Lady Raiders seeking playoff run

Team ranked third in CJ 4 field

By: Rudy Brandl
   The Hillsborough High girls are facing a slightly different challenge entering this year’s Central Jersey Group 4 basketball playoffs.
   For the first time in three years, the Lady Raiders won’t be going in on a high after winning the Somerset County title. Immaculata eliminated Hillsborough in the semifinal round back on Feb. 17, leaving the team out of the county championship game for only the fourth time in veteran head coach Jim Reese’s 13 years at the helm.
   Hillsborough (18-5) had 11 days to prepare for its next big game, which was played last night (Wednesday) vs. Rancocas Valley in the CJ 4 quarterfinals. The Lady Raiders added a pair of regular season games to tune up for the playoffs and won both on the road last week. HHS defeated J.P. Stevens and Allentown, but it wasn’t the same as playing for a county title.
   Reese was hoping that his team’s pride, senior leadership and experience in big games will help it regroup to make a run in the CJ 4 tournament. Seniors Kelsey Kutch, Ebony Jones, Heather Neumann and Lisa Cannellos have played their share of tournament games and usually pull out the close ones.
   Hillsborough earned a favorable No. 3 seed and could play two home games before meeting top-ranked Trenton at a neutral site in the sectional final.
   Rancocas Valley, the sixth seed, won’t be an easy out. Pitt-bound senior Chelsea Cole will be the best post player the Lady Raiders have faced all winter. Cole averages 19.4 points and 14 rebounds per game.
   If the Lady Raiders can get past their opening round opponent, they’ll face the winner of No. 2 West Windsor Plainsboro South and No. 10 Howell in the CJ 4 semifinals Friday night in Hillsborough. Reese likes his team’s bracket, which is on the opposite side from favorite Trenton and local rival Hunterdon Central, but he was wary of the opening round opponent.
   "We might have the easier bracket, but I think we have the tougher first-round game," Reese said.
   In an odd way, history might be on Hillsborough’s side. The HHS girls advanced to the sectional finals three years ago and lost to Marlboro by two points in a thrilling contest. They were eliminated in the county semifinals that year so they demonstrated the ability to recover under similar circumstances.
   "Our two best runs in the state tournament came in years we didn’t win the county," said Reese, also referring to the 2000-01 season when Hillsborough was knocked out in the sectional semifinals at Marlboro. "A lot depends on how hard we work and if we play well."
   The Lady Raiders haven’t played as well recently as they were during a 7-0 start. The team seemed on pace to win its third straight county crown and claim sole possession of the Delaware East Division title. A February slump hurt the HHS girls, but their solid early play was good enough to get them a No. 3 seed in the state playoffs.
   Kutch, the team’s statistical leader with averages of 18 points and 10 rebounds, is hoping to play many more games, including a few big ones in March.
   "If we lose that game, we’re done," Kutch said, referring to Wednesday night’s CJ 4 quarterfinal. "My games are numbered and I don’t want to lose that game. I’m not ready to give back my jersey."