Hillsboro ends 20-year losing streak to Wilmington

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WILMINGTON — Ending a 20-year losing streak in a storied rivalry, a senior-laden Hillsboro boys basketball team defeated Wilmington 64-47 Friday night in the season opener at Fred Summers Court.

Hunter Price had 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Hillsboro attack. Three others — Ryan Scott 15, Quinton Captain 13, Brad Miller 13 — also reached double digits for Miles Burton’s visitors.

“Last year was a learning experience,” said Burton, in his second season as HHS head coach. “This year, they’re all experienced.”

Aside from experience, Hillsboro, with 11 seniors on the roster, gets after it at both ends of the floor.

“Our guys play hard,” Burton said. “That’s our identity. We have good kids all around.”

Wilmington was led by Brady Vilvens who had 13. Kendal France had 10, all in the third. Matt Butcher was held to 4 points. He did lead WHS with 8 rebounds.

The name of the game for Hillsboro was offensive rebounding. The red and white had 20 offensive rebounds. WHS had 22 rebounds total.

“We preach (rebounding) every day,” said Burton, a Blanchester High School grad. “Hunter Price is as good a rebounder as I’ve been in the gym with.”

The last win for Hillsboro in this rivalry was a 64-52 victory on Dec. 4, 2000, Burton pointed out.

WHS head coach Matt Kramer, in his second year at the helm of the Hurricane, spent a long time in the locker room with his team after the loss.

“We spotted them 20 shots,” Kramer said of the rebounding difference. “They didn’t shoot a great percentage but we just got pushed around on the glass. When push came to shove, they did and we didn’t.”

Wilmington opened with control of the game. Brady Vilvens cashed in a steal, off a Brandon Glass deflection. The result was a dunk that put WHS up 8-4. Vilvens had 7 points in the opening frame and WHS led 16-11 at the break.

But Hillsboro’s relentless pressure on the offensive glass paid off in the second quarter. HHS had 4 offensive rebounds on one possession and started the quarter with a 10-2 run. They led 21-18 at the time.

Later in the period Ryan Scott drained a 3-pointer to make it 34-25. The teams were tied at 23 before the red and white Highland County quintet had a 9-2 outburst.

It was the Kendal France show early in the third as the senior forward scored 8 points on the first 5 possessions. Vilvens had 3 assists and Glass 1 on France’s 4 baskets. Still, WHS trailed 41-37. Miller kept Hillsboro on top with an offensive stickback, the WHS woes on the glass continuing.

Hillsboro, if there was any doubt at this point, put the game away with a 25-6 run to go up 60-41.

“We haven’t shown any signs of being unwilling to do the physical things needed to win a game until tonight,” Kramer said. “When you give teams 2, 3, 4 some times 5 chances at the basket, it’s demoralizing.”

NOTEBOOK

• Both teams had a Blanchester component. For Wilmington, the junior varsity coach is Luke Roy, a BHS grad. On the Hillsboro side, varsity head coach is BHS grad Miles Burton.

SUMMARY

Nov 27, 2020

@Fred Summers Cour

Hillsboro 64, Wilmington 47

W^16^13^12^6^^47

H^11^24^17^12^^64

(47) WILMINGTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Butcher 2-0-0-4 Glass 1-1-0-3 France 5-0-0-10 Vilvens 6-0-1-13 Blessing 3-1-2-9 Baltazar 4-0-0-8 L. Griffith 0-0-0-0 Bernhardt 0-0-0-0 Miller 0-0-0-0 S. Griffith 0-0-0-0 Lazic 0-0-0-0 Warix 0-0-0-0 Holmes 0-0-0-0 TOTALS 21-2-3-47

(64) HILLSBORO (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Captain 5-1-2-13 Scott 6-2-1-15 Clark 0-0-0-0 Price 8-1-1-20 Miller 5-0-3-13 Parry 2-1-0-5 Hunter 0-0-0-0 Lewis 0-0-0-0 Middleton 0-0-0-0 Sullivan 0-0-0-0 Tira 0-0-0 TOTALS 26-5-7-64

FIELD GOALS: WHS 21/48; HHS 26/64

3 PT FIELD GOALS: WHS 2/13; HHS 5/15

FREE THROWS: WHS 2/3; HHS 7/12

REBOUNDS: WHS-22 (Butcher 8 Vilvens 4 Blessing 3 France 2 Glass 1); HHS-43 (Miller 12 Price 10 Captain 7 Parry 5 Scott 4 Hunter 3)

ASSISTS: WHS-7 (Vilvens 3 Glass 2 Butcher 1 France 1); H-6 (Miller 3 Scott 2 Price 1)

STEALS: WHS-5 (Vilvens 3 Butcher 1 Blessing 1); HHS-11 (Captain 4 Scott 2 Price 2 Lewis 1)

BLOCKED SHOTS: W-0; H-0

TURNOVERS: W-15; H-13

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Burton’s squad posts 64-47 victory over Hurricane

By Mark Huber

[email protected]

Reach Mark Huber at 937-556-5765, via email [email protected] or on Twitter @wnjsports

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