Sports News

Hillsboro’s boys basketball team was reminded last week how intensity can win and lose games.

At home against Thompson last Thursday (Jan. 3), the Burros lost a “big district game,” said coach Elliot Rotvold, “because we did not have the intensity we needed to play four quarters.”

As a result, Thompson “took advantage and won,” Rotvold explained. (more…)

Christmas came early this year for Hillsboro’s two basketball teams.

The Burros swept the MayPort-CG Patriots in a Dec. 20 doubleheader at the Hillsboro Events Center.

The girls beat MPCG easily, 42-27, while the boys team needed two clutch free throws from sophomore Zack Grothmann with 1.3 seconds left on the clock to edge the Patriots, 33-31.  (more…)

Hillsboro struggled in its opening game of the 2007-2008 boys basketball season, losing to Richland, 68-51, Monday night at Colfax.

The Burros, coached by Elliot Rotvold, play at Cavalier Tuesday night. Hillsboro’s first home game of the year is next Thursday (Dec. 20) against MayPort-CG.

Rotvold is starting his 11th year as coach of the Burros. He has 209 career wins.

The Burros have been practicing with less than a full team. (more…)

Andy Leraas and the Minot State University Beavers played the North Dakota State University Bison earlier this month in Fargo.
The Bison roughed up the Beavers, 117-84.
Leraas, a former Burro, scored 6 points.
The 6 ft. 5 in. power forward with the Beavers was an all-state basketball player in high school for the Burros and coach Elliot Rotvold.
Leraas and the MSU beavers play the University of North Dakota Sioux in Grand Forks on Dec. 8. The Minot college team plays at Mayville State Feb. 15.  (more…)

Basketball is a game played and won generally by teams with a number of upperclassmen playing key roles.
Hillsboro coach Elliot Rotvold knows this.
But, some years, you play with the hand you’re dealt.
Rotvold can testify to this.
When Jake Olsen broke his foot early in the season, Rotvold was without the only experienced player returning from last year.
Already with an inexperienced team, the Burros were suddenly without 10 points and 10 rebounds a game. (more…)

Hillsboro broke a three-game losing streak this week by winning its final two games on the regular season schedule.
The Burros beat Norman County West Monday and the Larimore Polar Bears three nights earlier in the Hillsboro Events Center.
Norman County West was beaten 44-41 at Halstad and Larimore was edged 35-33 last Friday.
The 7-12 Burros open the District 3 boys basketball tournament later today (Friday). Hillsboro meets Thompson in the final opening round game at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse at approximately 6:45 p.m.
Hillsboro held a commanding 30-19 lead at halftime against the Norman County West Panthers.
Missed shots allowed the Panthers back in the game late in the game, but free throws down the stretch by the Burros secured the win. A 3-point shot by NCW at the buzzer made it a 3-point game. (more…)

MayPort-CG, the No. 1 seed in the District 3 boys basketball tourney starting today in Mayville, plays Griggs County Central at 1:30 p.m.
Hillsboro’s Burros play Thompson in the final first round game. Tip-off is expected to be around 6:45 p.m.
The tournament games were moved ahead to accommodate the Mayville State Comets men’s team and its post-season schedule.
Saturday’s semi-final round will also start earlier in the day.
Monday’s championship round, however, will follow the more typical schedule with the title game likely starting at 8 p.m.
The district is a double-elimination tourney. (more…)

Dakota Prairie outscored Hatton-Northwood 13-2 in the final quarter Tuesday to defeat the Thunder, 45-44, and capture the District 3 tournament championship.
In the two region qualifying games, Hillsboro edged Central Valley in two overtimes to win 75-64 and MayPort-CG slipped by Thompson 43-38 in overtime. Hillsboro’s last region appearance was in 1988.
The four District 3 teams will square off against District 4’s qualifying teams in the Region 2 tournament, starting Monday at The Betty in Grand Forks. (more…)

With just one game remaining on their schedule, the Hillsboro Burro boys basketball team will start preparing Tuesday for the District 3 basketball tournament, starting next Friday at Mayville.
The Burros, who hosted Larimore last night at the Events Center, play at Halstad Monday night in the last regular season game on the 2006-2007 schedule. The Burros haven’t played either team this year.
Hillsboro, 2-6 conference, 5-12 overall before last night’s game with the Polar Bears, can expect a six or seven seed in the district tournament. (more…)

Although Hillsboro put an end to the Central Valley’s girl’s basketball season at the District 3 tournament last Tuesday, the boys still have two games left before districts next Friday. They were scheduled to play the Hatton-Northwood Thunder on Thursday and Northern Cass on Friday, two teams the Valiants have not played yet this season.
The boys are still striving to put an end to their four-game losing streak, most recently having lost to Thompson last Tuesday by 30 points. Jason Novacek, usually a double-digit scorer, was held to only 6 points in the game. Central Valley’s point leader was Aaron Delvo with 13. Thompson was led by Casey Nelson with 21. The first time the Valiants played Thompson back in January the boys lost by 19 points. Final score: Thompson 73, Central Valley 43.