History for Hillsborough! Raiders win first-ever state title, edging West Orange 55-52 in Group 4 Girls’ Final at Rutgers

Hillsborough with its 2025 NJSIAA Group 4 Championship trophy. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Girls Basketball Notebook

March 16, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Last year, the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team won its first ever state sectional title.

This year, they did it again, and again rewrote this history books.

The Lady Raiders held off West Orange – for a second time this year – 55-52 to win the NJSIAA Group 4 Girls’ Basketball Championship at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena, as heard Sunday afternoon on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Senior Cesci Schiro finished with a team-high 18 points, while fellow senior Mya Loniewski finished with 17. They were the only two ‘Boro players in double figures.

*Seniors Cesci Schiro (left) and Maya Loniewski get the state Group 4 championship trophy from NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

What was more impressive was that Schiro played much of the fourth quarter with four fouls. Coach Courtney Tierney after the game said she was worried about that, but “Cesci wasn’t.”

And she didn’t have to. The game didn’t see a ton of lead changes or ties, but it was tight throughout, as no one led by more than two possessions the entire way.

Click below for postgame reaction from head coach Courtney Tierney and senior Cesci Schiro, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: