Hermantown continues a season-long five-game homestand this week with three Lake Superior Conference games, starting Monday night against Cloquet.
The Hawks (10-6) will also host Superior on Tuesday and Mesabi East on Thursday. All three games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Hermantown High School.
Hermantown is led by Bailey Hermanson, Aurora Decker and Jailynn Sherill, a trio that has carried the scoring load while anchoring a defense that has kept the Hawks competitive throughout the season.
The homestand continues Feb. 5 when Grand Rapids visits Hermantown, before the Hawks close the regular season with five of their final seven games on the road.
Hermantown opened the homestand with a 68-43 victory over Hibbing last Tuesday.
Hermantown’s remaining schedule:
Monday, Jan. 26 — Cloquet, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27 — Superior, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29 — Mesabi East, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5 — Grand Rapids, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6 — at Duluth Marshall, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 9 — at Chisago Lakes, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 10 — at Hibbing, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 17 — at Duluth East, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 19 — at Esko, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20 — North Woods, 7:15 p.m.
. . .
Hermantown’s boys basketball team returns home Wednesday night with a chance to pick up its fourth victory of the season against 1-11 Duluth Marshall.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Hermantown High School.
The Hawks are in the middle of a rebuild built around a deep group of young talent who are turning the heads of opponents. Junior guard Ben Sundland, 6-foot-7 junior power forward Sawyer Senst and 6-4 freshman Noah Schulz have emerged as three of the top players in the Lake Superior Conference. Schulz, in particular, is a rising college prospect drawing major attention for his combination of size, skill and court awareness.
Another freshman, guard Simon Banaszak, has also become part of the program’s long-term foundation. Banaszak’s slick ball-handling and composure have added stability to a young backcourt as the Hawks continue to gain experience against a demanding schedule.
Wednesday’s game opens a stretch that includes a mix of home dates and challenging road trips across northern Minnesota. Hermantown will travel to Cloquet on Friday before returning home next week to host Mounds View and Rock Ridge, followed by a February slate heavy on road games.
Hermantown’s remaining schedule:
Wednesday, Jan. 28 — Duluth Marshall, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30 — at Cloquet, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 2 — Mounds View, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4 — Rock Ridge, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5 — at Grand Rapids, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 9 — at Chisago Lakes, 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 14 — at Bemidji, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 17 — Duluth Denfeld, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 19 — at Rock Ridge, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20 — at Superior (Wis.), 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26 — North Branch, 6:45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 — at Duluth East, 7 p.m.