By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls' basketball team ran its Red Rock Conference record to 5-3 with a 41-38 win over Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin in Butterfield Friday.
In what Patriot coach Tom Goehle said was a physical game, H-BC was able to use its athletic ability to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit to win the game by three points.
"Our quickness and our ability to create some offense from our defensive pressure in the second half was the difference," Goehle said.
The Patriots trailed 9-8 and 25-18 at the first two quarter breaks before turning things around in the second half.
H-BC outscored the Wolverines 12-4 in the third quarter to gain a 30-29 advantage.
Although they struggled by missing eight of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter, the Patriots never lost the lead in a fourth quarter that ended with H-BC post Erin Boeve blocking a three-point shot attempt by ML-B-O in the final seconds.
Boeve, who sat on the bench a good share of the game because of foul trouble, scored 10 points for the winners.
Cassi Tilstra scored 13 points, came up with five steals and passed for four assists for H-BC. Becky Broesder led the winners with nine rebounds and six steals.
The 6-5 Patriots host Comfrey and West Lyon tonight and Saturday before playing in Round Lake Tuesday.
Box score
B.Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, B.Olson 1 0 0-0 2, Feucht 0 0 0-0 0, Rentschler 1 0 0-0 2, Tilstra 6 0 1-5 13, Broesder 4 0 0-1 8, S.Rozeboom 1 0 1-2 3, DeNoble 0 0 1-3 1, Boeve 4 0 2-6 10, A.Olson 0 0 0-0 0.
Team statistics
H-BC: 18 of 54 field goals (33 percent), five of 17 free throws (29 percent), 33 rebounds, 11 turnovers.
ML-B-O: 14 of 41 field goals (34 percent), 10 of 16 free throws (63 percent), 44 rebounds, 26 turnovers.