The Hillsboro boys held off a physical Haven squad and improved their record to 9-1 for the season with a 53-48 win over the Wildcats on their homecoming evening. The Trojan girls, meanwhile, found themselves in a deep hole early after Haven’s Emmiley Hendrixson drained five three-point baskets in the opening quarter. Hillsboro never recovered, falling to the home team, 37-22, for their fourth consecutive loss.
GIRLS — By the time the first quarter ended, Hillsboro was facing an 18-4 deficit, thanks to the impressive scoring outburst by Hendrixson. The Trojans, meanwhile, made only one of seven shots from the field during the same period.
Hendrixson added five more points, including a sixth three-point basket, in the second quarter. Even so, Hillsboro outscored the Wildcats by one point for a halftime score of 27-14.
Haven scored the first two baskets of the third quarter for a 17-point cushion, but the Trojans outscored the home team 6-2 the rest of the quarter and found themselves still facing a 13-point deficit when the quarter ended with a 33-20 score.
Hillsboro failed to make a field goal in the fourth quarter while Haven managed only one — a seventh three-point basket by Hendrixson, of course — and the Wildcats enjoyed their 15-point victory.
Eight Trojans scored in the game, but no one player score more than four points. With the loss, the Trojans drop to 3-7 overall and 0-4 in the league. Hillsboro shot 17 percent from the floor (6-35) while Haven shot 27 percent (13-47). Hendrixson finished with 23 points for the game.
BOYS — It wasn’t the prettiest win of the year, but the Trojans battled through shooting frustrations against a physical Wildcat team to capture a big win in a raucous environment.
The Trojans trailed 11-7 with just over two minutes left in the opening period, but Elias Werth nailed a three-pointer with 51 seconds left and Carson Herbel followed with a two-point basket off a steal to give the Trojans a 12-11 edge as the quarter ended.
In the second quarter, with Hillsboro leading 17-15, the Trojans had their most productive stretch of the game in the final two minutes. Darien Ratzlaff drained a two-pointer and a three-pointer, Herbel scored in the paint and Preston Loewen added two points to give Hillsboro a 26-20 lead at intermission.
Haven took its turn as the third quarter began, launching a 12-3 run that put the Wildcats on top, 32-29. But Loewen responded with a three, Joe Knoll added a two-point basket, Wes Shaw scored back-to-back baskets and Herbel added a free throw to establish a 39-34 lead as the quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter, Hillsboro maintained a tentative lead until Aaron Yoder, Haven’s 6-foot-5 post, scored on a put-back to tie the game at 42 with 3:41 to play. Ratzlaff and Werth responded with back-to-back baskets for a 46-43 lead with 2:31 to play. Hillsboro held the lead until the final buzzer, but the Trojans could have made the ride a lot easier if they had made more than five free throws in 11 opportunities down the stretch.
Loewen finished with 13 points to lead the Trojans. Ratzlaff added 12 and Herbel 10. As a team, Hillsboro shot 20-49 from the floor (41 percent) while Haven made 17-52 (33 percent).
COMING— Hillsboro teams will compete in the Trojan Classic next week.
