The Williston Red Devils pose for a photo following their District Championship Game win. [Lily Perkins]

Williston Downs Hawthorne For Boys Basketball Rural Class District 7 Championship

Quinn Hitchcock February 8, 2025 Basketball, Hawthorne High School, High School Sports 217 Views

HAWTHORNE — The second-seeded Williston Red Devils took down Rural Class District 7’s top-seeded Hawthorne Hornets, 55-50, Friday night to cement a spot in the FHSAA 1A state tournament.

The Red Devils (15-11), seeking their third consecutive Class 1A boys basketball state championship after their third consecutive district trophy, made the 45-minute drive to Hawthorne with hopes of repeating their Jan. 17 matchup with the Hornets (16-3), a contest they won 66-54.

Electric Atmosphere

The “Hornet’s Nest” was buzzing from the start. Earl Gay Gymnasium played host to a packed house with fans filling every inch of the bleachers and lining the walls. The referees had to ask fans on the baseline to back up on a few occasions.

Following suit with other local high school games, Friday’s game featured a fan ejection. A passionate Williston fan was removed from the gymnasium following a heated exchange with the officiating crew early in the fourth quarter.

First-Half Command

Hawthorne controlled what was a back-and-forth first half.

Big three from Debose as Hawthorne gains early momentum in the second. 19-14 Hawthorne. pic.twitter.com/TcsYbR3o3R

— Alexa (@Alexa_leipold) February 8, 2025

Williston kept in the fray, while Hawthorne’s largest lead was a seven-point advantage as the half closed.

Third-Quarter Dominance

The Red Devils came out of the break scorching hot. Williston took its first lead of the game following an 8-2 run in the first 3:49 of the third quarter.

A great block from Williston and transition play that led to two free throws gives Williston their first lead of the game 28-29. pic.twitter.com/aZMPtWsybv

— Alexa (@Alexa_leipold) February 8, 2025

Crunch-Time Excitement

Williston led Hawthorne 37-36 entering the fourth quarter in a battle of two well-coached teams. The result was a thrilling stretch of play highlighted by the teams trading 3-pointers on back-to-back-to-back possessions early in the quarter.

Junior Azyron Johnson delivered the eventual game-winning basket with 2:10 left by converting a put-back layup off a missed Williston jump shot.

Top Performers

Chasion Wilson, 6-foot-6 senior, led the way for Hawthorne by collecting a game-high 23 points on 63.6% shooting, while adding 11 rebounds and 3 steals.

Williston had three scorers in double digits: De’Andre Harvey (17 points), Xavier Kirkpatrick (15 points) and Johnson (10 points).

Up Next

Hawthorne is expected to join Williston in the 1A regionals in the Rural-Region 4 tournament that begins Wednesday. Hawthorne coach Greg Bowie is eyeing a potential rematch later in the bracket. The teams will find out their destination on the FHSAA Boys Basketball Bracket Release Show at 2 p.m. today @FHSAA YouTube.

“Tough loss,” Bowie said. “The good thing about it is it’s just the district championship game, so we still advance to regional play with the possibility of meeting them [Williston] again in the regional final.”

Hawthorne vs. Williston Rural – District 7 Finals. Williston takes the win 55-50. Coach Bowie (Hawthorne) shares his thoughts on tonight’s hard-fought battle. pic.twitter.com/w0ukPlVckF

— Meg (@megantreutlein) February 8, 2025