Stuggles continue for Lady Warriors
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Same teams, same results.
For the second time in two weeks, Hillsboro High School girls' basketball team fell Friday to the Swathers of Hesston.
Hillsboro had victory within its sight in the previous meeting, but it was all for naught as the Swathers pulled away down the stretch with the Trojans unable to overcome carelessness.
It was nearly the same story again Friday, as the Trojans (2-3 MCAA, 5-9 overall) stuck with the Swathers (5-0, 10-3) through at least one quarter only to have the game slip away, 48-37.
Hard times continue for head coach Nathan Hiebert and the Trojans, who've now lost five straight.
As it's been all this season for Hillsboro, when something's going good, there's always a malfunction in another phase of its game.
Turnovers have arguably been the biggest problem, but Friday they had three turnovers less than the Swathers' 21.
The Trojans stayed hot on the Swathers' tail throughout one quarter, playing to within one at 9-8.
It was the closing five mintues of the first half that hampered the Trojans, with Hesston using nine straight points to grab a 27-16 lead by halftime.
The Swathers torched the Trojans for 71 percent shooting in the first half, 54 for the game, while limiting the Trojans to 31 percent.
Outside hot shooting for Hesston, Hillsboro didn't play a terrible game defensively, forcing a slew of turnovers to start the second half, holding Hesston to a slim five points.
Hillsboro's strength doesn't come from the bench, and it doesn't have enough offense or experience to come from behind.
Hesston's depth showed, outscoring the Trojans off the bench, 18-2, even with the Swathers cooling off to 36 percent the second half.
Dakota Kaufman scored a game-high 15 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the field and hauling in four of the Trojans' 20 rebounds.
Hillsboro faced another rough tough road game Tuesday traveling to Wichita Collegiate, but visit Sterling Friday for a 6 p.m. start.
Haven
The Trojans lost their fourth straight game Jan. 29 to an undefeated Haven Lady Wildcat team, 50-21.
Kaufman scored a team-high 12 points, but she was the only offense Hillsboro had, with only three other players scoring.
It was over early for Hillsboro, which fell behind 22-5 after the first quarter, and the Trojans never jeopardized the Wildcat lead.
Haven held the Lady Trojans to a season-low 24 percent from the field, and the Trojans failed to score in double-digits in any of the four quarters.
