Ursuline Falls to Hawken for Second Straight Year

Hawken's stars outshine Ursuline's dynamic duo in district final

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Ursuline boys basketball team's season came to an end on Saturday as they fell to Gates Mills Hawken 72-59 in the Division III, Northeast 2, district final at Warren G. Harding. Hawken's Ice Taylor and Greg Price outperformed Ursuline's Jaylen Gunther and Noah Bell, with Taylor scoring 31 points and Price adding 28. Ursuline struggled to limit Hawken's two leading scorers, who shot 58.5% as a team. The loss marked the second straight year Ursuline has been eliminated from the postseason by Hawken.

Why it matters

This game highlights the ongoing rivalry between Ursuline and Hawken, with Hawken now having eliminated Ursuline from the postseason in back-to-back years. The loss is a major disappointment for Ursuline, who had high hopes entering the tournament after a 19-6 regular season. The game also raises questions about Ursuline's ability to overcome Hawken's defensive game plan and star players.

The details

Hawken's two stars, Ice Taylor and Greg Price, outperformed Ursuline's dynamic duo of Jaylen Gunther and Noah Bell. Taylor led the Hawks with 31 points, while Price added 28. Ursuline struggled to limit Hawken's two leading scorers, who shot 58.5% as a team. Jaylen Gunther was limited to just 4-for-22 shooting, though he did make 11 free throws to finish with 20 points. Noah Bell picked up the scoring slack for Ursuline, finishing with 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 8, 2026.

The players

Ice Taylor

A star player for the Hawken Hawks who scored 31 points in the district final victory.

Greg Price

Another star player for the Hawken Hawks who scored 28 points in the win over Ursuline.

Jaylen Gunther

A dynamic player for the Ursuline Fighting Irish who struggled, going 4-for-22 from the floor, though he did make 11 free throws to finish with 20 points.

Noah Bell

Picked up the scoring slack for Ursuline, finishing with 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting.

Keith Gunther

The head coach of the Ursuline Fighting Irish, who was disappointed in his team's inability to overcome Hawken's defensive game plan and star players.

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What they’re saying

“We let Ice drive on us, we let Price drive on us and just kick our behind. At the end of the day, when you win, it's the kids. When you lose, it's the coaching. That's what I'm sick about. You're like, what could I have done better not to let the kids down and try and get them to win that game. It's a struggle for me because you feel like coming in, we had a great opportunity. I don't know what the answer is. I'm not real thrilled about the game, of course. Heartbroken, but you gotta move on.”

— Keith Gunther, Head Coach, Ursuline Fighting Irish (tribtoday.com)

“I thought they played great defense. Every shot Jay had to take was tough. I thought he got frustrated. He wasn't making shots early, and I thought he got frustrated. I watched him pass up on a couple shots in the second quarter that he normally doesn't. You could tell he just wasn't confident.”

— Keith Gunther, Head Coach, Ursuline Fighting Irish (tribtoday.com)

What’s next

Hawken will face Chaney in a Division III northeast regional semifinal on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Medina.

The takeaway

This game highlights the ongoing rivalry between Ursuline and Hawken, with Hawken now having eliminated Ursuline from the postseason in back-to-back years. Ursuline's inability to overcome Hawken's defensive game plan and star players is a major disappointment, but the Fighting Irish will look to bounce back next season with several key players returning.