Staff writer
Despite being shorthanded Friday at Kingman, the Hillsboro High School girls’ basketball team won the game, 45-27.
The Hillsboro front court tandem of Krista Reimer and Addie Lackey had a high-scoring and effective rebounding night for Hillsboro.
The chemistry between the two forwards was evident Friday. Lackey was the assists leader for Hillsboro with 5 helpers — at least three went to Reimer. Often, Lackey would drive along the right side of the lane and once drawing multiple defenders she would kick the ball to Reimer for a baseline jumper or running layup.
“We’ve just been kind of reading each other well,” Reimer said.
Reimer scored 16 points Friday, just 2 points off her season high. She has scored in double figures two out of the last three games.
“A lot of it is missing Tena (Loewen). We all need to step up,” Reimer said of her increased role over the past few games. “A lot of us are playing for her and for ourselves too.”
Lackey and Reimer each recorded 6 rebounds. Along with being the Trojans’ primary playmaker, Lackey has taken on the role of defensive stopper. She guarded the Eagles’ top player, Dani Molitor for most of the contest. Molitor scored 1 point through three quarters, allowing Hillsboro to gain a 39-13 advantage. Lackey also recorded four steals, the most for the team.
“She frustrated Molitor,” head coach Nathan Hiebert said. “Addie has had that talent, you just haven’t seen it.”
Molitor did break out in the fourth quarter to score 11 points. This was partially because the Trojans were thin at the power forward position. Normal backup Amy Bartel was out; she was receiving a scholarship in Oklahoma. With a sizable advantage, junior varsity players Kennedy Lucero, Darcy Heinrichs, and Allison Weber received varsity minutes Friday. When Hiebert called their names to enter the game, they seemed a bit surprised.
“The first time you suit up, you don’t know if you’re getting in,” Hiebert said. “I was proud of the way they came in. We gave up a little bit of the lead but that’s why you get a big lead.”
Also missing from the Trojans’ regular seven-player rotation was point guard Danae Bina. Bina was attending the wedding of her brother in New Jersey. Bina’s absence did not halt the return of stout Trojan defense.
With constant ball pressure applied by senior guards Callie Serene and Stephanie Sanders, Hillsboro allowed Kingman to score 5 points in the first quarter, 4 points in the second, and 4 points in the third quarter.
Hiebert was impressed with Sanders defensive job against speedy Kingman point guard Katelynn Martine.
“Steph did fantastic job on ball defending,” Hiebert said. “We did not want (Martine) to get a full head of steam.”
The return of hyper aggressive defense is what Hiebert wants to see from his team on the precipice of sub-state play. The Trojans played Haven on Tuesday at home.
Sub-state games start Monday.