Caleb Riordan | Ameritime Sports Writer
The Hillsboro Hawks Freshman Boys Basketball team dominated the Festus Tigers 52-25 on Friday.
The Hawks’ effort was concentrated and consistent from the opening tip. Payton Brown got things going for Hillsboro in the first quarter with a basket and two made free throws. Luka Pool took care of business from the charity stripe as well and went 3-4 from the line. The Hawks led 13-5 by the end of the first.
The second quarter was an even more dominant effort from the Hawks. AJ Heuszel had a basket and hit four free throws for six points in the quarter. Chase Sucharski and Pool each had a basket as well. Hillsboro held the Tigers without a basket in the second, but Festus was able to sink one free throw before the half. The Hawks outscored them 13-1 and led 26-6 at the break.
Hillsboro continued to score the ball well into the second half. Pool hit a three in the third quarter, while Nick Marchetti, Jack Prince and Dominic Sutton all had baskets as well. Festus made some adjustments and had better luck offensively in the second half. Both sides scored 11 in the third. Hillsboro’s 20-point lead held strong headed into the final eight minutes.
The Hawks never eased up. They had their best scoring quarter of the day in the fourth with 15 points. Festus did what they could, but never made a real dent in the lead. Hillsboro sealed up the 52-25 victory and bumped their record to 15-5.
Pool led all scorers in the game with 18 points. Sucharski was second on the team with eight of his own, as Heuszel had seven and Brown had six. Eight Hawks saw the ball hit the bottom of the net at some point in the win.
The Hawks now sit at 15-5 as the season begins to wind down. They have shown with the right preparation and development, the future of Hillsboro basketball is bright. The next challenge for the Freshman is the De Soto Dragons on Friday, Feb. 12th.
