News editor
It’s a good thing the playoffs are on the road. The Hillsboro High School girls went on the road Tuesday and defeated the Halstead Dragons 57-35 to remain undefeated away from home.
The Trojans defense was stout, and the offense spread the ball around well. Six girls scored in the game, led by Addie Lackey with 24 points, Danae Bina with 12, and Alex Ratzlaff with 10.
The Trojans play Haven at home on Friday, then finish the regular season against Kingman at home on Tuesday. Substate begins March 3 at Berean Academy.
Hesston too much for Trojans
The Hillsboro girls’ basketball team kept pace with Hesston, the top team in 3A, for more than a quarter on Friday, but eventually the Swathers pulled away.
Hillsboro led 10-7 late in the first quarter and 13-12 briefly in the second quarter, but the Swathers built a 26-16 lead by halftime. The deficit grew to 36-24 at the end of the third quarter, and the game ended with a 47-28 Hesston victory.
Coach Nathan Hiebert said the key to the game was who won in the paint, and Hillsboro couldn’t keep Hesston out of the paint or score in the lane themselves.
Hiebert also said a more balanced offense would have helped. Addie Lackey and Danae Bina combined to make eight of Hillsboro’s nine field goals in the game.
“Addie and Danae get a lot of attention (from the defense),” Hiebert said.
He said he thought the team took good shots, but not enough went down. He was pleased with the team’s effort and determination.
“I’m extremely proud of how they carried themselves,” he said.