Trojan boys place fifth
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports Writer
With a first-round loss Tuesday night in the Trojan Classic to Republic County, Hillsboro found itself somewhere Saturday for just the second time in the 13-year history of the tournament: playing for something less than third place.
The Trojans beat Wamego Thursday, 52-43, to set up the fifth-place game Saturday against the Sunrise Academy Buffaloes.
Turnovers have been the biggest enemy for Hillsboro (4-6) this season, and history continued to repeat itself as the Buffaloes clinched fifth with a 66-59 win, leaving Trojan coach Darrell Knoll short on words.
"Turnovers have hurt us all year and they cost us again today," he said. "They were crazy turnovers, too.
"We've got to get smarter and get better timing. We continue to play in spurts. We can play good for a while, then not so well in others."
With as up-and-down as the season's been, the Trojans could very well have their hands full around 7:30 p.m. Friday when they visit a decent Marion Warrior team.
The Warriors finished fourth in the Trojan Classic, tumbling to Republic County, but downing Sunrise.
Hillsboro lost its first-round game Tuesday to second-seeded Republic County, 45-42, after letting a 12-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter.
That set up a consolation game Thursday against Wamego.
The Trojans advanced to the fifth-place game, beating the Red Raiders, 52-43.
In a game that saw both teams shoot over 50 percent from the field, the Buffaloes' Bret Michael single-handedly bombed the Trojans, scoring a game-high 38 points, hitting 12-for-22 overall, including three threes.
Lucas Hamm countered for Hillsboro with a team-high 21 and Spencer Brown added 11 points.
