Lady Indians take down Miami Trace

HILLSBORO — The Hillsboro Lady Indians continued their strong 2024-25 season with a Frontier Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon, defeating the visiting Miami Trace Lady Panthers 56-41. 

It was also senior night for the Lady Indians, as they celebrated their lone senior, Peighton Bledsoe, who finished the game with 10 points by sinking a 3-pointer, plus making two two-point shots, and she was 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. 

“I got to say a few words about Peighton before the game, and she is a kid who has been a foundational player in our system,” HHS head coach Heather Storer said. “She was a sophomore when we (coaches) got here, and is a big part of what we do. She is driven and has been huge in helping us create the system that's instilled.

"She's going to leave a huge hole in our program, and it's going to be big shoes to fill. I love that she got to have the full focus on her tonight. We got to celebrate her, and celebrate a win with her. She is going to be hugely missed within our program.”

Hillsboro (7-1,15-2) in the FAC game was first to score points on Saturday, and it was the senior Bledsoe drilling a 3-pointer with 6:11 on the first-quarter clock. That basket was answered with two points by Miami Trace, but Kobie Miles of HHS came back with two consecutive 3-pointers (5:29 and 4:31), pushing Hillsboro’s lead to 9-2. Miles led HHS with 16 points against Miami Trace. 

“Kobie is having to guard the other team's best player all the time, and she was still in double .digits offensively,” Storer said. “The kid is gritty. They (MTHS) tried to roll the ball in the 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and she's diving on the floor. Her effort and aggression is unmatched.”

MTHS (4-3, 9-7) ended the first quarter with a 7-2 run, as the two points for Hillsboro were scored by Tylee Davis (who totaled 13 points), while MTHS had four of those seven points from Gracie Lovett, and they ended the run and quarter scoring with a three-point play by Katy Bock for an 11-9 HHS lead. 

Hillsboro opened the second quarter with a three-point play by Miles 27 seconds into the quarter, and after two points from MTHS, Dinah Ames made a 3-pointer with 5:52 on the clock a 17-11 lead. MTHS answered with six consecutive points, leaving Hillsboro’s lead at one point at 17-16, but that lead went to 19-16 following two free throws from Bledsoe. 

MTHS answered with a 3-pointer from Ellie Robinette for a 19-19 tied score with 1:57 left in the first half, but HHS scored the next seven points off a jumper by Jordan, two free throws also by Jordan, and a steal, layup and made free throw after being fouled for a three-point play by Bledsoe with 46 seconds left in the second quarter. 

Miami Trace scored the final two points of the second quarter, leaving Hillsboro’s lead at five points when halftime arrived by a 26-21 score. 

“I think we had a game plan with Miami Trace at their place the first time we played. The game was close through the first half, and then we kind of blew the game up a little bit in the second half with transition and defensive effort,” Storer said. “Today, we had to back off of the defensive side in the first half and play a little bit of not our style with the foul trouble that we were in second half. We came back and we were able to dial up the defensive pressure, continue the transition, and that's what opened the game up for us.”

Hillsboro built an eight-point lead after three quarters at 39-31 leading the third frame by as many as 12 points with 1:40 left on the clock. HHS in the third had four points from both Kyra Boyd and Davis, plus a 3-pointer by Miles and two points off a basket from Bledsoe. 

HHS continued to keep the lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lady Panthers 17-10 in the fourth quarter for the 15-point win. 

Boyd started the Lady Indians’ scoring in the fourth with two points in the paint off a rebound — as she totaled seven points in the win — and later it was Davis making a free throw, then she followed that with a layup 50 seconds later for an 11-point Hillsboro lead at 44-33. 

HHS later had a basket by Ames and a free throw made by Boyd, then with 2:22 left in the fourth, Davis went the length of the court for a layup while being fouled. She turned that into a three-point play with the made free throw for a 50-37 advantage. 

The rest of the fourth-quarter scoring for the Lady Indians included a layup by Miles, a free throw from Davis, two more free throws made by Miles and a free throw from Annia Young to complete the scoring for the game, giving the Lady Indians their 15-point win. 

More HHS final scoring included Ames (five), Jordan (four) and Young (one). 

Miami Trace was led in scoring by Lovett with 12 points.  

“Miami Trace is a really good ball club that's playing pretty good basketball this time of year, and I think they're better than what their record shows,” Storer said. “That's a competitive team that I think can have a run at the end of the year, so that's a good team to play this time of the year.”

HHS is scheduled to play again Monday, Jan. 27 on the road in a FAC game at Chillicothe. Miami Trace is scheduled to play again Monday, Jan. 27 on the road in FAC action against the Jackson Ironladies. On Saturday, Feb. 1, Hillsboro is scheduled to face first-place and FAC-undefeated McClain at 1 p.m. at McClain High School. 

Hillsboro knows how important the next two FAC games are for them. 

“These kids are ready to play. We just talked in the locker room. We are 15-2, and the kids are pumped. Every game is not taken lightly. Every win is appreciated, and we don't take anything for granted,” Storer said. “You know, the FAC title is on the line, and the kids are hungry and they want it, and we aren't going to lay down. We're going to give everything we have, and this was a good game to kind of get ready for that. We'll go to Chillicothe on Monday, and continue to drive that home. 

“I know the girls are dialed in and ready to go for these last few runs of the season here.”

BOX SCORE
MTHS        09 12 10 10 — 41
HHS           11 15 13 17 — 56

HILLSBORO (56) — P.Bledsoe 2 (1) 3-5 10, K.Miles 2 (3) 3-3 16, E.Jordan 1 (0) 2-2 4, T.Davis 4 (0) 5-7 13, D.Ames 1 (1) 0-2 5, K.Boyd 3 (0) 1-2 7, A.Young 0 (0) 1-2 1. TOTALS: 13 (5) 15-23 56. 

MIAMI TRACE (41) — E.Robinette 1 (1) 0-0 5, G.Lovett 5 (0) 2-5 12, A.Reeves 1 (0) 0-0 2, C.Kirkpatrick 2 (0) 0-0 4, K.Bock 2 (0) 2-3 6, A.Butts 4 (0) 0-0 8, Z.Grooms 2 (0) 0-0 4. TOTALS: 17 (1) 4-8 41.