The KCII Area Game of the Week features a rescheduled basketball doubleheader Thursday between the Highland Huskies and Hillcrest Academy Ravens.
At 9-3, the Highland girls hold the third spot in the Superconference north and enter the night coming off of consecutive wins versus Winfield Mt.-Union and Columbus. It was a thrilling, one-point victory over the Wildcats on January 2, the last time the Huskies played a game. Sarah Burton sits at exactly 200 points to lead Highland and is top 10 in 1A basketball for rebounds, blocks, free throw attempts and makes. The Huskies average just under 40 points per game behind 30.9 percent shooting from the field, 19 percent from three-point range, and 52.3 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, they allow 34. The team is second in Class 1A in rebounds, pulling down more than 43 per night.
They square off with a Hillcrest team that earned its first conference win over WMU last week. The Ravens have taken two of their last three after a six-game skid to head into winter break. The team averages a little over 38 points per contest, while allowing 42. Three-pointers have been a key to Hillcrest’s success, as they hold the ninth-best percentage from beyond the arc. Meanwhile Claire Withrow has made 42 three’s this season to lead 1A basketball. The Ravens shoot 29.2 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from three, and 50 percent from the line to go along with 30 rebounds, 9 assists, 12 steals, 2 blocks, and 18 turnovers per game. Highland has won seven in a row against Hillcrest, including a 45-42 win in November.
The boys hit the floor next with the Huskies looking to grab their first Superconference win of the season. Highland has lost two straight since defeating English Valleys to get into the win column, averaging less than 30 points per night. Much of their offensive production comes from Nicolas Oriano, Logan McFarland, and Bryce Hazelett, who together have accounted for more than 50 percent of the team’s points. Highland shoots 28.5 percent from the floor as a team, and is allowing 60 points per night defensively.
The Ravens come to town as the third-place team in conference play, 9-4 overall. Hillcrest looks to bounce back after a two-point loss to West Liberty on Saturday, and enters Thursday’s contest averaging 54 points per night. Rowan Miller has the most assists for a Raven team that is tied for fifth in 1A in that mark. Hillcrest is hitting 44.6 percent of its shots from the floor and 36.3 percent from three. Seth Ours has been a key to that success from deep, as his 35 three-pointers are seventh-most in his class. Per game, the Ravens average 25 rebounds, 17 assists, 10 steals, 1 block, and 13 turnovers. Hillcrest defeated Highland 57-18 in the season opener, and has taken the last seven matchups.
Highland and Hillcrest Academy square off in the Area Game of the Week, available on the KCII3 Stream. Pregame coverage begins tonight at 5:30, the girls tip at 6 with the boys to follow live from Riverside.