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That last time that Hillsboro and Independence took the floor against each other, a region title was on the line. That game ended in a four-point win for the Eagles as both sides would eventually go on to make deep runs in the Class 4A the state tournament.
Fans wanting to see these two sides square off again wouldn’t have to wait until the postseason this time.
In front of a packed house, Independence went on the road and used a massive third quarter outburst to hand the Burros their first loss of the season 57-49.
“We knew coming into this one that it was going to be like this,” Independence coach Mark Wilkins said. “They’re a great team and we’re trying to be one too. We also knew that no matter win or lose, we were going to have to get better after tonight.
…this is a good test for us because we did some things well and have some things we need to fix. Overall, this was an awesome atmosphere for high school basketball and it doesn’t get any better.”
From the opening tip it was clear that neither side was going to pull away anytime soon. The teams traded baskets back and forth throughout the opening quarter with Hillsboro leading 14-13 after eight minutes of play.
The second quarter saw much of the same. Hillsboro took a four-point lead midway through the quarter. Independence answered with a run of its own to take the lead late.
Hillsboro’s Arnez Anderson drilled a free throw line jumper as time expired to give the Burros the 33-32 lead at the break.
Independence didn’t need to remain off the floor long. The Eagles were back on the court with six minutes remaining in the break following that short chat.
Whatever was said during that time worked. While Hillsboro went nearly six minutes without a basket in the third, the Eagles quickly took the lead and built upon it. By the time it was all said and done, Independence had outscored Hillsboro 16-3 in the quarter and led 48-36 heading into the fourth.
Hillsboro wouldn’t be outdone though.
What was once a 14-point Hillsboro lead was methodically trimmed down by the Burros throughout the fourth. With just over two minutes remaining, Tyren Fisher found a wide-open Xavier Washington under the basket. Suddenly what was one a 14-point lead was down three.
Needing points on their next possession, Wilkins put the ball in the hands of his senior leader. Jett Montgomery held possession draining clock before driving to the basket. However instead of shooting, he found Bradley Stewart streaking to the basket for an easy bucket.
A few defensive stops and made free throws later, the Eagles walked out of Hillsboro with an important win.
“We knew coming in that they were one of the best teams in the state and I think we are too,” Montgomery said. “They brought back a lot of pieces from last year so we looked at the film from last year and really locked in. I think this win really shows just how good of a team we are and ultimately can be.
…we’ll get a little more respect after this but we have to keep working.”
