Chisholm, Frick help Lady Trojans top Eagles
Hillsboro duo combines
for 45 points in 64-54
win over Ellinwood
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
With the regular season coming to a close, building momentum for the post-season is the main thing teams are looking to do.
That's why Lady Trojan coach Melissa Stenfors wasn't about to gamble Friday night.
Let the visiting Ellinwood Lady Eagles get hot from the outside like they're more than capable of doing, the Trojans would likely stagger into a formidable sub-state, losers of three of their last four.
Thanks to a season-high 18 points from Tina Frick, and a game-high 23 from Julianne Chisholm, Hillsboro (9-9) was able to stamp out any threats of that, beating the Eagles, 64-54.
"I was very pleased with our half-court offense," said Stenfors. "The three-pointers, they (Eagles) were very dangerous. I watched them warm up and they were shooting lights out.
"I think the girls have regained some of that confidence that sort of dwindled there for a little while since we had those little slumps."
Ellinwood was hardly shooting the lights out to start the game with the Trojans racing to a 7-0 lead barely 2:30 into the contest and going nearly 3:00 without a basket.
For a team that can heat it up from outside, the Eagles were limited to a modest a 29 percent from behind the arc and 35 percent overall.
The same drought that plagued the Eagles from the start plagued the Trojans the end of the first quarter, falling behind 14-11 after going the closing 3:20 scoreless.
With 5-foot-9 being the tallest player on the Eagles' roster, Ellinwood had no answer inside for the 6-foot-1 Frick.
And Frick exploited why the Eagles are a perimeter team, using her height to score 16 points, including the Trojans' first six of the second quarter.
Ellinwood hit another shooting lapse after the 5:00 mark and the Trojans overtook the lead for good, going into the break with a 33-25 lead, burning the Eagles for 75 percent shooting.
It was Hillsboro that shot the lights out, shooting a season-high 60 percent for the game on 22-for-37.
All but five of Hillsboro's 22 points in the second quarter came from Frick, who finished the game nine-for-10 from the floor.
"Tina did a good job of getting herself in the position to be open," Stenfors said. "She's obviously by far the tallest person out there so she's easy to spot.
"They doubled down a little bit and got us tangled up a few times early in the game, but then fast breaks and different things opened it up a little more and gave us inside looks."
While Frick made an impact the first half, mainly the second quarter, Chisholm really erupted the second half.
With nine points the first half, Chisholm rallied for 14 to help the Trojans hold onto to their lead.
Chisholm also hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds for a double-double.
The Eagles, aided by 24 turnovers for Hillsboro, stayed hot on the Trojans' trail with key plays by Tabor Lady Bluejay-signee Chelsea Malone and Sarah Plowman.
Malone scored a team-high 17 points, coming up with the tough points when the Eagles needed them.
With time working against Ellinwood, the Trojans had to earn a living at their nemesis free-throw line.
Hillsboro hardly looked like a team that's struggled at the line all season, hitting 18-of-23 for the game and a near-perfect 12-for-14 in crunch time.
Hannah Marsh scored six points, all from the foul line.
"I'm really happy," said Stenfors. "We needed that one."
The Trojans wrapped up the regular season Tuesday night traveling to Hoisington before opening the post-season action Monday in Hesston's sub-state.
Wichita Collegiate
The Trojans found out on Valentine's Day why the Wichita Collegiate Lady Spartans are ranked second in Class 3A, falling 66-31.
The game was basically over after the first quarter with the Spartans holding the Trojans to a slim two field goals and five points.
You know you're doomed when 11 points is the best quarter a team can muster against somebody the caliber of the Spartans.
Collegiate made it next to impossible for Hillsboro to get anything going the entire game, holding the Trojans to a combined 10 points the first and fourth quarters.
The Spartans cruised into halftime with a commanding 31-15 lead with the Trojans trying desperately to get rolling offensively.
Collegiate put the game well out of reach the third quarter, outscoring Hillsboro 27-10 and build a 58-26 lead.
Lora Andrews scored a team-high eight points for the Trojans with Chisholm adding seven.
