Hawkins overcomes late Cayuga rally to advance to regional final

Published 12:15 am Tuesday, March 3, 2026

CANTON — Hawkins led by 19 late in the third quarter, but Cayuga rallied to tie the game with 4:48 remaining.

From there, the Hawks went on a 15-3 run to close the game to advance to the regional final for the first time since at least 1986, per the UIL, with a 62-50 victory over Cayuga in the Class 2A Division 1 Region III semifinals Monday night at Canton High School.

“That’s what I’m really proud of,” Hawkins head boys basketball coach Doug Boxell said. “When they came back and tied the ball game up in the fourth quarter, they had the momentum. I was hoping our leaders would pull us through. Eli Smith, Eli Snider, BG (Brayden Givens) and the rest of the guys, they showed a lot of poise there, not breaking.”

Hawkins (30-6), which extended its winning streak to 15 games, hadn’t had a game decided by fewer than 20 points since a 79-77 win over Mineola on Jan. 6.

It appeared Monday’s contest was headed in that direction.

The Hawks jumped out to a 7-2 lead and 12-6 after the first quarter. After extending its run to 9-0, Hawkins led 18-6. The Hawks eventually led 30-14 at halftime as Givens had a tip-in putback just before time expired.

The Hawks led by 19 twice in the third quarter — 37-18 with 5:36 remaining and 42-23 with 3:40 on the clock. The Wildcats then scored five points in two seconds. Hawkins got the lead to 46-30 before a 3-pointer by Kase Dickson and a three-point play from Levi Satterwhite in the final 32 seconds cut the score to 46-36 after three quarters.

A putback by Gunnar Douglas to open the fourth quarter trimmed the score to 46-38.

The Wildcats’ run got to 12-0 as a reverse layup from Dickson cut the score to 46-42 with 5:39 to play. After a free throw by Snider put the score at 47-42, Carter Jenkins sank a triple and Dickson converted a layup to tie the score at 47 with 4:48 to play.

Freshman Cameron Givens put Hawkins back in front with a layup and then Snider had a steal and layup followed by a three-point play to put the score at 54-47. Dickson made a three with 3:22 to play to cut the score to 54-50, but that was the last time Cayuga scored as the Hawks were able to finish off the victory.

“We’re going to look at the numbers, and it’s not going to be our best game,” Cayuga head boys basketball coach Taylor Beall said. “But for us to be down 16 at half and down 19 late in the third and to come all the way back and tie it, I think it says something about the program we’re building over here. 29 wins, we’re going to leave here a little down, but overall, you can’t ask for anything better. We gave them everything that we had and then some. Most teams lay down to the No. 11 team right there, but we’re not scared of anybody. To come all the way back and tie it up at 47, that run right there says it all. The fact that we gave them all we had and we busted our tails, as a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”

Douglas had 14 points and 17 rebounds for Cayuga (29-9). Jenkins had 13 points. Satterwhite had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Dickson had 10 points. Kasen Drinkard added 3 points. Kayden Edwards blocked three shots.

Snider led Hawkins with 24 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Brayden Givens had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three steals. Eli Smith had 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Cameron Givens had 6 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Riggin Smith had 5 points, nine rebounds and three steals, and Anthony Howard added 2 points.

“We saw their weakest link was guarding one of our tallest players, so we took advantage of that and we fed it to him, and he scored everything,” Smith said.

“We were like we’ve got to make it tonight,” Snider said. “We had to make a run happen.”

A year after being eliminated in the third round of the playoffs, the Hawks are now headed to the fourth round to face either San Augustine or Lovelady.