Hillsboro defends home court with 3-point win over Washington

(Editor's note: Coaches comments will be added on Saturday afternoon).

HILLSBORO — It was a closely played contest in the Frontier Athletic Conference Wednesday evening, but once the dust settled and the final buzzer sounded, the Hillsboro Lady Indians kept their pace in the conference standings, defeating the Washington Lady Blue Lions, 49-46 at Hillsboro High School. 

Washington (3-5, 10-6) hasn't made things easy for their FAC counterparts who are from Highland County in the second half of the FAC schedule, as they took first-place McClain to the brink on Jan. 14 in a three-point game (34-31 won by MHS) and now on Jan. 21 in another three-point game against the second-place Lady Indians. 

Even being pushed to their limits against Washington on Wednesday, the Lady Indians began the game with a very strong start, winning the first frame at 19-4, scoring the first 11 points of the game, holding on to an 11-point lead with 4:46 left in the opening quarter. 

Hillsboro (7-1, 11-4) began their run with a basket by Kobie Miles, followed by five straight points off a layup and a 3-pointer from Tylee Davis. Then it was a jumper by Annia Young, followed by one free throw each by Davis and Miles for the 11-0 lead. 

Davis led Hillsboro with 22 points, making three two-point baskets, two 3-pointers, and she was 10-of-15 from the free-throw line. She also had a double-double with 17 rebounds (five offensive), five assists and six steals. 

Miles scored 15 points in the win, totaling four two-point baskets, and she was 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. The senior also had six rebounds and two steals. 

Washington’s Eliana Racine broke up the scoring with two shots made from the free-throw line for Washington’s first two points of the game, but HHS answered with more free throws made by Ella Jordan and Davis, then it was back-to-back two-point layups from Miles which extended the Lady Indians' lead to 17-2. 

From there, Davis scored a bucket on a steal and layup with 1:03 on the clock for a 19-2 advantage, completing what was an 8-0 Hillsboro scoring run from the 3:22 mark to the aforementioned 1:03 mark of the first frame. Washington’s Jayden Hatfield made the final bucket of the first frame, leaving Hillsboro ahead with a 15-point lead. 

Scoring was scarce in the second frame for the Lady Indians as they had just three points, coming off a free throw from Miles at the 6:41 mark and a put-back basket by Young with 5:37 on the clock, giving HHS a 22-6 lead at that time in the game. Young ended with four points, 10 rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks. 

Washington scored 12 points in the quarter with points by Racine, Hatley O’Connor, Hatfield and Peyton Hughes for a 22-16 score at halftime with HHS still in front. Hughes finished the game with 10 points (three two-pointers, 4-of-6 FT-line) with 10 rebounds (four offensive) for a double-double. She also had three assists and two steals. 

Though HHS scored first in the third with two free throws by Miles, the Lady Blue Lions answered by taking the lead off a 13-0 run from the 6:29 mark to the 3:49 mark, beginning with a free throw made by Hughes. Then it was a fury of scoring from Hatfield, Hughes, Kate Miller (five consecutive points) and Hughes again with a steal and layup, followed later with a made free throw, putting Washington in front at 30-24. Miller finished with 17 points (two 3-pointers, five two-pointers) with five rebounds, two assists and two steals.  

HHS did make a comeback with a 3-pointer by Davis, and after Washington scored two points, Hillsboro’s Miles, Parker Wilkin (one steal) and Jordan each made a bucket for a HHS lead of one point at 33-32 with .50 left in the quarter. Jordan totaled six points in the win by making one two-pointer and going 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. The junior also had three rebounds and five steals.

Washington ended the first with a basket for a 34-33 lead following a bucket by Racine. Washington had 12 total points from Racine (five two pointers, 2-of-2 FT-line) with three rebounds and two steals.

In the fourth frame, the Lady Indians won the scoring battle at 16-12 starting with taking back the lead off a three-point play by Davis, and later on two more trips to the free-throw line she made 3-of-4 shots for a 39-34 Lady Indians’ lead with 4:49 left in regulation. 

After Racine put two more points on the board for Washington, it was HHS back to the free-throw line as Miles made both attempts, on for WCH to answer with a 3-pointer by Miller with 4:09 on the clock. 

The Lady Blue Lions regained the lead with a 3-pointer from Hatfield  at the 3:14 mark of the fourth, but it was Hillsboro’s Jordan putting the Lady Indians ahead by one point with two more shots made from the free-throw line for a 43-42 lead with 2:39 left. 

Washington took their final lead with a jumper by Miller for a 44-43 score with around 2:00 left in regulation, but the Lady Indians came back with two free throws made by Miles and two more free throws from Davis for a three-point HHS lead at 47-44. 

The Lady Blue Lions made the game much closer with a layup by Hughes with 6.0 on the clock for a 47-46 score, but Davis gave HHS a three-point lead with two final free-throw shots made for the win with 4.3 on the clock. 

Also in the game for HHS, Piper Wilkin totaled four rebounds, one assist and one steal. 

Other final scoring totals for Washington were Hatfield (five points) and O’Connor (two points). 

Team totals for HHS were 11 two-point baskets, two 3-pointers, and they were 21-of-29 from the free-throw line. They also collected 40 rebounds (18 offensive), six assist, 15 steals and two blocks. 

Washington totals were 14 two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and they went 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. The Lady Blue Lions also had 27 rebounds (six offensive), 12 assists, eight steals and one block. 

BOX SCORE
WHS    04 12 18 12 — 46
HHS    19 03 11 16 — 49 

HILLSBORO (49) — E.Jordan 1 (0) 4-6 6, K.Miles 4 (0) 7-8 15, T.Davis 3 (2) 10-15 22, A.Young 2 (0) 0-0 4, Pa.Wilkin 1 (0) 0-0 2. TOTALS: 11 (2) 21-29 49. 

WASHINGTON (46) — P.Hughes 3 (0) 4-6 10, K.Miller 5 (2) 1-1 17, J.Hatfield 1 (1) 0-0 5, E.Racine 5 (0) 2-2 12, H.O’Connor 0 (0) 2-2 2. TOTALS: 14 (3) 9-11 46.