Bellaire blitzes Hillman in regional semifinal

BELLAIRE — The Bellaire Eagles could not have asked for a better start to their division four regional semifinal on their home floor on Tuesday night, racing out of the gates with a 23-2 run on the way to a 76-60 victory over Hillman.

The win snapped the Tigers’ 17-game winning streak and brought an end to the prolific career of Hillman senior Trenton Taratuta, who scored 40 points in his final high school contest.

The Eagles made six first half three-pointers, with Drake Koepke scoring 19 of his 22 points before halftime. Jayden Hanson led all Eagle scorers with a 30-point night. Dawson Derrer added 10 points for Bellaire, as the Eagles were able to establish a strong inside game against the Hillman front line.

Bellaire (21-4) earns a regional final matchup at home against Glen Lake on Thursday, after the Lakers defeated Buckley in the regional semifinal earlier in the evening.