Indians open new court with win over Lions

     The Hillsboro Indians defended their new home court, as they used big runs and lone-range shooting to defeat county rival Fairfield 74-59 Saturday night at Hillsboro High School.

     Each team kept the game close for three quarters, but in the final eight minutes it was the Indians who pulled ahead and sealed their first victory of the season.

     HHS outscored the Lions 22-14 in the fourth quarter.

     From the 6:58 mark of the fourth quarter up to the 4:50 mark the Indians out scored the Lions 12-2 for a 64-49 lead. The run included an underneath wrap-around bucket by HHS junior Aric Carroll. In the same sequence HHS senior Airic Steagall sank a 3-poiner and grinded out a three-point play. Steagall led all scorers with a game-high 25 points. He was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.

     HHS kept the Lions at bay for the rest of the fourth with Steagall making five free throws, and points by junior Colt Coates and Carroll helped to seal the win.

     "In the beginning of the fourth we got into our offensive rhythm like I want us to play,” Hillsboro head coach Tim Davis said. “We were finally able to wear Leesburg (Fairfield) down late in the third and fourth quarters. But credit them (Fairfield), they are a very fundamentally sound team.”

     The new Indian basketball court saw its share of 3-point shots with a combined total of 10, as the Indians rained down seven. In the first quarter alone the Lions and Indians made seven 3-point baskets.

     Fairfield senior Alex Henson, who scored 21 points, opened the non-league battle with a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the start of the first quarter, then took a charge less than a minute later.

     Carroll netted the first boys varsity points for HHS in their new home with a layup after forcing a turnover with a steal.

     With FHS (0-2) leading 6-4 after a free throw from junior Chris Cox, Hillsboro senior Emanuel Turner sank a 3-pointer in front of the Fairfield bench to give HHS the lead at 7-6 with 3:30 left in the first.

     Then the game became a three-point contest of sorts.

     After Turner’s 3-pointer, FHS junior Cameron Rolark banked in a trifecta to take back the lead for the Lions.

     With 2:25 left in the opening quarter Steagall netted a four-point play with a 3-pointer and a free-throw, after being knocked to the ground as the ball went straight through the hoop.

     “We aren’t afraid to shoot the ball, that is for sure,” Davis said.

     Cox followed with a long-range jumper and Steagall came back with his second 3-pointer of the quarter, leaving 1:38 in the first. FHS junior Cody Tolle didn’t stand by and watch, as he went down the court and sank his own 3-pointer to bring FHS within one-point of the Tribe. Carroll added to the Indians’ lead with the overall sixth 3-point bucket of the quarter.

     “We struggled against their three’s,” Fairfield head coach Matt Carson said. “It is pick your poison when you face a team like Hillsboro. You either have to defend the 3-pointers or defend their inside players. Our boys battled and Hillsboro is a very good team already, and it is early in the season. They will be even better come February and March.”

     The lead continued to exchange hands in the second quarter with points by Henson, HHS junior Dow Kiefer, Cox and Carroll; eventually with Cox tying the score at 21 with 6:09 left in the first half. Cox finished with 24 points.

     HHS took control of the game after it was tied at 21 with Steagall scoring off a fast break, Turner sinking his second 3-pointer, HHS junior Colt Coates going 1 of 2 from the foul line and Carroll scoring last on the Indians’ 8-0 run. Carroll finished with 20 points.

     Cox brought the Lions closer at the end of the second with a layup as the Lions trailed four points at halftime.

     The game continued to be close with Hillsboro senior Dylan Barreras scoring first in the third, but Cox came back scoring the next three points to bring FHS within two points at 34-32 with 6:43 left in the third.

     Rolark put the pressure back on the Indians in the second half of the third quarter as he scored on a open layup, off a fast break, to make the score 42-40.

     Though the Lions kept he score close late in the third, the Indians never gave up the lead with Steagall and Carroll scoring 6 of the final 8 points to bring the third quarter to a close with HHS leading 52-45.

     Davis was pleased with how his players off the bench performed in the home opener.

     “I thought Dow (Kiefer) Eli Hogsett and Colt (Coates) gave great effort on offense and defense,” Davis said. “They took care of the ball, picked us up and gave us energy.”

     Coates finished with 13 points.

     The HHS coach also spoke about the difference from game one to the win over Fairfield.

     “One big difference was our turnovers didn’t lead to easy points like they did against Piketon,” Davis said. “The difference was the way we handled the defensive pressure.”

     After the game Carson said this week is finished and it is now time for his Lions to look ahead.

     “We have to look at it as an 18-game season, because this week is over,” Carson said. “We face North Adams Friday and we have a good stretch of games ahead.”

     The Lions will host North Adams next Friday. HHS (1-1) will play again next Friday as they travel to face Madison-Plains.

BOX SCORE

SCORE BY QUARTERS

FHS – 15 14 16 14 – 59

HHS – 17 16 19 22 – 74

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

HHS (74)

D.Kiefer 1 2, C.Coates 6 1-2 13, E.Turner 0 (2) 3-7 9, Dy.Barreras 2 1-3 5, A.Carroll 6 (1) 5-9 20, A.Steagall 2 (4) 9-10 25. TOTALS: 17 (7) 19-32 74.

FHS (59)

N.Sowders 1 2, C.Rolark 2 (1) 7, A.Henson 5 (1) 8-10 21, C.Cox 11 2-6 24, C.Tolle 0 (1) 3, J.Honeycutt 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 19 (3) 12-18 59.