Rockhurst basketball squared off, yet again, against one of their biggest—if not the biggest—rival, Shawnee Mission East, on Jan. 31. With Rockhurst hosting, in front of a filled-to-the-brim crowd, the Hawklets won the latest chapter of the storied cross-state rivalry with a 68-52 dismantling of the Lancers. Junior forward Kevin Sullivan and senior center Callen Eskew led Rockhurst in scoring with 16 points a piece.
The Hawklets came into the matchup with a two-year win streak against the Lancers and the best record in Missouri Class 6 District 6 at 14-3. East, on the other hand, had not had as much success so far this year, coming in with a 5-6-1 record through their first 12 games.
The much-anticipated battle was preceded by a junior varsity undercard, in which Rockhurst won 60-52 over East mere minutes before the varsity tilt. As anticipation built for the game, both student sections, bursting at the seams, bubbled with excitement.
The game tipped off with both student sections roaring. After East hit a free throw to start the scoring, the Hawklets went on a 13-3 run to engage the Rockhurst faithful.
“The crowd definitely helped with the momentum,” senior guard George Effertz said. “It got us all fired up and locked in.”
Before the first quarter ended, the Lancers stopped the bleeding by hitting a three, pulling the score to 13-7.
Rockhurst opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run to put the Lancers in a daunting 16-point hole early.
The first half was defined by Rockhurst dominating the glass and capitalizing on three-point opportunities. The Hawklets made six threes in the first half, allowing them to take a comfortable 30-21 lead into the break.
Just when it seemed East might wilt in a tough road environment, the Lancers turned it on, going on a 13-5 run of their own in the third quarter. Three straight Rockhurst turnovers allowed East some much needed breathing room, which they promptly took advantage of.
With the momentum of the game shifting, the Hawklets had to call a timeout.
While Rockhurst fans might have been surprised that East was able to fight their way back into the game, Rockhurst head coach Billy Thomas wasn’t.
“In a game like this… you throw out records,” Thomas said in the lead up to the game. “You throw out all that kind of stuff, because it’s a lot of heart and passion.”
Rockhurst responded coming out of the timeout. Effertz, one of the veteran senior leaders of the team, ended the scoring drought with three quick points. By the end of the third quarter Rockhurst had retaken a three possession lead at 45-38.
This time Rockhurst would not let East fight back. The Hawklets went off for 23 points in the fourth quarter. Eskew and Sullivan combined for 15 to help lead Rockhurst to their third-straight win against East. The final score was 68-52.
“This is the game that everyone looks forward to the most,” Effertz said. “It took all five guys every single possession.”
Many young Hawklets only know success versus East. The last Lancers’ win over Rockhurst was in January of 2022. Since then, Rockhurst has won the past three games by a combined 35 points. With an influx of new talent infusing the program for years to come, Effertz believes Rockhurst will continue to dominate East.
“We’re the better team… East will probably never be above .500 against Rockhurst.”
Another rivalry game awaits the Hawklets on Tuesday. On Senior Night, Rockhurst will play host to 4-7 Bishop Miege. The Hawklets doubled-up the Stags last season, 50-25.
