Girls' run for championship stopped by Riley County
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports Writer
One night after breaking Grace Jaworsky's 32-year-old school scoring record, Hillsboro senior JuliAnne Chisholm would have gladly traded her 40-point record for just four more points in the title game of the Trojan Classic Basketball Tournament.
But after watching Chisholm's scoring explosion in a 62-49 win in the semifinal game Friday night against Republic County, Riley County did everything it could to hold her in check in Saturday's final.
Facing a Lady Falcon defense focused specifically on stopping her, Chisholm was held to 12 points, and Riley County (9-1) held off top-seeded Hillsboro down the stretch, 57-54.
Hillsboro (8-2) should have a breather Friday when it travels to Marion for a game with the struggling Lady Warriors. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.
Marion finished eighth in the tournament, losing, 60-33, to previously winless Wamego.
In the championship game Saturday, Hillsboro jumped out to a quick 16-5 lead Saturday after the first quarter, but was unable to keep the pace.
Riley County's Lainey Uphoff, who led all scorers with 20 points, scored seven of them in the second quarter, leading her team on a 22-7 run and giving them a 28-22 halftime lead.
With Riley County focused on keeping Chisholm in check, Tina Frick's 14 points paced the Trojans. Hillsboro freshman Samantha Soyez also sank a trio of threes for nine points during the comeback attempt.
It looked as if the Trojans had the boost it needed when Amy Neufeld made a pair of free throws with 5:20 left to make it a one-point game, 40-39.
But the undersized guards from Riley County began swishing a string of three-pointers that kept the Trojans behind more than a possession, until the final buzzer.
The Trojans followed head coach Dale Honeck's instructions in the final minute, fouling when needed to extend the game. The free throws boosted Riley County's lead to as many as 10, 49-39, in the final 1:50.
Led by Chisholm, who often was double-teamed, the Trojans fought back to within six, 57-51, with nine seconds left.
Neufeld swished a three from the top of the key at the buzzer, but that left the Trojans three points shy of forcing the game into overtime.
