Boys shake slow start, outlast Bears
Throughout the year, all but two of the Trojans' nine setbacks have not been because they lacked a solid defense; their offense hasn't been consistent enough to carry the defense, though.
In two of its last three losses, 43 points have been the best offensive output Hillsboro has had while the opposition has edged the Trojans by an average of 42-38.
For a team that's been offensively challenged, the Sterling Black Bears were just the opponent the Trojans needed Friday night in Hillsboro.
After a tough first half which saw the Trojans (7-9, 4-4 MCAA) clinging to a slim 12-9 lead, Hillsboro warmed up to shoot 47 percent the second half to hold off the frigid Black Bears, 31-22.
After a trip Tuesday to Nickerson, the Trojans close out the home portion of their schedule Friday around 7:30 p.m. in a rematch with the Halstead Dragons. The Dragons swiped a win earlier in the year on their home court.
Chalk up another win for the Hillsboro defense, which harassed Sterling for a woeful 9-for-39 on the game, including a modest 4-of-20 the first half.
"I thought we played really hard defense," Trojan coach Darrell Knoll said. "We really defended well, we took care of the boards and made it tough for them (Sterling) to get any passes to where they wanted them. It was a tough shooting night."
Lucas Hamm has carried the Trojans most of the season, averaging 14 points a game, but it was Spencer Brown and Tyler Kaufman who came up with the big baskets when Hillsboro needed it most.
The two combined for 17 points with Kaufman scoring a season-team-high nine points, including a triple that pushed Hillsboro's lead to 19-11 — a lead the Trojans were able to protect.
"It's a win, and we needed a win," Knoll said. "This should give us some confidence, we've played solid defense all year, that hasn't been the issue. We've just got to keep working offensively."
