The wins just keep on coming for legendary coach Ron Benish and his young Hillsboro girls’ basketball team.
The Tigers put three more in the win column over the last nine days.
Monday night Benish’s squad ran its perfect record to 6–0 with a 30–25 victory over visiting Kickapoo.
While the Lady Tigers aren’t putting up many points this year, averaging just 31.7 points per game, they are winning with defense.
Hillsboro has held its six opponents to an average of 23.3 points and won five games by six points or less.
Monday’s formula for success was exactly the same.
The Tigers held Kickapoo to just four points in the second and third quarters combined and did just enough offensively to build a 21–11 lead and pull out a five-point victory.
“It was a good victory over a good young, solid team from Kickapoo,” said Benish.
Senior forward Macy Mislivecek posted a double–double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Tigers.
Senior guard Kelsey Skala added eight points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while senior Sami Levy chipped in seven points.
Hillsboro will put its perfect recond on the line Friday night at Bangor (2–2, 2–0) in the final game before a 10-day holiday break.
Bangor is the preseason favorite along with Brookwood to win the SBC title this year. The Cardinals return all of their players from last year’s SBC co-championship season.
Hillsboro will return from the holiday break with a non-conference game at Seneca on Dec. 30. That varsity game will start at 7 p.m. as Seneca has no JV team.
Last Thursday Hillsboro posted its biggest win of the season, a 42–13 defeat of overmatched Necedah.
The host Tigers outscored the winless Cardinals (0–3, 0–2) 18–5 in the first quarter and it only got worse.
Hillsboro held Necedah to just one point in a 10–1 second quarter, then blanked the visitors in an 8–0 third quarter.
The Tigers suffocating defense held Necedah to just 11.6 percent (5 of 43) shooting from the field.
Skala drained three 3-pointers in the win and finished with a game-high 11 points.
Mislivecek added eight points and six rebounds.
Levy posted seven points and a four rebounds. Fellow senior Harli Mitchell had six points and six rebounds.
Sophomore Mackenzie Sullivan didn’t score, but led the team with eight rebounds and five assists.
“I was pleased with our defensive effort and hustle,” said Benish. “It was great to get all 10 varsity players significant playing time throughout the game. I feel were are improving a little each week, as we are heading into a tough part of our schedule.”
Last Tuesday Hillsboro outscored host DeSoto 6–0 in overtime to pull out a 32–26 non-conference victory.
In overtime Mislivecek scored three points, Destiny Shore added a pair of free throws, and Sami Levy 1-for-2 from the free throw line to cap the scoring.
Hillsboro out rebounded the taller DeSoto team 34–27 in the win didn’t allow the Pirates to shoot a single free throw.
The Tigers held DeSoto scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final two possessions of regulation.
Jessica Kuchta hit a deep three-pointer out of the right corner and on the next possession Shelbie Buckles hit a bank shot to tie the game at 26–26 and send it into overtime.
Shore scored a game-high 12 points and had three steals to lead Hillsboro in the win.
Levy added seven points and 11 rebounds, while Skala chipped in five points, nine rebounds and two assists.
