HAWKS SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE AFTER NARROW DEFEAT TO PANTHERS IN POSTSEASON PLAY

IOWA FALLS, Iowa – The Northeast Community College men's basketball team hit the road to Iowa Falls, Iowa Saturday to battle No. 9 Ellsworth Community College in the Region 11-B Semifinals. The Hawks fell in the contest after a late rally by a final score of 83-82.

Northeast (14-13, 10-10 ICCAC) trailed by 11 at halftime but chipped away at the lead the No. 3 seed Panthers held as the Hawks continued to make defensive stands late in the going. Freshman Ryan Huston (York, Neb.) put a bow on his fantastic rookie campaign as he tallied 26 points in the matchup while fellow freshman Johanes Piscikas (Lakeville, Minn.) recorded 25 points of his own.

Back on January 24, Northeast fell to the national-ranked Panthers by a final score of 88-87 and were right with Ellsworth yet again Saturday. The season for the Hawks comes to a close after finishing red hot down the stretch as Northeast won six of their last eight showdowns in the regular season and took down No. 13 Kirkwood Community College and No. 23 Iowa Western Community College on the road in the month of February.

STAT SHEET:

Ryan Huston (York, Neb.): 26 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST

Johanes Piscikas (Lakeville, Minn.): 25 PTS, 4 AST, 3 REB

Scottie Johnson (Denton, Texas): 11 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head Men's Basketball Coach Josh Clark on the day against No. 9 Ellsworth:

"Ellsworth shot the ball extremely well in the first half," Clark said. "We talked about rebounding all game, and that was something that hurt us all the way through. We had a chance at the end and the guys never quit. That's all I can ask for."

Clark on what he will remember about his team this year:

"This team has a special place in my heart," Clark said. "Love all these guys. They worked hard all year and were so coachable. I wish them nothing but the best."

THANK YOU, FANS:

Northeast Athletics would like to extend a huge thank you to our sophomores, the families of our student-athletes, our amazing fans and all our supporters for making this year such a memorable one! We can't wait to see you next fall!

HAWKS HAPPENINGS:

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