KALONA

Accompanied by a raucous crowd filled with postseason fervor, a playoff rematch against two three-loss teams was living up to its billing.

The Eagles gave the Ravens a run for their money, never quite going away through four quarters, but Hillcrest weathered the storm to emerge victorious and book their ticket to the 1A-4 district championships.

Taking care of business at home, Hillcrest (21-3) soared to a 61-50 second round playoff win over Keota (19-4) last Friday.

“It’s a big win over a very good team, a very good program,” Hillcrest head coach Dwight Gingerich said about the playoff win over Keota. “It was good to be able to play at home tonight. I thought our guys really came with a great effort.”

Keota was aiming to avenge its regular season loss to Hillcrest, but from the get-go the Ravens took control with a 9-2 run to eventually end the first frame with a eight-point advantage. 

While Hillcrest did not relinquish its lead in the second quarter, the Eagles fought back in a big way. Keota went on a 16-11 run to cut its deficit to three at the half.

“Got off to a pretty good start in the first quarter, and then they were able to close the gap and get some momentum,” coach Gingerich said about Keota battling back in the second frame. 

A pivotal third quarter awaited Hillcrest with the momentum on Keota’s side, but the battle-tested Ravens did not flinch. Hillcrest re-established itself in the third with a 16-9 run to enter the final frame with a 10-point lead. 

“I really appreciate how our guys hung in there together. You know, every one of our guys did something really good,” coach Gingerich said. “Mason Bender was a force inside. Seth Outs hit big shots. Bailey hit big shots. Mason Helmuth comes in and gives us some valuable minutes off the bench.”

Four Ravens ended the night with double digits in the scoring department. Led by seniors Mason Bender and Bryce Bailey scoring 14 a piece, the all-around scoring for Hillcrest is a testament to their outstanding team play and trust in one another.

“When four of your main scorers are in double digits, it’s really hard to scout you. When we score like that, it shows that we’re sharing the ball really well as a team,” Bender said. “That’s probably due to our team chemistry. We’ve been playing together for forever, and it’s just really fun to play with this group of guys.”

“We believe in our players, that all five players, even players off the bench, that everyone can score and everyone can make a difference on our team,” Bailey said.

A high-scoring fourth quarter was not enough for Keota to overcome its deficit and the Ravens notched another impressive playoff win on their resume and extended their season to the next round.

“We were all going pretty hard,” Bailey said about the effort Hillcrest displayed against Keota. “It felt good to see everyone giving their best. I don’t feel like anyone really took a play off. I feel like that really won it in the end.”

“It feels awesome. We knew that this was going to be our last game playing on this court, but to know that it’s not our last game anymore, that feels pretty fun,” Bender said about advancing to the next round of the postseason.

Keota was led by the senior efforts of Billie Kindred who led all scorers with 16 and secured a team-high nine rebounds.

“Kindred, he’s just a phenomenal player, he’s super strong,” Bender said. “It was a battle inside all night long. But ultimately, we pulled through, and we got some really big stops and we made some really big shots.”

Making plays on both sides of the ball was Hillcrest’s Rowan Miller who came away with some big steals on the night, dishing out a team-high eight assists, and scoring 12.

“Miller had a couple big steals at key times that really helped spark us and got the momentum going our way,” coach Gingerich said.

In the 1A-4 district championships, Hillcrest battled North Linn (21-2) at Solon on Feb. 25.

“North Linn is sort of an animal unto itself. They’ve been incredible, and they’re having another incredible year,” coach Gingerich said. “They play together, and have done that forever. So, our hands are full. We’re looking forward to the challenge”

“We knew at the start of the season that we’d be contending here, and it just feels good to know that the work we put in here has pushed us over the edge,” Bailey said. “I think we’re ready for this game against North Linn, and we’re excited to see what it brings.”

GAME STATS

Keota 50, Hillcrest 61

Keota       9   16    9    16 -- 50

Hillcrest  17  11   16   17--  61

Keota leading scorers: Billie Kindred 16, Jace Chalupa 14, Jackson Vittetoe 10

Hillcrest leading scorers: Bryce Bailey 14, Mason Bender 14, Rowan Miller 12

Keota leading rebounders: Kindred 9, Vittetoe 8, Chalupa 5

Hillcrest leading rebounders: Bender 6, Rowan Miller 6, Bailey 3