Hillsboro loses lead in 4th quarter in loss to Eastern

HILLSBORO — The final game of the inaugural New Year’s Hardwood Classic saw the Hillsboro Indians take the lead going into the fourth quarter, but ultimately end up with a non-conference loss to the Eastern Warriors by a 50-44 score.

The game played at the Southern State Community College Patriot Center saw the Indians as the home team against the Warriors, and after three quarters, the Indians held a 34-32 lead.

Even at the start of the fourth quarter, the Indians pushed their lead to four points following a put-back basket by Tate Davis 15 seconds into the final frame.

Eastern (8-2) was able to cut that lead to one point with 7:24 left in regulation with a 3-pointer from Jaiden Florence for a 36-35 score.

The Indians’ Brayden Hunter pushed Hillsboro’s lead back to three points with a basket in the paint, but following a timeout by the Warriors, the next 12 points all went to Eastern, putting them into the lead at 47-38 with 2:13 left in the fourth.

Eastern’s run started with a three-point play by Grady Barber, followed by four points off two baskets by Pryce Murphy and another basket from Barber for a 44-38 Eastern lead which forced the Indians to call a timeout.

Following the timeout, Eastern made one more basket, a 3-pointer from Kade Walkup with 2:13 on the clock, for the aforementioned 47-38 lead for the visiting Warriors.

HHS (5-4) came back with two made free throws by Xander Lake at the 2:05 and 1:55 marks of the final frame. HHS cut the lead of EHS down to three points with a basket by Tre Captain, and later a rebound and bucket by Lake, for a 47-44 score with 38 seconds left in the game.

After the Indians called their final timeout, Barber of the Warriors extended their lead back to five points, and the Indians had a turnover with 6.3 left in the game on a pass that sailed out of play. Eastern’s Walkup made one final free throw in the final seconds of the game, securing the Warriors’ six-point win over the Indians.

“We struggled scoring, but most importantly we struggled boxing out. We gave up too many offensive rebounds,” HHS head coach Josh Howland said. “We gave up six offensive rebounds in the third quarter, and I’m not sure how many in the fourth.

“Hats off to Eastern, they wanted it. They won the offensive rebounds. They won the second-, third- and sometimes fourth-chance opportunities. If you allow that, you are going to give up a win.”

Jack Howland and Davis each led HHS in scoring with 15 points apiece. Howland totaled two two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and he was 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

Davis totaled four two-point baskets, two 3-pointers and he was 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.

Eastern led 16-14 after the first quarter, with the score being tied once at 11-11 following a jumper from the Warriors with 2:37 left in the opening quarter. HHS took back the lead with three points from Davis, but EHS scored the final five points of the quarter for the two-point lead of 16-14.

The Indians held a 26-21 lead at halftime as they outscored EHS 12-5 in the quarter. HHS began the second quarter with a layup from Dylan Dixon, tying the score at 16, and a 3-pointer from Jack Howland for a 19-16 advantage.

Davis extended the Indians’ second-quarter lead to six points with a 3-pointer with 3:15 on the clock, but Eastern’s Walkup answered with a 3-pointer for the Warriors with 2:39 remaining.

Davis responded with a jumper, and later followed with a layup for a 26-19 HHS lead, but the final points of the second quarter came with 1:05 left in the frame as Florence made two free throws for EHS, leaving the score 26-21 and the Indians ahead by five points.

Eastern won the third frame at 11-8, but HHS kept the lead after eight minutes at 34-32. Eastern began the quarter with a basket in the paint by Chase Pinkerton, but Howland was there for the Indians with a 3-pointer with 6:36 left in the quarter. Walkup chipped Hillsboro’s lead down to four points with a basket, then Murphy cut that lead down another point with a free throw for a 29-26 score.

Davis made a 3-pointer for the Indians with 2:08, and Walkup equaled the feat with a 3-pointer for the Warriors. Barber brought EHS to within a point of the Indians’ lead with a put back basket with 1:26 left in the third, but Howland lifted that lead back to three points with two made free throws.

Eastern scored the final points of the third with a free throw from Braxton Vance for the two-point differential.

Walkup led the Warriors with 17 points, making two two-point baskets, four 3-pointers, and he was 1-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Barber was next with nine points, followed by Vance with seven points and Murphy with six points for the Warriors. The rest of the EHS final scoring included Florence (five), Kayne Dotson (two), Pinkerton (two) and Matt Dick (two).

As a team, the Warriors totaled 14 two-point baskets, five 3-pointers, and they were 7-of-15 from the free-throw line.

Other final scoring totals for the Indians included Lake (eight), Hunter (two), Dixon (two) and Captain (two).

The win improves Eastern’s overall record to 8-2. Hillsboro now stands at 5-4 overall.

Next for the Indians is a game Tuesday, Jan. 14 on the road at Western Brown in non-conference play, followed by a Frontier Athletic Conference game Friday, Jan. 17 at home vs. the McClain Tigers.
 

BOX SCORE
EHS    16 05 11 18 — 50
HHS    14 12 08 10 — 44

EASTERN (50) — K.Walkup 2 (4) 1-4 17, J.Florence 0 (1) 2-2 5, K.Dotson 1 (0) 0-0 2, C.Pinkerton 1 (0) 0-2 2, B.Vance 3 (0) 1-2 7, P.Murphy 2 (0) 2-4 6, G.Barber 4 (0) 1-1 9, M.Dick 1 (0) 0-0 2. TOTALS: 14 (5) 7-15 50.

HILLSBORO (44) — X.Lake 2 (0) 4-6 8, T.Davis 4 (2) 1-2 15, B.Hunter 1 (0) 0-0 2, D.Dixon 1 (0) 0-0 2, T.Captain 1 (0) 0-2 2, J.Howland 2 (3) 2-2 15. TOTALS: 11 (5) 7-12 44.

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