Raiders survive Brick challenge; No. 1 Pennsauken next
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High boys’ basketball team survived many elements in Monday night’s Central Jersey Group 4 playoff game at Brick Township.
HHS (16-9) had to deal with a rowdy, jam-packed gymnasium and some tough calls on the road, where Brick drained 11 shots from behind the 3-point line to chip away at a big lead. Hillsborough managed to hold on for a 63-60 victory to earn a shot at top-ranked Pennsauken in Wednesday night’s sectional quarterfinals.
Senior power forward Mike Malko had another big night for the Raiders, leading all scorers with 25 points. Malko was unstoppable in the paint, netting nine points in the fist quarter when the Raiders built a 21-10 lead.
The Dragons (12-10) fought back and worked on cutting the deficit for the rest of the game. Every time Brick made a run, the Raiders responded.
Malko scored nine more in the third period when Hillsborough maintained a five-point lead. T.J. Sferra hit some big shots and finished the evening with 13 points.
Brick rallied to make it 63-60 in the final minute but couldn’t get any closer on its final two possessions. Two desperation attempts in the final minute missed the mark and the Raiders prevailed.
For a full account of all the game action, see Thursday’s edition of the Hillsborough Beacon.