Hillsdale boys hoops' second half comeback falls short; looks to beat Onsted on Friday
HILLSDALE — It's not always about how you start a game, but more about how you finish it. That's a motto many prep hoops coaches preach to their teams, especially when their units face first-half deficits. It can be hard to overcome those even if momentum swings your way in the second half.
That battle is what is in front of the the Hillsdale boys basketball team after a tough test at home against Grass Lake on Tuesday to kick off Week 9. The Hornets' effort fell short in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, with the Warriors escaping with a 41-37 win.
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The Hornets found themselves facing a 20-14 deficit at halftime as the Warriors leaned on leading scorer Brayden Lape, who had 13 points in the first half. Senior Jack Bowles had all eight of Hillsdale's first-quarter points, including two triples. Bowles was shut down by the Warriors in the second quarter, and the Hornets got two points each from Brody Adams, Ryan Bernard and Jace Lennox.
In the second half, the Hornets got a spark late in the third quarter from Casper Overbye, and Hillsdale got within three multiple times in the final minutes. This included a triple from Jace Lennox that sent him to the line for the four-point play. Bowles also nailed a triple, and Brody Adams sliced through the Warrior defense to earn two layups.
But the Warriors had a few early opportunities to get points at the line and extended offensive possessions to seal the win. Lape led the Warriors with 21 points. For Hillsdale, Bowles had 16, and Lennox, Overbye and Adams each had six points. Adams had four defensive rebounds along with two steals. Bowles had two defensive rebounds, alongside Grant Good and Overbye. Overbye and Lennox had two steals each. Amburgey had one block.
The Hornets fall to 8-7 with a chance to end the week with a statement win should they pull off the upset on the road at Onsted. Onsted is running on a four-game winning streak, and they should be 10-4 overall when they face the Hornets on Friday.
The Hornets lost Jan. 16 at home to Onsted in a 67-52 final. However, the Hornets had the Wildcats' number in the first half, tied at 27-27 at halftime. Senior Ayden Davis scored the majority of the points for the Wildcats with 32. Their 25 points in the fourth quarter would be the turning point in that matchup.
The formula is there for the Hornets to get revenge against the Wildcats. Game time is at 7 p.m. following the J.V. game.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hornet boys hoops second half comeback falls short against Grass Lake
