PIONEER – Sitting all alone atop the BBC standings, the Hilltop Lady Cadets have gone from the hunters to the hunted. On December 14, they took on the Lady Eagles of North Central in a BBC shootout in The Nest at Pioneer.
Playing without Bralyn Wyrick, the hometown girls did a great job of keeping the high-octane Lady Cadets within reach in the first half, holding the visitors down to just 19 points and allowing them a 19-16 lead at the intermission. Then came the second half, and the wheels fell off for North Central. Hilltop exploded into a 16-5 third period run to blow the game open, then added a 12-4 run in the final frame to secure the blowout, 47-25.
Hannah Bleikamp led all scorers with 17 points for the undefeated Lady Cadets, while Jackie Smith broke out for 14. Cierra Carpenter had 6 points and 7 assists, Emily Armbruster had 5 points, Sam Lillemon 4 and Kailey Creamer one point.
3-4 / 0-3 North Central was led by Shaylee Oyer with 9 points, and Sabrina Pickford with 8. Abbey Litzenberg had 3 points, Tiana Wheeler and McKayla Swank each had a deuce, and Julia Rhinard drained a free throw.
SCORING BY QUARTER:
Hilltop 10 9 16 12 – 47
North Central 8 8 5 4 – 25