As if opponents haven’t been enough of a challenge for Hillsboro High School basketball teams to handle, they’ve been dealing with an unbeatable opponent on top of them — Mother Nature. 

Ice storms pushed Friday’s matchup to Saturday.

Mistakes and a cold shooting second half were too much for the girls at home Saturday, with Haven handing Hillsboro its second loss of the year, 46-26.

Outside grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first 20 seconds of the game on one of two 3-pointers from Teegan Werth, Hillsboro spent the remainder of the game trying to run down the Wildcats. 

Werth was the only Trojan to get much going, finishing with a team-high 10 points, while her teammates combined for 16. 

Mix in 19 Hillsboro turnovers, the Trojans never posed a threat, despite trailing 15-7 after the first quarter and 25-18 at the break while shooting 40%.

Hillsboro only managed eight points the entire second half with Tuesday Weisbeck’s basket with 3:03 left in the third quarter the Trojans’ final field goal of the game. 

The Trojans’ shooting dropped to 19% the second half, and a cool 30% on the night, including 2-of-11 from long distance. 

The setback knocks Hillsboro to 7-2.

Boys flounder in loss

The boys didn’t fare much better, taking a 59-41 loss in a game loaded with frustration. 

Trojan coach Darrel Knoll spent a majority of the game with a frustrated look on his face. 

It could’ve been because everything he tried had little effect against the unbeaten Wildcats and their swarming zone defense. 

The game started bad with Hillsboro mustering a lone field goal through nearly the first six minutes of the game.

The Trojans faced a 12-6 deficit after the first quarter, and 24-17 at the break, shooting 35% from the floor.

The worst was yet to come. 

Foul trouble neutralized Matthew Potucek, who finished with a team-high 14 points before fouling out.

His brother, Caleb, was the only other Trojan in double figures, with 10 points.

Hillsboro struggled to find production with the rest of the Trojans accounting for 17 points.

Hillsboro shot just 26% the second half, and a woeful 2-for-13 on 3-pointers. 

The walls started closing in the second half with Haven opening a 46-30 lead after a 22-13 third quarter. 

Turnovers kept Hillsboro from ever getting on track, racking up 21 for the game, and supplying the Wildcats 16 points on 15 steals. 

The loss dropped Hillsboro to 6-3 on the season.

Hillsboro is in action this week in the Trojan Classic from Tuesday to Saturday at home.