Strong defense sparks Hawks in home win

SULLY — What a way to start the season. Lynnville-Sully had three players score in double-figures Friday night, but it was defense that got it done at crunch time. The Hawks held English Valleys scoreless in the final 3:20 of the game to come away with a 56-54 victory to open the girls basketball season. “They had a lot of heart, a lot of desire, a lot of effort,” said L-S coach Jerry Hulsing. “There were a lot of times where we could have folded the tents up and gone home, but they kept battling and fighting. We did just enough to get over the hump.” The Hawks looked tough early on, using runs of 7-0 and 8-0 to build a 17-10 lead. That lead was built with three 3-pointers in the first quarter — two from Tara Van Rees and another from Cyvan