KAUFMAN, SCHLOSSER LEAD WILDCATS

By William

HILLSBORO – It was the consistency of the Hillsboro offense that put the points on the scoreboard Thursday as they defeated the Moundridge boys 54-35 in the substate semifinals for Class 2A.

The Wildcat defense gave up 12 and 14 points in the first and second quarters, putting them in the hole by 16 points at 26-10 going into the halftime break. While Moundridge was able to put 25 points on the board in the final two quarters, Hillsboro added 14 points to their scorebook in each quarter to gain the final 19-point victory over the Wildcats.

“We ran into a skilled and athletic team tonight,” explained Wildcat head coach Vance Unrau. “We played timid and committed numerous unforced turnovers early in the game which is not a recipe for success in this environment. We got hammered on the boards though Jon (Schlosser) has always made rebounding a priority and he did continue strong on the glass tonight. But he got little help, somebody is going to have to pick up his stats on the boards next year. It is disappointing because we emphasize it a lot.”

Only two Wildcats put points on the scoreboard in the game as Landon Kaufman had another huge game with 20 points thanks to three three-pointers while Jon Schlosser scored a double-double in his final game as a Wildcat with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Hillsboro defense forced Moundridge into turnover the ball 19 times while they also dominated the Wildcats in the paint with 30 rebounds compared to just 20 Moundridge. The Trojans used 12 offensive rebounds to outscore the Wildcats 9-0 on second chance points while also holding a massive 20-0 advantage on points scored after a turnover.

With the loss the Wildcats close out the 2020-21 season with a 14-8 mark, though they went 12-4 after the Christmas break after starting the season just 4-4.

Coach Unrau concluded his reflections on the game and the season by adding, “The season has been such a blessing. We were not sure if there was even going to be a season and then from week to week there was the possibility of a quarantine or postponements. I am proud of the team for being resilient after a slow start to the season. I am looking forward to next year and working with the guys though we have a lot of work to do in the off-season. Need to make individual skill development a priority. That means getting in the gym and the weight room. I am excited about the commitment the returning team members have expressed in making next year even better.”

MOUNDRIDGE WILDCATS at Hillsboro

SCORING:     Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      FINAL

WILDCATS     6          4          15       10       35

Hillsboro        12       14       14       14       54

Hillsboro Team Stats: FG 21-49; 3PT 5-15; FT 7-13; AST 11; RBS 30; TO 13; STL 15; BLK 1; FLS 10.

MOUNDRIDGE WILDCATS TEAM STATS: FG 12-32; 3PT 3-11; FT 8-9; AST 7; RBS 20; TO 19; STL 6; BLK 1; FLS 16.

MOUNDRIDGE WILDCATS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS:

Scoring (35): Landon Kaufman – 20; Jon Schlosser – 15.

3-Pointers Made (3): Kaufman – 3.

Assists (7): Kaufman, Corbin Unruh – 3; Logan Churchill – 1.

Rebounds (20): Schlosser – 11; Churchill – 4; Kaufman – 3; Joseph Schrag, Korbin Wedel – 1.

Steals (6): Kaufman – 2; Schlosser, Churchill, Unruh, Schrag – 1.

Blocked Shots (1): Churchill – 1.

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