CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northwest Vikings traveled to Exit 8 for a matchup with the Rossview Hawks on Monday. Rossview earned a 65-57 win, led by a 24-point, double-double performance from forward Israel Dillard.

Both teams came out with a solid defensive game plan, holding both offenses to under their usual scoring numbers. The guard play paced the Hawks’ offense in the first half, with Jiyair Rose and Linkoln Schwass both having eight at the break, and holding a slim two-point lead through 16 minutes, 29-27.

In the second half, Northwest guard Jacquez started to heat up, scoring nine of his 15 points in the third quarter. However, forward Israel Dillard dominated down low. The Hawks grabbed 39 total rebounds on the night, including 19 offensive, giving them plenty of chances at the rim. Dillard finished with 11 rebounds and had 21 points in the second half, after having only three in the first.

“Our inside game was really strong tonight,” said Hawks head coach Johnny Jackson. “When you have that many offensive boards, that can make a huge difference, especially when we don’t shoot the ball well. Dillard has been like that for us. When other guys have bad nights, he steps up and plays his role well.”

The Hawks were hustling the entire second half, grabbing every loose ball, boxing out, and fighting for every bucket. Rossview forward Maks Idzi got in on the action down low as well, finishing with a double-double himself, 16 points and 11 rebounds. A late scoring run for Northwest in the fourth quarter, led by six points from guard Tobias Santiago, who ended the night with 12, wasn’t enough as the Vikings fell in the Hawks’ nest.

“Rossview is a great program, and they have a great culture. They out-toughed us tonight,” said Vikings head coach DeeDee Smith. “That’s not winning basketball when you can’t rebound down the stretch. We have to pull closer together as a unit in close games like that. Guys have to trust one another in tough situations, so we’re going to take what we learned today and apply it moving forward.”

What’s next for Rossview?

Next up for Rossview is their first district game, and it’s a big one in the Battle of Warfield Boulevard against the Clarksville Wildcats on Friday. The Hawks remain undefeated in in-city play and look to keep that streak going on Friday.

“This is the time when our tough schedule has to help us,” said Jackson. “We’ve been in a lot of tough games, traveling a lot, and we have to come out in front of our crowd and perform. We need to have a night where our team shows up all five at a time.”

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