Despite cutting Clinton-Massie’s lead to as little as 3 points in the fourth quarter, the Hillsboro Indians just couldn’t stall the Falcon’s momentum, leading to a 69-64 home loss Tuesday night.
Hillsboro started the game with a brief lead in the first three minutes, jumping out to 9-4 by 5:25. Clinton-Massie’s Trey Uetrecht hit a long 3-pointer at five minutes that brought the Falcons close enough to take the lead when Griffin Cook hit a 2-pointer, taking the score to 9-7 with the Indians behind. The visitors kept the lead for the rest of the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 21-15 with the Falcons on top.
Clinton-Massie kept Hillsboro’s gains at 3 points for the first five minutes of the second quarter while taking 13 points for themselves. Hillsboro opened up scoring after the three-minute mark, with Ethan Watson and Josh Keets each tossing in a 2-pointer. Cam Reed made two 2-pointers in less than 20 seconds near the end of the quarter, and Marshall Ward made two conversions to finish off the half at 36-27 with the Indians still behind.
Hillsboro came out of the locker room ready for a fight, making 19 points for the quarter while keeping the Massie boys at 15 points. Reed was the star of the third quarter with two 3-pointers and a 2-point shot. Ward brought the Indians to within 4 points of the lead early in the quarter with a timely 2-point shot, but it wasn’t meant to be. The visitors kept their momentum and the lead, bringing the third quarter to a close ahead by 5 at 51-46.
The fourth quarter saw both teams score 18 points. Watson made a long 3-point shot that brought the Indians to within 3 points of the lead at 5:44, but, again, the Falcons kept the Hillsboro boys at bay. The Indians played hard in the last period, but despite a last-minute 2-pointer from Ward, the Falcons walked away with the win at 69-64.
Watson led scoring for the Indians with 14 points, followed by Ward and Reed with 13 points apiece.
“We ran out of time there at the end,” said Hillsboro head coach Bruce Miles. “I told our guys, we got so many wide open looks and we did not make a thing in that fourth quarter. We executed, ran a bunch of different sets at them, but the ball didn’t fall.”
The Hillsboro Indians will take on Miami Trace at home Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Elsewhere in the county Tuesday night, the McClain Tigers lost to Chillicothe at home 65-44, and the Whiteoak Wildcats took a 59-39 loss to Manchester in Mowrystown.
Summary
Clinton-Massie — 21 15 15 18 — 69
Hillsboro — 15 12 19 18 — 64
CMHS: Chowning 3(2)-3/3-15; Myers 8-2/2-18; Cook 4(1)-0/1-11; Greathouse 3-6; LeForge 2/4-2; Uetrecht 4(1)-6/7-17
Totals: 22(4)-13/17-69
HHS: Swayne 2/2-2; Reed 3(2)-1/2-13; Ryan 2-1/1-5; Ward 6-1/2-13; Watson 5(1)-1/2-14; Anderson 1(1)-0/1-8; Keets 3(1)-9
Totals: 20(6)-6/10-64
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @SportsWrighter.
