After slow start, Panthers roll past Indians, 64-43

Hillsboro’s Nic Burns is guarded Friday in a Frontier Athlietic Conference by Miami Trace’s Brady Armstrong.

HILLSBORO — On a seasonably cold, somewhat snowy Friday evening the Miami Trace Panthers visited Hillsboro High School to take on the Indians in a Frontier Athletic Conference matchup. After a low-scoring start to the game, Miami Trace warmed up considerably en route to a 64-43 victory.

The win, coupled with a 64-52 win by Jackson at Washington High School, creates a tie between the Panthers and Blue Lions atop the FAC standings, each at 6-1.

Chillicothe defeated McClain Friday, 47-45, to improve to 2-5 in the FAC with McClain falling to 0-7.

Junior Steven Kibler led the Indians with 12 points. Junior Dorian Stewart scored 10 for Hillsboro and sophomore Tate Davis had nine points.

The Panthers had four players in double figures, led by senior Andrew Guthrie with 18 points, tops for the game. Guthrie had a double-double with 11 rebounds. He also blocked two shots. Senior Isaiah Reisinger hit three three-point field goals and finished with 15 points. He had four rebounds and two steals. Junior Bryson Osborne had 11 points (with one three) and junior Coleden May scored 10 points and added four rebounds. Junior Austin Boedeker, while not making the scoring column, facilitated several Miami Trace points with a team-high seven assists.

The Panthers led 6-2 at the end of the first quarter.

Miami Trace’s biggest scoring surge of the night came in the second quarter, where the Panthers scored 24 points to 17 for Hillsboro to take a 30-19 halftime lead.

Miami Trace won the scoring battle in the third and fourth quarters, leading 48-33 after three quarters of play. The Panthers scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to 10 for Hillsboro.

The Indians pulled to within six points (32-26) with 5:44 to play in the third quarter.

“The first time we played them they kind of spread it out from the very beginning,” Hillsboro head coach Josh Howland said. “We’ve talked about how defense can keep us in games. It would have kept us in that third quarter. We were giving up open cuts to the basket; they were penetrating, coast-to-coast. We weren’t stepping up and being physical like we needed to.

“When we went to a zone we wanted to trap out of it,” Howland said. “We knew we’d have to go zone some because we knew we’d be tired. We don’t go real deep. Our plan was definitely to speed (Miami Trace) up, try to wear (Andrew) Guthrie down some. He’s a nice kid.”

Miami Trace soon had the margin back up to as many as 20 points later in the third.

“We knew Hillsboro would come out ready to play,” Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley said. “They are very well-coached. They’re a young team, starting to come into their own a little bit. We knew we’d have our hands full tonight. It wasn’t always pretty on offense, but we made enough plays.”

The Panthers (12-1 overall) are back in action Tuesday at Wilmington High School with the freshman game set for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off.

Hillsboro (5-9 overall, 2-5 in the FAC) will play at Fairfield High School Tuesday. Fairfield was 11-0 going into their game against Eastern Friday night.

MT wins jayvee

game with Hillsboro

In the jayvee game Friday, Miami Trace defeated Hillsboro, 57-39.

Jeven Hochstul led the Indians with 15 points. He connected on three three-point field goals. Walker Pence scored nine points (with one three) and Mason Dumpert scored six points. He and Cooper Yinger each hit one three-point basket. Yinger finished with four points for Hillsboro.

Skye Salyers of Miami Trace was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points. He had both of the Panthers’ two three-point buckets. Adam Guthrie scored 12 for the Panthers and Grant Guess scored 10.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

MT 6 24 18 16 — 64

H 2 17 14 10 — 43

MIAMI TRACE — Shay Salyers 1-0-2; Trey Robinette 0-0-0; Grant Guess 0-0-0; Coleden May 4-2-10; Brady Armstrong 1 (1)-0-5; Zach Warnock 0-0-0; Isaiah Reisinger 3 (3)-0-15; Austin Boedeker 0-0-0; Bryson Sheets 0-0-0; Andrew Guthrie 8-2-18; Adam Guthrie 0-0-0; Holden Hunter 0 (1)-0-3; Bryson Osborne 4 (1)-0-11. TOTALS — 21 (6)-4-64. Free throw shooting: 4 of 5 for 80 percent. Three-point field goals: Reisinger, 3; Armstrong, Hunter, Osborne. Field goal shooting: 27 of 52 for 52 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 6 of 13 for 46 percent. Rebounds: 32 (9 offensive). Turnovers: 13. Assists: 12. Steals: 9. Blocked shots: 3. Fouls: 12.

HILLSBORO — Nic Burns 2 (1)-0-7; Brogen Priest 0 (1)-0-3; Tate Davis 2 (1)-2-9; Brayden Hunter 0-0-0; Steven Kibler 3 (1)-3-12; Dorion Stewart 4-2-10; Bryce Parsons 0-0-0; Deegan Bloomfield 1-0-2. TOTALS — 12 (4)-7-43. Free throw shooting: 7 of 10 for 70 percent. Three-point field goals: Burns, Priest, Davis, Kibler. Field goal shooting: 16 of 54 for 30 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 4 of 20 for 20 percent. Offensive rebounds: 9. Turnovers: 14.

Chris Hoppes is the sports editor for the Record-Herald in Washington C.H.