MHS, HHS stars pace MCAA to wins over HOA

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 27 March 2007 15:54

Although defense wasn’t the staple of this all-star exhibition, the MCAA girls limited their HOA counterparts to under 30 percent shooting for the game (23-77) while making 47 percent (45-96).

Chisholm, who was selected for the Wichita Eagle’s all-state team earlier in the week, was named the game’s most valuable player. She led the MCAA in scoring (17), rebounding (17), blocks (3) and assists (3).

Also scoring in double figures were Nikki Kratzer of Lyons (15), Tina Frick of Hillsboro (12), Allison Harned of Wichita Collegiate (11), Gena Camarena of Collegiate (10), Damara Lewis of Lyons (10) and Lauren Raleigh of Hesston (10).

Cami Racette of Hutchinson Trinity and Stephanie Entz of Remington led the HOA with 13 points each. Area players Jessi Hilliard and Elaina Newell of Peabody-Burns scored seven and six points, respectively.

In the boys’ game, the MCAA appeared to have the game in hand when Hillsboro’s Troy Frick scored on a basket-interference call that gave his team an 83-73 lead with 1:36 to go.

But the HOA jumped back into the fray with an 11-2 run over the next minute. It was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by Goessel guard Travis Buller, who had missed his first five shots of the game, all from behind the arc.

With the score 85-84, HOA coach Justin Coup of Goessel called an immediate timeout with 11.8 seconds left. The HOA quickly fouled Smoky Valley’s Justin Holcom with 10.2 seconds left.

After Holcom made one of two free throws, the HOA raced down the court with Peabody-Burns’ Derrick Simmonds launching a 3-pointer in the final seconds. The shot just missed and the buzzer sounded a split second before a successful put-back.

The HOA took an early 9-6 lead at the 17:25 mark when Simmonds nailed back-to-back 3-pointers in a 20-second span. The lead grew to a high of 20-13 at the 12:04 mark, before the MCAA slowly battled back.

When Travis Hett of Marion scored at the 1:01 mark, the MCAA had regained the lead at 33-32. The MCAA, coached by Marion’s Rex Ostmeyer, maintained a slim 36-35 margin at intermission.

Hett was named the game’s most valuable player with a team-high 15 points, including a crowd-pleasing contested jam in the second half. The 6-foot-1 guard also blocked a team-high three shots.

Also scoring in double figures for the MCAA were Austin Ratzlaff of Halstead (14), Jason Hett of Marion (14), Lucas Hamm of Hillsboro (13) and Holcom (12). Frick finished with seven points.

Matt Regier of Remington led the HOA with 18 points. Simmonds was right behind with 17, including 3-for-4 shooting from behind the arc. Garrett Hiebert of Goessel scored seven and Buller six.

Don Ratzlaff / Free Press Marion’s Jason Hett gets airborne for a basket during Saturday’s MCAA/HOA all-star game. Hett finished with 14 points.