Hillsboro defeats and moves on against Vinton County
By: Louis Marko
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HILLSBORO, Ohio (WOUB) — The No. 9 Vinton County Vikings (12-11; 9-3 TVC-Ohio) went on the road to face the No. 8 Hillsboro Indians (11-12; 3-7 FAC) in a Southeast 2 Division IV playoff showdown where they fell, 72-43.
The Vikings started hot, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. But Hillsboro would immediately respond with two scores off steals to end the first quarter, and they would take that momentum in the early second by taking a 17-10 lead and all together going on a 13-0 run.
However, Vinton County would not back down as they went back and forth with Hillsboro for the rest of the quarter. They would be down 26-18 going into halftime.
But the floodgates would open in the third as the Indians would use their ball movement and knock down shots, mostly from the hands of Tate Davis and Jack Howland. This greatly widened their advantage, 50-31 after three quarters of play.
In the final eight minutes, the Hillsboro defense would do their part in shutting down the Vikings offense. Though Vinton County never gave up, it wouldn’t be enough as Hillsboro would run away with the victory, 72-43.
Jack Howland went off for the Indians by hitting four threes and hitting five out of eight attempts from two. He was the game’s leading scorer with 25.
Tate Davis and Dylan Dixon are also worth mentioning as they both had five rebounds each, and Davis went six for ten from the field with two threes.
Vinton County Senior Cobra Sharp ended his last game in his stellar high school career with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
After the game, Vinton County Boys Head Coach NJ Kight expressed how important Sharp was to the team. “He was our best scorer, our best passer, our best rebounder, our best defensive player, and a great leader. I just wish every young kid can see what he’s given to the game of basketball,” Kight said.
The Vinton County Vikings ended their season with a 12-11 overall record and a 9-3 conference record that led to a second-place finish in the TVC-Ohio.
The Hillsboro Indians improve to 11-12 overall and move on to face the top seeded Meigs Marauders on Monday.