Player's point of view: Second place is bittersweet
Editor's note: Hillsboro High School student correspondent and basketball standout Lora Andrews was as close as she could get to the Trojan Classic Basketball Tournament this past week. She kept a journal of the tournament from her point of view as a key member of the team. These are her reflections on her busy week on the hardwood.
By LORA ANDREWS
Student Correspondent
The Trojan Classic, next to sub state, is by far the biggest pressure a Hillsboro basketball team has to face. There is a great deal of unrealized pressure — a sense of obligation to the town to play well.
This was the third annual girls' Trojan Classic. I suited up in all three. This was our third tournament, third coach, and we always had finished third previous to this year. Our motto: Third time's a charm. We wanted the title.
First Round
Hillsboro 48, Wamego 25
Monday was a relaxed day. We were coming in to the Trojan Classic seeded first, and were scheduled to play Wamego, the eighth seed. True, seedings don't really mean anything, but it sure did give us confidence!
We didn't have school, but I spent most of my day there anyway. We had a shoot-around in the afternoon and I was at the school that night until 10:30. Of course, our schedule was out of sorts because we were not used to playing a game that late in the day.
The game is a blur now. It wasn't a game with a lot of attention put on it, so we just had a good time.
We struggled getting back into game mode. We had only played one game in the past month. It was a good night for us, and a good game to get back into the rhythm. We were glad to move on to the semi-finals.
Semi-Finals
Hillsboro 62, Republic Co. 49
We were so excited to play Republic County. We talked about it all day. I would see Tina Frick in the hall and we would just smile. She and I both knew what the other was thinking. We would beat Belleville
I love games like the one we played against the Buffaloes. Everything seemed to go right. Our defenses were working. Our fast break was working. Our shots were falling. It was the kind of game where I couldn't take the smile off my face. It was just fun basketball to watch and play.
With 3.9 seconds left in the game Republic County called its last timeout. We ran to the huddle knowing we had clenched the victory, but Coach Honeck had something very important to tell us. He told us that we had the chance to do something very special that night for a very deserving player. He explained to us that JuliAnne Chisholm was just points away from the tournament record for most points scored in a game. I hadn't even realized she had scored that many at all. My guess was somewhere in the upper 20s or lower 30s. We ran back onto the court, eager to get JuliAnne the ball. I took the ball from the referee and threw the perfect softball throw from the sideline. She was fouled and made both free throws to clench the record.
I was shocked when Mr. Woelk announced on the loudspeaker that she had scored 40 points! I had no idea it was that many. There was no selfishness in it at all. She was just on fire!
We were all so excited! The whole team had huge smiles on their faces. It was just plain fun. There were hugs and laughter the rest of the night! We couldn't even all manage to find the locker room after the game we were so excited. We met together in the locker room later that night. The excitement was great. Now we were just had to get ready for the big test: Riley County.
Championship
Riley County 57, Hillsboro 54
Hillsboro girls are 6-3 in the history of the Hillsboro tournament. The three losses have come to one team — Riley County. This year was no different.
Of course we had high hopes of being the first Hillsboro team to win the girls' Trojan Classic. Before the game we were laughing, listening to music, and having a good time. There was a sense of confusion about whether the game was starting on time or ahead of schedule because of the weather, but we tried our hardest to stay focused. I was nervous before the game, despite Coach Boldt trying to calm me down. This was a big deal.
We came out fired up! The score after the first quarter was 15-5! But it was the second quarter where we struggled. We were down 22-26 at halftime. The intensity stayed up there, but our shots just weren't falling for us. It was just one of those nights. Despite our best efforts in the final minutes of the game, Riley County came out with the title.
Yes, we all wanted that trophy pretty bad! But we broke the third place curse! It was a great tournament for us altogether. We had a blast! It's not the end of the season or anything. We just hope we get another chance at Riley County!
