RAIDER ROUNDUP
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High girls’ basketball team remained unbeaten in Delaware East Division play with another hard-fought victory over a much-improved Franklin team on the road last Friday night.
What used to be an easy night has now turned into another difficult challenge in this very competitive division. The Lady Raiders survived another scare with a 40-38 victory when Kelsey Kutch blocked a layup attempt in the closing seconds of regulation.
Hillsborough carried a 7-0 divisional record and two-game lead over Montgomery and Immaculata in the standings into this week’s play. The Lady Raiders were scheduled to play at Montgomery and host Bridgewater-Raritan before ending the Delaware East slate with a home game vs. Immaculata next Tuesday.
HHS can clinch the East with two victories this week or a win over Montgomery and an Immaculata loss to either Franklin or Montgomery. Franklin knocked off Montgomery last week and nearly played spoiler at Hillsborough’s expense last Friday night.
The Lady Raiders had to rely on some perimeter prowess to beat Franklin. Kate Rainey came off the bench and nailed three 3-pointers for a career-high nine points. Ali DeLuca, who matched Rainey for the team lead with nine points, drained a pair of threes. Kutch and Christine Rash each chipped in with seven for the winners.
Franklin, who gave the Lady Raiders fits in a 36-33 game earlier in the month, led the rematch by two points at the half. The game remained close in the third quarter but HHS took the lead with a 13-10 run. It was a barnburner all the way to the buzzer with Kutch saving the day on the final play.
Hillsborough opened the week with a 48-30 home victory over Watchung Hills. This was the team’s only double-digit victory during the current eight-game win streak. After nursing a 16-10 lead at the half, the HHS girls blew it open in the third quarter and rolled.
Rash led a balanced attack with 12 points. Fellow senior post player Ashley Coheleach tossed in nine points, while DeLuca had six points and six steals. Sophomores Kutch and Ebony Jones added six points apiece.
The Lady Raiders made it eight in a row with Saturday’s non-conference game at Wayne Valley. DeLuca and Kutch each netted 16 points to lead the team to a 63-59 victory on the road.
Wayne Valley opened a six-point lead at the half but the Lady Raiders charged back with a 21-point third quarter to cut the deficit to one. HHS won it again by hanging tough in the fourth quarter.
Rash and Coheleach also hit double figures for the winners, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Rauch, Steel lead
boys to swim victory
Lost in the excitement of Saturday night’s Somerset County boys’ team swim championship was Hillsborough’s decisive 112-58 victory over Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Tim Rauch and Austin Steel won two individual events apiece to lead the way. Rauch took first in the 200 IM (2:11.05) and 100 free (52.61) and Steel prevailed in the 500 free (5:17.17) and 100 back (1:00.86).
Other HHS winners included Pat Kuehne in the 50 free (23.57) and Frank Ippolito in the 100 breast (1:05.52). The boys improved to 8-2 with the victory.
Rauch also participated on two winning relays. He joined Kuehne, Ippolito and Sean Downey on the 200 free relay (1:34.61) and teamed with Scott Prow, Downey and Kuehne in the 400 free relay (3:27.12).
Hillsborough opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:46.36). James Vanbiervliet, Ippolito, Devin Gunasekara and Prow combined on that team.
The HHS girls (5-4) dropped a 95-75 meet to SPF. Amanda Kautz was the team’s only individual winner, taking first in the 100 breast (1:15.83).
Lauren Horowitz, Jessica Parker, Kristi Patane and Stephanie Hannold teamed to win the 400 free relay in a time of 4:07.92.
Hillsborough’s swim teams will compete in the Skyland Conference Championships today.