Staff writer
The Hillsboro girls’ basketball team defeated Sterling, 67-42, Tuesday in Hillsboro.
The contest was within seven points at halftime, 29-22, and the Trojans were only up nine after three quarter, 39-27. Then the Trojans exploded for a 28-point fourth quarter.
“The fourth quarter we finally started to relax,” head coach Nathan Hiebert said.
The fourth quarter was a succession of steals and transition baskets whether it was layups or pull-up jumpers. It so happened the Trojans, who were cold most of the game also started to knock down a few 3-pointers, Danae Bina had six of her eight points in the quarter on threes.
The Trojans were shooting 35 percent at halftime; that figure jumped to 45 percent by the end of the game.
Addie Lackey led the team in scoring with 18 points; she also had seven rebounds. Lackey was especially adept at rolling off screens and hitting mid-range jumpers.
“She’s pretty comfortable with it,” Hiebert said of Lackey in the pick and roll. “It’s about timing and spacing and knowing where the good situations are.”
Tena Loewen was second in scoring with 14 points. She led the team in rebounds with 13. Loewen scored 12 of her points in the first half. Andi Dowell scored 11 points in the game, seven in the first half. Loewen locked her down in the third quarter, only allowing her to score on free throws in the second half.
Reserve guard Maddi Duerksen had 11 points for Hillsboro. Her diverse array of shots included a 3-pointer and an and-1 layup.
“Maddi did a really good job,” Hiebert said. “She shoots a high percentage.”
Hiebert said it was good for Duerksen to have a strong statistical night as one of Hillsboro’s role players. He pointed out that Erin Winter and Christina Morris, who have an equal time-share at center, both played well, but did not show up much on the state sheet.
“Everyone is important; everyone has a role,” Hiebert said.