STANWOOD — It was scrappy and at times a little sloppy, but the Tomahawk girls basketball took care of business, cleaning up at Stanwood and recording another win.

After trailing 12-6 at the beginning of the first quarter of the Jan. 6 meeting, the girls regrouped and rallied to defeat the Spartans 45-27.

The Tomahawks’ second game in as many days and a third looming later in the week, different players had key performances from M-P’s win over Everett the night before. From late in the first quarter when her field goal ended a 12-0 run by Stanwood, sophomore Dacia Heckendorf reinvigorated the Tomahawk offense. She scored eight more of her game-high 12 points in the second quarter and, though it cost her a few fouls, wrestled for jump balls and blocks that disrupted the Stanwood offense.

“She’s our spark off the bench,” M-P coach Julie Martin said of Heckendorf.

Turnovers plagued both teams all game long, but superior rebounding gave the Tomahawks more chances as their shooting heated up.

In a completely different second quarter, Stanwood scored only one field goal, a two-point basket from freshman Paisley Heckman, that came with 90 seconds before halftime.

Leading 20-17 at the half, M-P pulled away in the third quarter. The Tomahawks scored the first six points of the half and senior center Brittany Pierce seemed to have an answer every time Stanwood tried to close that nine-point gap, scoring six of her 10 points in the third quarter. Adding to the Tomahawk lead was sophomore and three-point ace Morgan Martinis. After struggling with her shot in the first half, Martinis shot 50 percent from beyond the arc in the second half, including her first attempt in the third quarter.

Improved team play led to M-P’s stronger second half.

“In the second half, we did a lot better,” Martin said.

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