Tribe opens season with loss to Piketon

     CHILLICOTHE – Unable to slow down the Piketon Redstreaks for the entire contest, the Hillsboro Indians boys basketball team dropped their season opener 68-50 in the Zane Trace Tipoff Classic Friday at ZTHS.

     “Piketon is a very good team. They are well coached and get down the floor well,” Hillsboro head coach Tim Davis said. “We had 20-21 turnovers, which led to 16-18 points and you can’t do that against a team as good as Piketon.

     “I guess it was first game jitters. Piketon took us out of our comfort zone. The times we had chances to convert off turnovers, we didn’t and they (Piketon) did.”

     HHS (0-1) had some offensive success in the opening quarter with senior Emanuel Turner knocking down a 3-point basket and senior Airic Steagall scoring with a one-handed jumper to make the score 9-8 in the second stages of the half. Turner also made two free throws in the first quarter.

     Piketon (1-0), who reached the Final 4 last year, came back with points from Evan Legg and Jamie Helton to end the first quarter at 15-9.

     In the second Jordan Miller started off with a 3-pointer for the Redstreaks. Turner answered with put back points to cut the PHS down to seven points. Piketon came back with a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 24-11 forcing the Indians to call timeout with 4:41 left in the quarter.

     After the timeout senior Dawson Barreras came back with two points for the Tribe, followed with a bucket from Steagall.

     With 2:24 left in the first half Turner came back with his second 3-pointer of the game.

     After the Redstreaks stopped the 7-point run by the Tribe, junior Aric Carroll cut the Piketon lead back down to six points with inside points.

     Helton sank a jumper at the buzzer to give PHS a 28-20 lead headed into the half.

     In second half Steagall scored first for the Indians to cut the Piketon lead down to 28-22, but Helton came back with inside points. Piketon came back with a long-range jumper to take a 10-point lead.

     The advantage increased to 34-22 with 5:55 left in the quarter, then PHS added to their advantage for a 14-point lead, forcing the Indians to call a time out near the halfway point of the quarter.

     Steagall responded for the Tribe with a 3-pointer to make the score 37-25. Carroll cut Piketon’s lead down to 10 points by banking in a bucket.

     At the 2:09 mark of the quarter the Redstreaks jumped out to a 43-27 lead. Steagall kept the Indians in the game with his 14^th point of the game to make the score 43-29.

     Legg gave the Redstreaks a 16-point lead with a basket late in the quarter.

     HHS sank a 3-pointer, but again, the Redstreaks came back with two points of their own, keeping the Tribe at bay to end the third leading by a score of 48-32.

     Legg began the final eight minutes with a jumper.

     Steagall reached the free-throw line in the early stages of the fourth making both attempts from the line, cutting the Piketon lead to 50-34.

     With 5:35 PHS added to their lead with two converted free throws to make the score 57-34.

     Carroll sank a 3-pointer in the middle of the quarter for the Tribe, putting HHS within 20 points of Piketon.

     Steagall came back on the next HHS possession with another 3-point basket with 4:14 left in the quarter. Carroll then gave HHS an 8-0 run with another bucket with less than 4:00 left in the game.

     Dylan Barreras scored put back points late in the game for HHS. Dow Kiefer made the score 68-50 for HHS with a basket with seconds to go in the game.

     “Tonight was a great experience to play a team like Piketon. It will help us come tournament time,” Davis said.

BOX SCORE

SCORE BY QUARTERS

HHS – 9 11 12 18 – 50

PHS – 15 13 20 20 – 68