Hi-Line splits with Maxwell, Pleasanton

ELWOOD - The Hi-Line girls basketball team split a pair of home games last week, taking down Maxwell on Tuesday before falling to one of the top teams in the State, Pleasanton, on Friday.

The Bulls are now 2-2 this season.

Against Maxwell, Hi-Line took control with a strong second quarter, scoring 19 points in the period to build a 28-18 lead at the break.

Hi-Line stretched the lead in the third, using a stingy defense to hold the Wildcats to just five points in the quarter while growing the advantage to three.

In the fourth, the Wildcats’ offense found the range, but it wasn’t nearly enough to erase the deficit as the Bulls coasted to the finish of an eight-point victory.

Hi-Line shot just 27 percent from the field for the game, but got to the foul line early and often and made those trips count, knocking down 20 of 35 attempts at the charity stripe.

Gretchen Hodge led a balanced attack with 10 points and Alivia Knoerzer scored nine while Whitney Dickau added eight. Joszelyn Nickelson and Kaydee Diefenbaugh each scored six.

Gracie Gibbens led the team with six rebounds and four assists and Diefenbaugh added five boards. Zoey Evans had six of the team’s 17 steals and Genesee Knackstedt, Gibbens and Knoerzer each added three.

Friday, the Bulls were overwhelmed in the first half as Pleasanton scored 22 in the first and 26 in the second to build a 48-11 lead at the half.

The Bulldogs’ scoring was held in check after halftime as the Bulls held Pleasanton to 17 points after the half, but HiLine managed just nine points of their own and were unable to cut into the lead as they fell 65-20.

Scoring and statistical information were unavailable as of press time.

Hi-Line hosted Bertrand on Tuesday and competes at a tournament hosted by Sumner-Eddyville-Miller on Friday and Saturday.