Clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch preserved a tentative lead built on defense as the Hillsboro girls opened their post-holiday and league season with a 40-31 road win over an aggressive Hoisington squad Friday.

The Marion girls won their second straight game by a wide margin, drubbing the visiting Lyons Lions 51-23 Saturday after trouncing Ellinwood 58-36 the night before.

Hillsboro High will host the annual Trojan Classic starting Monday and lasting through Saturday of next week.

Facing perhaps its stiffest competition so far this season, the Hillsboro wrestling team placed third among 11 teams at the Herington Invitational on Saturday.

Class 4A powers Abilene and Chapman claimed first and second place, respectively, with 179 and 1461⁄2 team points. The Trojans accumulated 1151⁄2.

Centre

?Behind 19 points from Ben Krause and 17 from Trevor Troutt, the Cougars bounced Elyria Christian 69-47 Friday.

Krause poured in 10 points during Centre?s 18-8 first quarter run, including a 3-point shot, an old-fashioned 3-point play, and two 2-point baskets.

Centre

With four players in double digits, the Cougars handled Elyria
Christian with ease, staking themselves to a 13-5 lead and never
looking back on their way to a 57-33 win.

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Hillsboro?s Daniel Jost (left) knocks the basketball out of the grasp of Halstead?s Tyler Armendariz while Trojan teammate Andy Klassen guards from behind. Clay Shewey and David Loewen (background from left) watch for the result.

Near the end, it appeared to be a Christmas present both teams intended to give instead of receive. But in the end Hillsboro wrapped up a hard-fought 51-48 nail-biter Friday over a scrappy Halstead squad at Brown Gym?na?sium.

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Tiffany Rooker (4) hustles to cut off Halstead?s Marissa Vermillion as the Dragon guard pushes the ball up court in second-half action.

A 19-3 surge on either side of halftime carried the Hillsboro girls to a 41-30 win over Halstead in a makeup game against Hal?stead Friday in Brown Gymna?sium.

The Trojans trailed for the last time at 13-12 following a 3-point basket by Halstead?s Marissa Vermillion with 4:44 left in the first half.

Marion?s Justin Heidebrecht glides in uncontested for two of his career-high 22 points against Sterling on Tuesday. Courtesy photo by Jim Versch

The Marion boys used a 24-12 outburst in the second quarter to flatten the Sterling Black Bears Tuesday night. The Warriors carried a nine-point lead into halftime and cruised to a 67-46 win.

The Marion girls lost to Sterling on Tuesday, 53-47.

?This is a game we should have won,? coach Randy Savage said. ?We played well enough to win for three quarters, but we gave it away at the end.?