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WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Slowly but surely, Hillsboro is learning how to win basketball games.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
The youth-laden Indians took another step in the right direction on Wednesday, gritting out a league victory at Washington — a team that had beaten them earlier this season.
While the Blue Lions clawed their way back into the game late in the fourth quarter, Hillsboro coach Heather Storer’s group did just enough to put away a 31-28 decision.
It was a win that featured the Indians’ defense forcing 18 turnovers while holding Washington to just 10-of-37 shooting, or 27 percent.
“The defense was great tonight,” Storer said. “We just had to figure out the offensive end. But I think that was one of our best defensive efforts of the season so far. We’re finally getting our man-to-man to click and the girls are finally starting to understand their rotations and roles. That’s important for us. We have a few girls that can shoot the ball but we have to be good defensively to win basketball games.”
While the team’s defense was superb as a whole, it was once again Blake Herdman who took the reins of the Indians’ offense.
Per usual, Herdman flashed the ability to step out and hit the 3-ball, score under the bucket and get to the foul line when needed.
“Blake is a sophomore but she’s already a kid that can do so many things,” Storer said. “She can play the guard spot and she can play the post spot. She can guard either way, too. The fact that she’s so versatile is so important to us. She draws a lot of pressure from other teams. Everyone is focused on her and the fact that she’s able to score in double digits, with that pressure and as a sophomore, it’s an absolute compliment to her.”
Herdman gave Hillsboro (3-18, 1-8 FAC) a 2-0 lead with 6:37 left in the first quarter before Rylie Scott made it a 4-0 game with 3:59 to go. The Blue Lions then got on the scoreboard with a single free throw via Calleigh Wead-Salmi.
However, that was the only point Washington (3-16, 2-7 FAC) could muster throughout the entire first frame.
That trend quickly changed in the second when the Blue Lions took a 5-4 lead, thanks to a pair of free throws from Wead-Salmi and a field goal, finally, from Eliana Racine.
Hillsboro’s Kobie Miles answered with a lay-in before Herdman later nailed a 3-ball with 2:38 left before halftime, giving the Indians a 10-7 advantage — the final lead change of the night.
Addyson Miles then dialed long distance, pushing Hillsboro’s lead to 13-7, before Washington’s Allie Mongold scored the half’s final basket to bring the deficit to four at the break.
In the third, momentum completely shifted to the Indians’ bench.
With a 15-11 lead, Miles and Peighton Bledsoe combined for six straight points to make it a 21-11 lead at the 1:01 mark in the third.
“We came into the locker room [at halftime] and I told the girls that we were up four but when we came back out, the score was 0-0,” Storer said. “I knew if we didn’t win the first three minutes, the game was over. That’s the attitude I think they came out with and they were ready to roll.”
By the start of the fourth, Hillsboro’s lead was 24-13 after Herdman sank another 3 with 24.4 seconds left in the third.
Following a bucket from Washington’s Natalie Woods, Miles continued to be a catalyst for the Indians’ offense. She scored again with 5:47 remaining, making it a 26-15 lead, while continuing to reshift pressure from Herdman onto herself.
“I was really proud of Kobie tonight for sure,” Storer said. “That was one of her best overall games that she’s put together offensively and defensively. I didn’t even realize she had 10 points but the fact that she was able to take some of the pressure off Blake and some of the other girls that usually score, that’s absolutely what we want her to do.”
Washington, however, had one last run left.
Mongold turned in a triple with four minutes remaining before joining forces with Wead-Salmi to hit 3-of-4 free throws to cap a 6-0 run and cut the deficit to 26-21. Herdman then pushed the lead back to 10 at 31-21 with back-to-back scores, but the Blue Lions refused to go away.
Mongold scored again with 1:06 to go before Wead-Salmi made it a 31-26 score with 40.3 seconds remaining. When Racine scored with 29.2 ticks left, the Indians — all of the sudden — found themselves in a one-possession ballgame.
After Hillsboro missed the front end of a one-and-one at the charity stripe, Washington had one last offensive possession to try and force overtime. But a 3-point attempt fell short and Hillsboro was there to corral the rebound and seal a victory.
Stat book
Herdman ended the evening with a game-high 13 points alongside six rebounds while Miles added 10 points and five boards.
Leading Washington statistically was Wead-Salmi with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Mongold added nine points and two assists, and Sever had four points and five boards.
What’s on tap
Hillsboro is now in the very middle of a season-ending five-game road stretch. The Indians will next be in action on Saturday at Western Brown.
Meanwhile, Washington will attempt to get back in the win column that same day, hosting Waverly.
“We’ve spent a lot of time working on gaining confidence and mental toughness,” Storer said. “These are kids that come into practice and work hard physically, but they’re a team that’s not really mentally confident just yet. They’re young and that’s something we’re working on. I hope that kicks in over these next couple of weeks.”
BOX SCORE
Hillsboro: 4-9-11-7 — 31
Washington: 1-8-4-15 — 28
Hillsboro: 11-36 FG, 5-9 FT, 4-12 3pt., 16 rebounds (Herdman 6), 20 turnovers, 5 assists (Bledsoe 3). Scoring: Herdman 13, K. Miles 10, A. Miles 4, Scott 2, Bledsoe 2.
Washington: 10-37 FG, 7-12 FT, 1-9 3pt., 25 rebounds (Wead-Salmi 13), 18 turnovers, 5 assists (Mongold 2, Wall 2). Scoring: Mongold 9, Wead-Salmi 9, Sever 4, Racine 4, Woods 2.
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