Hillsboro opens 2014 with a pair of wins over Marion

The Hillsboro basketball teams started the new year on a productive note, sweeping a pair of games from Marion Friday in Brown Gymnasium. The Trojan girls, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, rolled to a 55-29 win, while the Trojan boys enjoyed their most productive game of the season with a 78-49 victory. Both Hills?boro teams improved to 6-0 for the season while both Marion teams are now 3-3.

?Addie Lackey shoots over Marion's Kaelyn Thierolf on the way to 18 points as the Trojans improved to 6-0 with a 55-29 victory. GIRLS — After a slow start, Hillsboro used defensive intensity to kickstart their offense on the way to their running-clock victory. The Trojans managed only one basket in the first four minutes of the game as Marion claimed a 4-2 lead on a pair of baskets by Katey Ehrlich.

But a basket by Alex Ratzlaff, followed by a steal and basket by Addie Lackey 16 seconds later, fueled a defensive surge that contributed to six Marion turnovers and a Trojan 10-0 scoring run. By the end of the quarter, Hillsboro led 16-6.

The Trojans kept up the pressure during the second quarter, contributing to eight more Warrior turnovers and a 36-13 lead by intermission. By halftime, three Trojans were in double digits: Lackey with 13, Danae Bina with 11 and Ratzlaff with 10.

When Hillsboro started the third quarter with a 9-0 run, the lead stood at 45-13. Marion countered with six straight points to help close the gap to 46-19 by the end of three quarters. When Bina scored in the paint with 6:51 left in the game, Hillsboro hit the 30-point spread that kicked in the running clock the rest of the game

Lackey finished with 18 points, Ratzlaff added 17 and Bina 14 to pace the Trojans. Ehrlich tossed in 18 to lead Marion and tie Lackey for game-high scoring honors.

Christian Ratzlaff shoots for three of his season-high 29 points as the Trojans defeated Marion 78-49 Friday in Brown Gymnasium. The 6-0 Trojans are ranked sixth in Class 2A.? BOYS — Christian Ratzlaff tossed in 29 points to lead the Trojans to their 29-point victory.

Ratzlaff scored the team?s first eight points through the first four minutes of the game. The turning point of the game, however, came later in the first period. With Marion close at 10-9, Hills?boro?s Brett Wein?brenner drained a three with 1:30 left in the period, Ratzlaff followed with a two and then a three, and Jordan Faul capped the 10-0 scoring run with a basket in the paint to put Hillsboro ahead 20-9. Timothy Knolla scored in the final seconds for a 20-11 margin at the first break.

The two teams battled evenly in the second period, but a basket by Weinbrenner in the final second of the half pushed Hillsboro?s lead to 15 points by intermission, 36-21.

When the Trojans scored the last six points of the third quarter, Hillsboro led 53-31 heading into the final quarter. It proved to be an entertaining quarter for Trojan fans, who saw their team drain five three-point shots over a 3-minute stretch midway through the period. Allen and Ratzlaff each contributed two and Evan Ollenburger added the fifth one as the Trojans capped the game with a 25-point fourth quarter.

Ratzlaff?s game-high 29 points came on 11-of-20 shooting from the field, including seven of 12 three-point shots. Weinbrenner added 17 and Allen and Ollenburger each scored 10 as the Trojans, ranked sixth in Class 2A, nailed down the win.

Grif Case led the Warriors with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field, including 6-for-12 from behind the arc. Knolla added 14 points.

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