Early forms of the Harlem Globetrotters were on display Saturday morning at the East Lawrence Center as the first-grade Hawks and Detonators matched up in the rec divisions’s first game of the season.

The Detonators appeared to mirror Globetrotter passing with their cross-court and high-low passing. They were able to spread the court and capitalize on open looks as they went on to defeat the Hawks 16-10.

Jarod Bennett led the charge for the Detonators by setting the tone early with the game’s opening points. Bennett caused problems for the Hawks with his ability to find the passing lane and come up with the steal. The Hawks struggled to set up offensively with Bennett’s suffocating defense on the perimeter.

“Defensively we were able to keep our hands up and in the passing lane which forced some turnovers,” said Detonator assistant coach Aaron Lathrop.

Alongside Bennett on the perimeter was Luc Scarlett. Scarlett delivered quick, clean passes to his open teammates and drove to the hoop for easy lay-ins. On the other end, Scarlett’s heads-up defense and quick footwork enabled him to keep his man in front of him and from attacking the hoop.

With the strong perimeter play of Bennett and Scarlett, Hawk guard Arco March had his hands full. However, March’s speed and deadly shot kept the Hawks within striking distance. March displayed an in-your-face defense that led to a handful of steals for the Hawks.

The Hawks received additional support from Joshua Trackwell. Trackwell used his size to clean up on the boards and start the transition offense for the Hawks. Trackwell flashed a soft touch by using a running jumper that helped chip away at the lead.

The Hawks, forefront, and the Detonators prepare for tipoff Saturday at the East Lawrence Center. The Detonators pulled off the 16-10 victory to improve to 1-0 on the season.

However, the Detonator defense clamped down in the final minutes. Detonator center Zion Bowlin limited the Hawks to a single shot by recovering nearly every rebound in the final minutes of the game. Bowlin also contributed to the Detonator lead, running the court and cutting to the hoop.

With the offensive spacing and quick, crisp passing, the Detonators will create match-up problems against their rec division competition this season.