Young Collegiate team downs Lady Trojans
Aggressive first half proves too much for Hillsboro in 45-43 upset
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Looks can indeed be deceiving.
The Lady Trojans played like a top five team in Class 3A two months ago when they routed Wichita Collegiate in Hillsboro, 50-31.
That was last year; this is now.
Obviously the Lady Spartans are an improved team, despite a starting lineup comprised of one freshman, two juniors, and two seniors.
The proof was in the pudding Friday night in Wichita where the Spartans handed Hillsboro its first league loss, a 45-43 upset.
The loss drops the Trojans to 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the Mid-Central league.
Trojan Head Coach Becky Carlson knew her team wasn't ready to play the upstart Spartans.
"I don't think we were quite ready for what they had," a sullen Carlson said.
What the Spartans had was an aggressive defense that wreaked havoc on the Trojans.
More in general, freshman Katie Schaake, who was a real pest for the Trojans the entire night, scoring a game-high 16.
Without practice for two straight days due to miserable weather, she wasn't going to point fingers at that factor.
The fact that the Spartans caught Hillsboro off guard became apparent in the first quarter after Collegiate held the Trojans to just two field goals from seven attempts.
The Trojans got the ball into the hands of Shannon Kroeker, Amber Hefley, and Jill Hein, but the trio was usually met by the swarming Spartans.
"They were more aggressive than we were," Carlson said. "They had good ball pressure, and they played good against us."
That ball pressure hassled the Trojans into committing 14 turnovers, off which the Spartans cashed in 10 points in the first half.
Collegiate got off to a slow start, going over half of the first quarter without a field goal as Hillsboro grabbed a 4-0 lead.
Holly Messamore put the Spartans over the hill with their sixth unanswered point with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.
From there on out, the Trojans were left trying to run down the Spartans.
A 12-2 run by the Spartans stretched their lead to 20-7 before back-to-back field goals from Shelby Estelle and Andrea Peachey cut the lead to 20-12.
Hillsboro went the closing 3:00 of the first half scoreless, and Collegiate led 22-12 at halftime.
The Trojans came back a new team in the second half.
After going a scant 5 for 18 from the field in the first half, Hillsboro made three of its first five shots to start the second half.
Trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, Sara Thiessen got the Trojans to within 28-22 with 4:20 left in the third quarter.
Thiessen's basket was the last that Hillsboro could get to fall for over four minutes, and Collegiate again jumped in front by double digits, 32-22.
The Trojans got momentum back on their side in the closing ten seconds as Kroeker drained two of her team-high 13 points from the free-throw line.
Jenna Jost chopped the lead to 32-27, scoring on a fast break that just beat the third-quarter buzzer.
Hefley pulled the Trojans back to within four, 33-29, 1:35 into the fourth quarter. Then, Hillsboro's offense stalled out.
The Trojans had a chance to tie with a two or win with a three in the closing four seconds, when Hefley stole the ball.
Any chances of that happening were dashed when the Trojans fumbled the ball out of bounds without a shot attempt.
The Trojans' road gets tougher Friday night, when lethal league foe Hesston visits Hillsboro.
Haven
The Trojans had a shooting game that matched the wintry conditions blanketing most of Kansas during Jan. 29's game at Haven.
Still, with the help of 12 and 10 points from Hefley and Kroeker, respectively, Hillsboro pounded out a 36-29 win.
Hein added nine points.
Thiessen pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, and Hefley grabbed seven.
Hillsboro shot a ragged 32 percent from the floor and 38 percent from the free throw line.
collegiate 45, hillsboro 43
Hillsboro — 5 7 15 16 43
Collegiate — 8 12 12 13 45
Hillsboro — Jost 5, Kroeker 13, Peachey 3, Hein 8, Thiessen 4, Hefley 8, Estelle 2. Totals 15 (6) 7-12 43.
Collegiate — Davis 6, Messamore 4, Wilson 2, Brown 3, Claassen 1, M. Storm 9, Schaake 16, B. Storm 4. Totals 15 (1) 14-22 45.
