Trojans bounce back, thump Black Bears
Hillsboro boys back on track, whipping Sterling 59-31
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Coming off a tough loss three days earlier to a good Halstead team, the hosting Sterling Black Bears were just the team the Trojans needed Friday night.
Hillsboro (11-4, 4-2 MCAA) got off to a quick start, racing to a 13-0 lead, and kept its foot on the gas to cruise to a 59-31 thrashing of Sterling.
Kyle Kroeker scored six of his game-high 17 points to help the Trojans take an 18-5 lead after the first quarter.
The Black Bears, faced with the swarming Trojan defense, were limited for offense the entire game, committing 17 turnovers and shooting 31 percent from the floor.
Five of Sterling's 17 mistakes came from Kroeker, who also had a game-high five steals while handing out three assists.
Hillsboro was in firm control of the game by the half, up 28-12.
Lucas Hamm added 15 points while picking up yet another double-double, hauling in a game-high 14 rebounds with four on the offensive side.
It was the third quarter where the 1-2 tandem of Kroeker and Hamm really heated up with the two supplying all but five of the Trojans' 22 points.
Sterling's biggest offensive output of the game came in the third quarter, too, but it was way out of striking distance in a 50-24 rut.
The Trojans shot 56 percent from the floor on the night and 74 percent at the free-throw line.
Hillsboro hosted Smoky Valley Tuesday and returns to action at 8 p.m. Friday when it travels to Haven.
Halstead
The last time the Trojans fell to Halstead, Kansans were ranting and raving about a certain Dennis.
Dennis Latimore led the Dragons to 3A glory before fizzling out at both Arizona and Notre Dame.
Former Kansas Jayhawk coach Roy Williams watched it.
Five years later, Austin Ratzlaff did his best Latimore- impersonation, dropping a game-high 30 points on host Hillsboro Tuesday to lead upstart Halstead to a 58-44 beating.
What a week the Dragons had, toppling Hillsboro, then taking down third-ranked and MCAA front-runner Lyons in overtime Friday.
Just like it did against the Lions, another rough start for the Trojans turned out to be too tough to overcome.
The Dragons came out shooting, with Ratzlaff and Justin Regehr combining for 14 of Halstead's 18 first quarter points.
And Halstead got it done from behind the arc, knocking down all four of its nine three- point attempts in the first quarter for 44 percent.
Halstead's defense neutralized Hamm, holding him to six points despite giving up a team-high eight rebounds.
Kroeker finally got involved the second quarter, scoring eight of his team-high 14 points to help the Trojans stay within 26-22 at halftime.
Hillsboro couldn't get a three-point shot to fall, going a chilly two-for-12 and 37 percent from the floor.
Those two came from Nate Holmes when the Trojans were trying desperately to catch up in the fourth quarter.
While hitting 50 percent in the field, Halstead was near-perfect at the free-throw line, hitting a scorching 18-for-20 to keep extending its lead.
Half of the 18 came from Ratzlaff, who sank a perfect nine-for-nine.
Wade Weibert had 10 points from five-of-seven from the floor.
