The highly regarded Wichita Collegiate Spartans came into Brown Gymnasium Tuesday night (Dec. 18) and used their quickness and depth to leave with a pair of decisive victories.
In the girls? game, the Spartans used full-court pressure and 21 points from Ashia Woods to establish a 40-14 halftime lead before coasting to a 59-34 final tally.
To their credit, the Trojans improved their play in the second half. That, combined with an injury to Woods in the first 2:30 of the third quarter, enabled the Trojans (1-3) to hold their own against the 3-1 Spartans.
Dakota Kaufman scored 13 points to pace Hillsboro while Amy Neufeld tossed in 10.
Hillsboro committed 20 turnovers in the first half and 30 for the game.
In the boys? game, the Trojans hung with the No. 1 ranked and defending Class 3A state champions through the first quarter, but a 9-1 Collegiate run to start the second period fueled the visitors to a 32-21 halftime lead and ultimately a 62-43 victory.
Collegiate?s depth helped the Spartans wear the Trojans down in the second half, and develop a lead as large as 26 points at 49-23 with 2:28 left in the third period.
A 10-0 Hillsboro run, including eight straight by Gavin Serene, helped the Trojans pull to within 16 by the end of the third quarter.
Clay Shewey scored 18 and Serene 10 for Hillsboro, who fell to 2-2 for the season while undefeated Collegiate improved to 4-0. Cole Fiegel led the Spartans with 19 points. Collegiate registered 19 steals.
