Junior Morgan Huntley and freshman Sydney Johnson gave Hillsboro a distinct advantage in the paint during last Tuesday’s non-conference game against Seneca.
The duo each posted career-highs in scoring, and both finished the game with impressive double–doubles as the Lady Tigers held off the Indians for a 50–37 victory.
Huntley, a 6–foot-2, forward, scored a career-best 21 points (and individual team-high for the season) on nine baskets and three free throws, while pulling down 10 rebounds.
Johnson added 15 points, 11 boards and two blocks for the winners.
“Morgan Huntley shined in her first start of the season with 21 points,” said Hillsboro coach Scott Egan. “Sydney Johnson continued her stellar play, adding 15 points and 11 rebounds.”
The win was Hillsboro’s first this season against a team with a winning record.
The Tigers improved to 5–3, while Seneca fell to 5–4.
Hillsboro outscored the Indians 13–2 in the first quarter, but let the visitors hang around going into halftime with just an eight-point lead at 19–11.
Seneca cut the Tigers’ lead to just three points in the third quarter, but Hillsboro went on a 7–0 run to regain a 34–24 lead going into the final period.
Junior point guard Brittany Borchardt had three points and team-high nine assists. Classmate Mackenzie Sullivan added three points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Hillsboro 52, Ithaca 30 (NC)
Friday night Johnson, Sullivan and sophomore Shelby Levy each scored 11 points to lead a balanced attack in a 52–30 victory at Ithaca.
Hillsboro (6–3) poured it on in the first half and opened up a 27–12 lead at the break.
But the host Bulldogs (2–7) and leading scorer Jessica Laue, who scored six of her 13 points in the quarter, outscored the Tigers 13–6 in the third quarter to pull within eight at 33–25.
Hillsboro put the game away with a 19–5 closing run as Sullivan scored six points, while going 4 of 5 from the free thrown line in the final minutes.
Eight of Hillsboro’s nine players scored in the game.
Sullivan led the team with six rebounds and three assists.
Levy pulled fown four rebounds, while Shore made a team-high five steals.
Hillsboro was scheduled to host Cashton Tuesday night and will not travel to Brookwood (5–0, 3–0 SBC) on Friday night.
