HILLSBORO HIGH SCHOOL: Lady Trojans fall to Swathers
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
When Hesston comes to town, you know it's bound to be a battle.
With both its basketball and volleyball teams consistently heading to state each year, the Swathers are always a tough squad to beat.
This year is no different.
On Tuesday night, the Swathers showed why they're a ranked team by soundly defeating the Hillsboro High School girls' basketball team 41-56.
This was a game that Hesston held firmly in their grasp from the first quarter, leading by as much as 22 points later in the game.
And it was a game of halves.
In the first half, Hillsboro found itself struggling to make a field goal. Neither team could pour the points of the board, for that matter.
It was April Funk's mid-range jumper that brought Hillsboro to within ten, with Hesston leading 18-8 at halftime.
But the second half was a different story for both squads.
Hillsboro opened the third quarter still holding onto a ten-point deficit. An Emily Ratzlaff shot made the score 20-10. But by the six-minute mark, the Swathers had scored six more to make their lead 26-10.
Hillsboro struggled to stay within striking distance, but Hesston's lead was 41-23 by the end of the third.
Hesston continued to pursue their risk-taking defense, combined with strong inside and outside shooting. Their backcourt press also proved difficult for the Trojans to break through.
But several Hesston fouls had Hillsboro heading to the free-throw line. With 3:34 to go, an inside shot by Katie Fast made the score 49-32.
With 1:16 left in the game, Hesston held their largest lead of the night, 56-34.
The last minute of the game brought a flurry of late points from the Trojans. An Amy Duserksen three-point shot, followed by a Funk layup and a Fast bucket, brought the score to 56-41 — which was the final score.
Overall, the second half saw both teams pump up their offense. Hillsboro scored just eight points in the first half but 33 points in the second. Hesston scored 18 points in the first half while garnering 38 in the second.
Hesston only outscored Hillsboro by five points in the second half.
There's no question that Hillsboro has a tough early-season schedule. They've already faced Marion and Collegiate, and on Friday they travel to Smoky Valley.
Hesston was a part of that obstacle course.
"It's an awfully big game for such a young team," said head coach Becky Carlson. "There's a lot of experience on that team versus not very much on ours.
"We had some unforced turnovers that maybe I was a little disappointed in. I'm not going to complain because the effort was definitely there."
Wichita Collegiate
The Lady Trojans had more success with another rival — Collegiate — last Friday, as Hillsboro defeated the visiting Lady Spartans 35-25.
Things didn't look too bright for either side, though, in the first quarter. Neither team scored until the 4:34 mark, when Collegiate hit its first basket.
The Trojans' first bucket didn't come until 2:25 in the first. By halftime, both teams were tied at eight apiece.
The tide turned for Hillsboro in the third quarter, as the Trojans outscored their opponents 14-2 in the period. At the end of the third, Hillsboro held a 22-10 lead.
In the fourth, Collegiate's backcourt press gave the Trojans some trouble, but their foul trouble gave Hillsboro a boost at the free-throw line. When the buzzer sounded, Hillsboro had the 35-25 win
