After what had been a tight game throughout that saw Hiland trailing by nearly double digits, the fourth quarter belonged to the Lady Hawks in an early-season challenge versus Cornerstone Christian. Hiland had to rally for a 59-39 victory that was highlighted by a convincing 22-3 final quarter in game two of the season.

Hiland held a slim edge through one quarter, only to see Cornerstone forge a 27-21 half-time lead. The second half would belong to the Lady Hawks, who began the comeback bid in the third period as it began wearing down Cornerstone with man-to-man defense.

Hiland continued to wear down Cornerstone, and eventually that created a parade to the free-throw line, where the Lady Hawks are particularly adept. Hiland connected on 21-of-23 free throws in the game to seal the deal.

Zoe Miller led all scorers with 16 points and added a game-high nine rebounds, Morgan Yoder produced 13 points that included three 3-pointers, Brynn Mullet scored a dozen points with two 3-pointers, Kylie Horn hit a pair of trifectas for her six points, Kendra Shetler grabbed nine boards to complement her six points, and Shetler and Miller each snagged three steals.

In opening the 2019-20 season, the Lady Hawks faced a rugged challenge, traveling to Cincinnati Princeton to face one of the state’s upper-echelon big schools.

Hiland overcame a tough start to the game, Brynn Mullet caught fire and the Lady Hawks dealt out some serious defense to claim a 64-48 victory to begin their campaign.

Hiland trailed significantly in the first half before setting in and displaying the signature defense that has been a staple of long-time head coach Dave Schlabach’s teams.

After giving up 30 first-half points, Hiland dug deep and limited Princeton to just 18 second-half points. Meanwhile, as her team struggled from beyond the arc, junior sharpshooter Mullet found the range and buried five 3-pointers, the only triples Hiland made in going 5-of-17 from behind the arc.

Hiland also used a monumental third period to seize control, racking up 26 points to finally gain the lead.

The Lady Hawks dominated in three areas on their way to victory. The first was in turnovers, where they forced 19 compared to just 12 of their own. Krista Troyer, Kelsey Swihart and Kendra Shetler all collected a pair of steals. Hiland also dominated in the paint, owning a 40-28 rebounding edge, led by junior Zoe Miller, who just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine boards. Finally, Hiland connected on 15-of-16 free-throw attempts, helping to nail down the win. Miller made all eight of her charity tosses.

Mullet knocked down 19 points to lead Hiland in scoring while Swihart and Shetler each added eight. Morgan Yoder notched nine points while doling out seven assists. Swihart added six boards while Shetler and Aila Miller each snared five for the winners.