Boys rebound Tuesday as girls lose heartbreaker

By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

Anyone perhaps believing the Trojan basketball teams could build off a pair of 2-1 finishes for second and fifth place at the Trojan Classic may want to think twice.

After a week’s layoff, the Trojans staggered into the second half of the season with a quartet of road losses capped Friday nearly two hours away in Pratt.

The ride home was a long one after the Greenbacks used a big second half to help outlast the boys’ team 40-38, while the Lady Trojans had too many mistakes to overcome a 43-39 margin.

Girls

A big question heading into Friday’s matchup may have been how the Trojans would respond after a 76-20 scalping at the hands of one of Class 3A’s top three teams, Council Grove.

It didn’t appear they responded very well, with the Lady Greenbacks jumping out to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter.

Overcoming a lead hasn’t been the Trojans’ cup of tea this year, but with the help of a game-high 15 points from Mesa Merrell, they were able to knot the game at 25 by halftime with a 19-8 run.

Ball control hasn’t worked in Hillsboro’s favor either, and mistakes started becoming fatal the third quarter, allowing Pratt to regain the lead, 37-32.

The Trojans made a push the fourth quarter, outscoring the Greenbacks 7-6, but in the end, carelessness with the ball and too many empty possessions were more than they could handle.

Tuesday’s battle against Lyons, a team the Lady Trojans beat earlier in the season, was a bona fide slugfest at the end, with Hillsboro forcing two overtimes before succumbing 56-47.

Hillsboro played catch up into the fourth quarter, when it forged three ties, the last of which on a Sienna Kaufman bucket sent the game into overtime tied 36-36.

Mesa Merrill, who led Hillsboro scorers with 15 points, hit a buzzer-beater to send the game into another overtime knotted at 43 apiece.

Lyons found a gear the Lady Trojans couldn’t match, as Hillsboro was outscored 11-4, ending the marathon skirmish at 56-47.

Boys

After a 69-51 pounding at the hands of the Braves, Hillsboro was facing something it had yet to see this year, back-to-back losses.

Going against the Greenbacks, a top 10 team in Class 4A II featuring a trio of players 6-3 or taller, it certainly wouldn’t be easy for the Trojans to get back on track.

In a defensive battle, Hillsboro led 12-11 after the first quarter and 20-17 at the break.

Unfortunately, the Trojans were unable to extend the lead and the Greenbacks leaped in front by the fourth quarter, 32-31.

Opportunity knocked several times for Hillsboro in the fourth; however, Pratt maintained its lead all the way to the finish line despite the Trojans threatening.

Darian Ratzlaff scored a team-high 11 points and had a chance to win the game in the waning seconds with a three, but it drew iron.

The Trojans were ready to roll Tuesday against Lyons, and they wasted little time asserting their dominance. They opened with a 10-0 blitz, had the game fully under control with a 29-9 halftime lead, and kept pouring it on in the second half for a 56-26 blowout win.

Elias Werth led the Trojans with 12 points.