HHS knocks out Ridge in semifinals
By: Rudy Brandl
MARTINSVILLE The Hillsborough High girls’ basketball team has been waiting for this opportunity ever since losing to Immaculata on a snowy night in last year’s Somerset County finals.
Tuesday evening’s hard-fought 42-37 victory over an upset-minded and very stubborn Ridge squad provided that chance for the HHS girls to ease the frustration of coming so close the last three years. Senior point guard Jenn Geigert has been on the court for all three heart-breaking losses in the county finals. Nobody wants to hold that SCT championship trophy any more than Geigert.
"This is the game we’ve all been waiting for the whole year," said Geigert, who scored 12 points in the semifinal triumph. "We just have to come out focused from the beginning."
The Lady Raiders (20-1) take an 18-game winning streak into tonight’s championship game (6 p.m. tip) against three-time defending champion Immaculata (19-3). The senior-dominated HHS girls are seeded second but enter the game with an edge in experience.
Hillsborough used that advantage to beat Ridge and stay alive in the tournament. With the game tied at 29-29 entering the final quarter, it was time for the senior leaders to take over.
"We looked up at the clock and saw the eight minutes left that would determine whether we’re in the finals or not," Geigert said. "That just motivated us."
"We’ve been here many times and Ridge is young," HHS head coach Jim Reese said. "They’re going to be a heck of a team the next few years. We missed a bunch of easy shots but we hung in there and won the game. Maybe it’s our experience and character."
Hillsborough has escaped a few potential upset losses in recent weeks to continue its amazing winning streak. Several players have stepped up at different times to make an impact. Tuesday’s county semifinal was no exception.
The HHS seniors got a little help from the bench during crunch time. Sophomore Allison Kutch came in and hit two clutch shots, accounting for five huge points when the game was hanging in the balance. Kutch buried a jumper from the right corner to put the Lady Raiders up 31-29 and later nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing that provided a 38-33 lead with 3:10 to play.
"She makes big shots," Reese said. "She’s a sophomore with no fear and she makes good clutch shots."
Kutch’s three put Hillsborough into lead preservation mode. Reese went with a smaller lineup of ball handlers and the Lady Raiders milked the clock. Ridge still had four fouls to give to force a shooting situation and Hillsborough made just enough free throws to clinch the victory.
The Lady Raiders tried to put the game away in the third quarter but Ridge wouldn’t go away. Senior center Barrie Quick asserted her presence inside, scoring eight of her game-high 15 points during the third quarter.
"We go into every game with the idea of getting her the ball," Reese said. "We made a few adjustments at halftime to isolate her more. A couple of times it worked."
"We seem to be playing well, even though the first half wasn’t great," Quick said. "We were hitting the open player and moving around a lot more. I was able to get open more. We have to keep working as hard as we can to keep the winning streak going."
Quick’s jumper from the foul line gave Hillsborough a 24-18 lead two minutes into the second half, but the Lady Red Devils charged back with seven straight points to take the lead. Quick scored four more points after that to tie the game entering the final quarter.
Kutch opened the quarter with a basket and Quick followed with a lay-up to push the lead to 33-29. After Kathy Kelly nailed a three from the left side, Geigert hit a driving left-handed lay-up with 3:52 to play. Ridge chipped away with a free throw but Kutch fired in the big bomb that extended the lead to five.
The contest followed a familiar pattern for the Lady Raiders, who have struggled early in recent games before rallying to victory. The HHS players and coaches agreed that they must play well for 32 minutes tonight and in the upcoming Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs.
"We just have to be strong on the boards and start playing right from the beginning," Geigert said. "We can’t keep coming from behind against these good teams."
Immaculata will certainly force the issue right from the opening tip. Although they haven’t played since last year’s SCT finals, these teams know each other well.
"I know the style they play," Reese said. "We haven’t seen that style in a while. You know they’ll be pressing."
"We’re confident," Quick said. "We have to come back and put out our best effort."