Trojans cruise past Collegiate
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Old Man Winter put the Trojan boys' basketball team into a dangerous predicament Friday night against hosting nemesis Wichita Collegiate.
He dumped a heavy dose of sleet on the central part of Kansas, forcing school to be called off for two days straight.
No school meant no practice for Hillsboro, and the Spartans are a quality team, never needing any help getting up to play the Trojans.
Especially when it's on their home court.
But the two-day hiatus from practice was not a factor for the Trojans as they clubbed the Spartans, 64-48.
Hillsboro still got a workout in Friday morning before school resumed.
"The thing I was most concerned about was just being able to get a workout in so we wouldn't be too rusty," said Trojan coach Darrell Knoll.
Unlike the Trojans were able to do in their first game against Collegiate, one they just barely survived, Hillsboro's defense looked more alive.
One who looked more alive was Layne Frick, who had a career-high five blocks in Friday's win along with three defensive boards.
"I felt like we didn't execute defensively like we should have," Knoll said of his team's first meeting against the Spartans. "I thought we did a much better job this time which is one of the reasons why the score was as wide as it was.
"I was pleased with our effort ,and I thought we played harder."
The Trojans rattled the Spartans enough to hold them to a meager 33 percent from the field with just one triple from 13 attempts.
In its first meeting with the Trojans, Collegiate had an answer for Hillsboro's Tyler Weinbrenner.
On Friday, the Spartans needed help figuring out a way to corral him.
Weinbrenner broke loose for a game-high 27-point eruption from 10 for 18 from the field and a deadly 4 for 5 outside the arc.
Instead of another sub-par game from Weinbrenner, early foul trouble slowed down backcourt threat Andy Brubacher.
Brubacher, a force in the previous meeting, was limited to four points and a pair of steals, assists and rebounds.
Knoll instead, got a big lift from his bench play of Dustin Jost
Hillsboro hasn't exactly had much luck getting off to a quick start against Collegiate.
The Trojans trailed only once in the game after a shooting slump left them without a field goal for over 3:00.
Sean Kennedy put the Spartans up 8-7 with just over 5:00 to play in the first quarter.
Grant Mitchell gave the Spartans their largest lead of 9-7, draining the front end of a one-and-one.
Weinbrenner's free throw off a Spartan coach Mitch Fiegel's technical, sparked a 5-0 run and the Trojans' lead held the remainder of the game.
Had the game been closer than it was, the Trojans perhaps would have been doomed.
The charity stripe gave them fits where they hit just a sour 12 for 21. Only Brubacher was a perfect 2 of 2 from the line.
Hillsboro's cold game at the line gave the Spartans a breath of life as they hung around for the first half.
After the first quarter, the Spartans trailed 14-11, aided by the Trojans' 5 for 14 from the floor.
A bizarre technical on Hillsboro helped the Spartans pull to within 26-22 from a pair of Ben Hawley free throws.
The Trojans then went on to outscore Collegiate 7-1 to take a 33-23 lead at intermission after a three by Weinbrenner just beat the buzzer.
The 10-point lead was still too flimsy for Hillsboro.
A 4:09 scoreless slump again pulled the Spartans to 33-29 before Weinbrenner finally scored the Trojans' first hoop of the second half.
Collegiate didn't need any more from Weinbrenner.
Already with nine points from the first half, Weinbrenner had 12 in the third quarter, helping Hillsboro blow the game open with a 48-35 lead.
The Trojans' reserves got some time as Knoll emptied his bench with just over 2:00 left in the game.
One of Hillsboro's biggest forces coming off the bench, Tyler Peachey finished as the Trojans' second leading scorer with eight points and six rebounds.
The 14-1 Trojans face perhaps their largest test of the season Friday night when Hesston visits.
Hillsboro then travels to Sterling Feb. 12 to face the Black Bears.
Haven
Any chances of the Trojans going undefeated went down the drain Jan. 29 against hosting Haven.
A disastrous, flat first half for Hillsboro helped the Wildcats take a 44-25 lead at halftime.
The Trojans rallied furiously the second half only to fall short 75-73, despite a career high 37 points from Weinbrenner, including 15 points from long range.
Haven snapped the Trojans' six-game winning streak in the MCAA league.
Hillsboro's perimeter defense slumbered, surrendering 36 points from downtown to the Wildcats.
Frick pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds.
HILLSBORO 64, COLLEGIATE 48
Hillsboro 14 19 15 16 64
Collegiate 11 12 12 13 48
Hillsboro — Brubacher 4, Weinbrenner 27, Frick 2, Jost 4, Ross Duerksen 7, Steve Chisholm 2, Peachey 8, Alan Yoder 2, Adam Woods 3, Shawn Hughbanks 5, Totals 20-39 4-8 12-21 64.
Collegiate — Mitchell 8, Hawley 9, Tim Rheem 2, Evan Ayers 2, Ron Horton 16, Chris Preboth 5, Sean Kennedy 5, Totals 15-36 1-13 15-19 48.
