2023 Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament: Forck and Dollins lead Kelly to fifth-place game

The Kelly Hawks earned a spot in the Christmas Tournament fifth-place game on the backs of Dalton Forck and Michael Dollins. The duo combined for 34 points as the Hawks defeated the Oak Ridge Blue Jays 56-41, Dollins with 20 and Forck with 14.

Both teams came out slow in the first quarter, with neither team able to knock down their early shots. Kelly held a four-point lead 12-8 after one. Oak Ridge outscored the Hawks 15-11 in the second quarter to head to the halftime break tied 23-23.

Kelly head coach Noel Trimmer said the Blue Jays disrupted the Hawks’ offense well and it affected their shots.

“They were packing the paint well and the whole first half we shot poorly from the outside,” Trimmer said. “I knew Oak Ridge was just going to stay packed in and there was no reason for them to come out, there really wasn't.”

Kelly came out in the second half with a new burst of energy, quickly going on a 13-0 run. The Hawks outscored Oak Ridge 20-8 in the third and led 43-31 heading to the final frame. Forck came to life in this quarter, putting up eight of his 14.

Trimmer said the goal was to draw the Blue Jays out to let Forck get to work.

“I think the big difference was they eventually realized that we were just gonna stand out there until they came out and got us,” Trimmer said. “They were losing so they had to come out and when they came out, then we took advantage with Dalton.”

The fourth quarter was the Dollins show as he put up more than 10 points to seal the game for the Hawks. Also in the fourth, Oak Ridge’s Ty Wilson scored more than 10 points but the deficit was simply too large to overcome.

Kelly will face Scott City on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The teams met earlier this season with the Hawks taking the win by 17.