The ninth biggest story for Hillcrest Academy Athletics from the most recent academic year comes to us from the basketball court. The Raven boys basketball team had a tough start to the 2020-21 season, going into the holiday break with a 2-4 record off of a 61-33 loss on Alumni Night in Kalona to Pekin. Over break, more adversity visited the program as COVID-19 quarantines stopped the team from practicing until the day of their first game back against Morningstar. Despite all of the trials and tribulations, the Ravens circled the wagons and against the odds came out of break firing. It started with a 73-42 dismantling of Morningstar, followed by a 65-31 take down of their arch rival Lone Tree. From there the wins kept coming, a victory over Winfield-Mt. Union, a come-from-behind thriller 51-49 over Danville on an Aaron Hershberger buzzer beater and a 44-34 win over Mediapolis made it five straight after Christmas for Hillcrest. Even after a 56-39 loss at Wapello, the Ravens started another streak, rattling off wins over Highland 41-36, Louisa-Muscatine 54-24 and Columbus 65-27, making it eight of nine wins to start 2021. In total after break, the Ravens would finish the second half of the regular season with a 10-2 mark.

Hillcrest fell in the Superconference Shootout to Burlington Notre Dame 34-29 before beating Iowa Valley in the first round of the playoffs 41-37 in come-from-behind fashion and bowing out to North Linn in the district semifinals. Hillcrest ended the season with a 13-8 overall record.