Lady Raiders scorch Hillsboro in opener

By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer

BONNE TERRE — The North County girls basketball team relayed a clear message for the new season on Monday night that it possesses the speed and depth to be aggressive at both ends of the court.

The Lady Raiders pressured visiting Hillsboro into 15 first-quarter turnovers, and shot a blistering 60 percent before halftime to record a 68-26 victory in their debut under new coach Craig Allen.

Senior Kassi Hovis knocked down four three-pointers, and finished a superb game with 28 points, seven assists and six steals. Hovis scored 23 points in the first half alone, as North County (1-0) compiled a 48-15 advantage.

Sophomore Rilea Huff connected on three triples to add 17 points with five steals, and freshman center Brittany Collins netted 17 points with seven rebounds in the victory.

North County quickly seized command with a 15-0 scoring run that saw Hillsboro struggle to reach the midcourt stripe several times during the opening five minutes. Jamie Bullock scored on a backdoor cut to begin the streak, and freshman Courtney Coulter capped it with an open three.

Hovis and Huff assisted each other on consecutive transition layups, and the Lady Raiders closed the first quarter with a 31-7 lead following another Hovis triple.

Kaylin Rasmussen provided an elusive highlight for Hillsboro with two straight inside baskets in the second period, but the Lady Hawks (0-1) were unable to make a significant dent in their deficit.

Collins missed much of the early action with two fouls, giving Hillsboro an increased height advantage near the boards, but converted two strong putbacks while notching 10 third-quarter points. North County committed only six turnovers and led 64-23 entering the fourth.

Sophomore Brooke Meyer paced the Lady Hawks with eight points and 12 rebounds, while Rasmussen pulled down 10 boards and scored six.

The Lady Raiders could represent a dangerous No. 4 seed at the upcoming Potosi Tournament, which starts Monday with a first-round game against Arcadia Valley. The top seed belongs to St. James.

Hillsboro   7   9   7   3 - 26

North County  31  17  16   4 - 68

SCORING:

Hillsboro - Meyer 8, Rasmussen 6, Harmon 5, James 4, McKinney 2, Tinker 1. 3-point FG - Harmon.

North County - Hovis 28, Collins 17, Huff 17, Coulter 3, Bullock 2, Gibson 1. 3-point FG - Hovis 4, Huff 3, Coulter.