The Hillsboro boys and girls split their debut games in the Trojan Classic on Tuesday night.
The boys took the court first and played a strong game against a talented Thomas More Prep squad before falling in overtime, 78-75. The lead shifted back and forth throughout the game and the contest was tied at 66 at the end of regulation. Hillsboro built a 75-70 lead in the extra period with only 1:31 to go, but a series of turnovers and poor shot choices in the final minute opened the door for a TMP comeback victory.
Clay Shewey had an outstanding game for HHS, scoring 34 points, all in regulation. With the loss, Hillsboro drops to 5-4 for the season and will play Marion at 3 p.m. Thursday in a consolation-bracket contest.
The Hillsboro girls redeemed the evening with a 55-47 victory in the late game. The Trojans trailed 23-20 at the half, but an outstanding second half by Amy Neufeld, plus excellent free-throw shooting by the team down the stretch, fueled the win.
Neufeld scored 16 points in the second half, giving her a career-high 20 for the game. Meanwhile, the Trojans made 12 of their last 14 free throws from 0.4 seconds left in the third period through the fourth quarter.
In the semifinal round, the Trojan girls will play TMP at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
