HALE - Mar. 8, 2010 - Hale coach Ryan Parkinson's late season re-emphasis on finishing strong near the basket has been paying off in a big way for the Eagles.

Christian Mudry and Ben Katterman combined to shoot 22-of-27 from the floor  (81 percent) in Monday's district tournament opener with Fairview to lead Hale to a 57-40 victory.

"We did a real nice job attacking with our 'bigs' and Ben and Chris did a great job finishing," said Hale coach Ryan Parkinson. "Our guards did a real nice job getting the ball in good spots."

Hale built a 30-14 halftime lead and maintained that margin through the second half despite eight Fairview 3-pointers.

"We really did a good job going after Fairview," he said. "They pressure you and press up on you on defense, and to beat them you have to be aggressive offensively."

Katterman finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds and Mudry had 20 points and six boards. Tanner Shellenbarger added six assists, four steals and four points.

David Eaves scored 12 points and Garrett Willobee added nine for Fairview (6-15).

Hale (19-2) faces Mio AuSable in Wednesday's district semifinal, with the winner facing the winner of the Posen-Hillman semifinal for the district title on Friday.