As the postseason approaches, these two weeks may ultimately be remembered as the stretch that prepared the Comets for playoff basketball. The numbers show a team that has tightened execution, clarified roles, formed resolve to withstand adversity, and built trust under pressure, the profile of a group dialing things in at the right time.

This week, Hillcrest didn’t simply bounce back from a loss; they adjusted. Defensive focus sharpened. Offensive patience increased. Efficiency followed. The Comets turned a close defeat into a week of clarity, and if the trajectory holds, the stats suggest this team is still climbing.

The Hillcrest Comets put together their most complete performance of the season Tuesday night, overwhelming Brandon-Evansville 93–55 behind suffocating defense and disciplined rotations, a connected team effort on both ends of the floor.

That tone was set on December 18 in Hancock, when Hillcrest opened what would become the toughest three-week stretch of the season with a hard-fought 60–57 road win. In a gym where every possession mattered and every rebound was contested, the Comets showed early signs of the toughness they knew would be required moving forward.

The Hillcrest Comet girls continued to show why December is about preparation as much as performance, earning a convincing 68–27 win over Ashby while putting on display the finer points of the game that often separate good teams from great ones.

One night after the Comets gave 2A Pelican Rapids a scare they pulled out a double-digit win at home against NCE-UH. In the game against Pelican, Elsa Retzlaff pulled the Comets within one score, sinking two of her four threes in the final minute. But after Pelican drained a few free throws, and a desperation shot from Hillcrest, the Comets returned home to a game against NCE-UH to close out conference play in 2022.

“It was a great night of basketball,” Coach Clark said, beaming from the challenge her girls were giving Hancock, the 2022 state champion. “I was so proud of how hard the girls competed.”

The Lady Comets start the season on the road this year, behind a strong set of returners and a pair of electric newcomers that will build on successes in girls sports at Hillcrest this year.