The last time the Hillcrest Academy girls basketball team opened the season with a win, most of their current players weren’t even born yet. That changed Friday night at Hillcrest Union as the Ravens kicked off the campaign with a 47-35 victory over Moravia.

As is often the case in the first game of the year, it was a slow start for both teams. After opening the scoring less than two minutes into the action, the Ravens trailed 12-6 after the first frame. Points were even harder to come by in the second quarter, with Malia Yoder recording the lone Hillcrest field goal. A good defensive effort, however, kept the deficit at six heading into halftime.

Out of the break, everything clicked for the Ravens as an offensive barrage was matched by lockdown defense. Yoder led all scorers in the third quarter with eight points. She would finish with 14. Claire Withrow added a pair of three-pointers, the first of any player to hit from deep. As the game headed to the fourth, Hillcrest had clawed their way to a two-point lead.

Withrow’s evening was far from done. The sophomore outscored the Mohawks 12-7 by herself in the final quarter, on her way to a game-high 20 points. Hillcrest was able to pull away late as Niva Helmuth and Delaney Shaw helped the team win the rebound game by 10. The two also combined for 10 points, while Kylee Statler rounded out the scoring with a fourth-quarter three.

Head coach for the Ravens, Mitchell Drey, had great pride in his team while speaking with KCII after the win. “This game, they showed the amount of work [and] the extra hours they’ve done getting in the gym. To be down at halftime to a really good team and be able to bounce back in a win like this is huge.”

In addition to starting the season 1-0, this was the first victory for the program since December of 2021. Hillcrest Academy tries to build off the win Tuesday as they host Columbus.