For the first time in four years the WACO Warriors and Hillcrest Academy Raven boys basketball teams met on Bob Hilmer Court in Wayland Saturday, and for the Warriors it was worth the wait. WACO got only their second win in the last 23 meetings with Hillcrest, and their first overall since 2007 by a 60-22 score in the third place game of the Southeast Iowa Superconference Shootout. The Warrior defense was on full display, suffocating the Ravens all night. The Warriors held Hillcrest to a season low point total on just eight made field goals and put the Ravens through three different four plus minute droughts in racing out to a 16-4 lead after one quarter and 24-9 halftime advantage. WACO rolled out of the break to a 19-3 run to lead 41-12 going to the fourth. After the game Warrior sophomore Hunter Hughes and coach Paul Kissell talked about the teams defense and keys in the win.
Hughes said, “Coach emphasizes for us to put pressure on the other team defensively, get up in their bubble. Attack ’em. Our defense pretty much runs our offense at times, and it’s fun to get out and run. Attacking the basket was big tonight for sure. They got really tight on us so we drove around them.”
Kissell added, “Early on we were able to get in our press and that rattled them. We also had to limit Bender’s looks, he’s a great player. Great energy and effort by our players tonight. Limit their looks, limit their second opportunities. We need to make everything a challenge for them and then get out and run because that’s where the fun is, out in transition where we can just get up and go. Hunter (Hughes) has been a rock for us at point guard all year. He really runs the show. Reece Oswald had a great game for us tonight too. Those two on top are so quick and anticipate so well. Simeon Reichenbach is right behind them so if you try to throw over the top he’s athletic enough back there to make plays. Colton Leichty and Cody Graber provide length for us behind that and we don’t lose much coming off the bench one through 15.”
Reece Oswald led the Warriors with 17 points, Hughes added 12. Grant Bender got to double figures for the Ravens with 10. With the win WACO is now 16-4 while the Ravens fall to 14-5.
Friday night, the Raven girls were beaten by New London at Hillcrest Union in their Superconference Shootout game 47-43. It was the first win of the year for the Tigers who entered at 0-21 and had an overall 27-game losing streak. Hillcrest is now 1-18 on the year. The Ravens open the playoffs Thursday at Winfield-Mt. Union.