Indians lose FAC game at Miami Trace

Playing in their first Frontier Athletic Conference game of the season, the Hillsboro Indians were unable to keep pace with the host Miami Trace Panthers for all four quarters, dropping the conference opener 68-51 at MTHS. 

The Indians held a one-point lead early in the game, as they were up 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, but that wasn’t the case in the second. MTHS led the frame with a 26-point effort, while the Indians scored 19 points for a halftime score of 35-29 in favor of the Panthers. 

Hillsboro’s first quarter saw them have six points scored by Jack Howland off three baskets, and four points scored by Jeven Hochstuhl, who made two free throws and a two-point basket. 

In the second quarter for the Indians, both Brady Juillerat and Hochstuhl each made two 3-pointers, Howland scored five points off two baskets and a free throw, and Weston Kibler scored two points. 

The Panthers scored 14 points in the third, and the Indians had a nine-point third frame for a score of 49-38 after three quarters. In the fourth, MTHS scored 19 points, while HHS had a 13-point fourth frame. 

Hillsboro’s third quarter included a 3-pointer by Hochstuhl plus four points from Howland as he made two free throws and a two-point bucket. HHS also had one shot made by Zack Brown in the third for two points. 

The Indians in the fourth quarter saw them have 11 points scored by Howland with two 3-pointers, two two-point baskets and a made free throw. Dawson Barnett also made one basket for two points in the final frame. 

For the Indians, their team totals were 12 two-point baskets, seven 3-pointers, and they were 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. 

Hillsboro was led in scoring by Howland with 26 points, finishing the game with two 3-pointers, eight two-point baskets and he was 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. Howland also collected four rebounds and one assist. 

Hochstuhl ended the game with 13 points with three 3-pointers, one two-point basket and he finished 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. He also had four rebounds, one assist and one steal. 

Juillerat totaled six points for the game with two 3-points with three rebounds and two assists. 

Scoring two points each were Kibler, Barnett and Brown. Kibler totaled one assist, while Barnett had one rebound, four assists, and one steal. Mason Dumpert finished with five rebounds, two assists and one steal. 

HHS team totals were 12 two-point baskets, seven 3-pointers, and they were 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. The Indians also had 17 rebounds (five offensive), 11 assists, three steals and nine steals. HHS also had nine turnovers. 

For the Panthers, they were led by Julian Baker with 16 points as he made six two-point baskets, one 3-pointer, and he was 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. 

Ty Huffman totaled 12 points with two 3-pointers and three two-point baskets. Evan Parsley finished with 10 points off two 3-pointers and two two-point buckets. 

Also scoring points for the Panthers was Gage Bowers with nine points, Conner Napier with eight points, and with four points each were Baron Phipps and Adam Guthrie. Rounding out the MTHS scoring was Blake Boedecker with three points and Charlie Anderson with two points. 

The Panthers’ team totals included 22 two-point baskets, seven 3-pointers, and they were 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. 

With the win, the Panthers improve to 1-0 in the FAC and 3-0 overall. Hillsboro moves to 0-1 in the FAC and 0-4 overall. 

Next for the Indians is an FAC home game on Tuesday, Dec. 16 against the Chillicothe Cavaliers. Hillsboro’s Sunday, Dec. 14 game against Portsmouth West was postponed due to inclement weather.