Ravens defeat Warriors
Hillcrest closed the regular season Friday with a decisive non-conference win on the road at HLV, defeating the Warriors 69-37. The Ravens jumped to a 21-6 lead after five minutes and held a 26-10 lead after one quarter. Hillcrest kept things going through the second period to lead 46-18 at the half. The margin grew to 57-23 four minutes into the second half and everyone saw action down the stretch.
Hillcrest received balanced scoring on the evening, as Eli Ours scored 13 points, Noah Miller tallied 12 and London Schrock had 11 points. Ours connected on three treys and Miller had one. Kobe Borntrager was right behind with nine points and Drew Blauvelt scored eight. John Hughes scored six points, Luke Schrock added a triple, and Aaron Hershberger and Aidan Yoder also scored three points. Grant Bender completed the scoring with a free throw. Ours and Blauvelt had five assists apiece, Miller recorded four steals and Hershberger had a team-high five rebounds.
Coach Dwight Gingerich said “our execution was solid and our pressure had an effect. Our guys have improved tremendously through the season, and I’m proud of the growth they have made.” The victory clinches a winning season for the Ravens, as the Hillcrest mark is now 11-9 overall. The Ravens finished 9-7 in conference play, good for fourth place, behind Pekin, Highland and Lone Tree.
Hillcrest opens District 7 Tournament action next Thursday, February 20 at Highland at 7 PM.