HILLSBORO: Davis' six three-pointers lead girls past Ell-Saline
Any way you slice it, hitting six three-pointers in one game is quite a feat.
It's even better when you don't miss once from beyond the arc.
Charity Davis did just that on Monday night, scoring 25 total points en route to Hillsboro's 45-36 victory over Ell-Saline.
The win sends Hillsboro into the second round of the Southeast of Saline Invitational. They face top-seeded Southeast of Saline on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.
Davis went six-for-six from the three-point line Monday night, with five of those shots coming in the second half of the game. To her 25 points overall Davis added five steals, two assists, and four rebounds.
Hillsboro maintained solid control over the first half of the game, leading 24-17 at halftime.
But the Cardinals began to show some life in the sescond half — and that's when Davis turned on the shooting. She hit two treys in the third and three in the fourth.
Overall, the team shot 45 percent from the floor and 100 percent at the foul line.
Abilene
They started well and finished well, but it was the "in-between" that hurt the Trojans.
In Friday's away game against 4A Abilene, the girls' team came roaring back at the end, but they couldn't overcome the Cowgirls. They lost 44-35.
As they started the game, the Trojans looked like a team that had just won two straight. Shots by April Funk, Davis, and Amy Duerksen pushed Hillsboro out to an early 6-2 lead.
But Abilene had a height advantage inside, and that gave the Trojans some trouble. With 4:12 left in the first, Abilene had tied the game at 6-6.
The score stayed tight for the next couple minutes until foul shots by Funk and Davis gave Hillsboro the lead again. By the end of the first, the Trojans had a 13-10 lead.
The second quarter wasn't an offensive spectacle for either side, but the Trojans felt the most hurt. But things were still looking up at the 6:08 mark, when Funk scored an inside two, giving Hillsboro a 15-10 lead.
Abilene was silent for much of the quarter. They didn't score until the 3:33 mark, with a three-point shot to narrow the Hillsboro lead to 16-13. Abilene's team gained momentum, and with a second-chance shot and a three, Abilene took their first lead of the game: 18-16. They held onto a 22-16 lead at halftime.
Things kept getting worse for the Trojans in the third quarter. Abilene struck first, hitting a 24-16 lead. With 4:10 remaining in the quarter, they had a 10-point lead, 26-16.
Abilene out-muscled the Trojans on the boards, especially on offensive rebounds. Their lead continued to grow, and by the end of the third it was 33-21. Abilene outscored Hillsboro 14-5 in the third quarter.
The Trojans came back in full-force in the four quarter. Two Fast free throws brought Hillsboro within nine. A two and a three brought the Abilene lead to 34-28.
Then came a pivotal moment for the Trojans: a powerful baseline drive by Emily Ratzlaff. She made the shot and got the foul. With the additional "and one," Abilene's lead was down to just three — 34-31.
But the Trojans wouldn't get any closer. Abilene maintained control of the final few minutes, eventually taking the 44-35 win.
Funk was the team's top scorer on the night with 14 points. She also had five steals, two assists, and two rebounds. Fast led the team in blocks with seven.
HILLSBORO 45, ELL SALINE 36
Hillsboro 12 12 10 11 — 45
Ell Saline 8 9 9 10 — 36
Total points — Davis 25, Funk 8, Hamm 8, Ratzlaff 2, Fast 2.
Total rebounds — Fast 6, Davis 4, Funk 2, Ratzlaff 1.
Steals — Davis 5, Ratzlaff 2, Duerksen 2, Fast 1, Funk 1.
Assists — Funk 3, Ratzlaff 2, Davis 2, Duerksen 1, Hamm 1.
