welch and Grady Larson led the team with 7 rebounds each, while Guler, Charlie Larson and Luke Sjolie added 3 assists apiece.  The Vikings held a 38-33 edge on the boards.  Pelican Rapids made 20-of-28 free throws.

“It was an exciting early season Heart O’ Lakes basketball game tonight as both teams played well offensively,” said Pelican Rapids Head Coach John Gullingsrud. “We built a ten point first half lead, but Hawley closed the gap to two at halftime. It was a back and forth second half as both teams traded baskets and made big shots before we were able to stretch the lead out towards the end of the game. Charlie Larson carried us offensively in the first half, and the trio of Guler, Torres, and Welch took charge in the second half as all three made some big plays when we needed it.”

Brevin Stoa had a big night for the Nuggets with a game high 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.  Landon Bakke scored 12 points and Noah Nelson added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.  Levi Lelm was also in double figures with 10 points, while grabbing 5 boards.  Hawley hit 22-of-35 free throw attempts.

“This was a really fun game tonight,” said Hawley Head Coach Nate Stoa. “We competed at a high level, but unfortunately had gotten ourselves into a hole that we couldn’t quite overcome. We battled some foul trouble all night, but got some huge bench minutes out of Mark Schauer and Zach Libak. There’s a lot the can learn from and build on from this game, and we look forward to future matchups with this squad.” 

Pelican Rapids (4-0) will travel to Thief River Falls on Tuesday, while Hawley (0-2) is also on the road with a game at Park Rapids.