Tag: Courtney Tierney

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 3 Hillsborough girls use stifling defense, transition play to blow past Ewing, 69-41

The Hillsborough girls’ basketball team allowed Ewing just two field goals and a made free throw in the entire first quarter Saturday afternoon to build a 25-5 lead after eight minutes of play, en route to a 69-41 win in their MCCC Showcase game at Mercer County College in West Windsor.

They got it done with stifling defense, forcing the Blue Devils into bad passes, and picking off others, then scoring back down the other end. But ‘Boro also worked it well in the half-court offense, getting good looks down low, and getting a pair of first-half threes from senior Reghan Bice.

The Lady Raiders – who won their first-ever state sectional title in 2024 – have continued their strong play this season. At 5-0, it’s their best streak to start a season since 2006-07, when they went 19-6, following two straight Somerset County Tournament titles in 2006 and 2005.

Senior Francesca Schiro led Hillsborough with 15 points, while fellow senior Mya Loniewski had 13. Sophomore Isabella Ruh added ten points.

Eight different players scored for the Raider, who emptied the bench at the start of the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.

Hillsborough senior Francesca Schiro goes up for a basket against Ewing in the MCCC Showcase at Mercer Community College in West Windsor on December 27, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Hillsborough will be back at the MCCC Showcase at 2 pm Saturday, taking on George (PA), which lost to Thrive Academy in Friday afternoon action.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough’s win over Ewing, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough’s Tierney named Central Jersey Sports Radio girls’ basketball Coach of the Year

With a starting five that projected to be comprised of two seniors and three freshmen before the season opened December 14th, expectations might have been an open-ended question for the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team in 2023-24.

They took some lumps early, with a 1-2 start that included losses to the top two teams in Somerset County, Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s. But the Raiders continued undeterred, and eventually turned their season into a championship one.

Hillsborough wound up taking down Elizabeth on their home court to win the North 2, Group 4 title, earning the program its first-ever state section trophy. For shepherding her team through a challenging season, and bringing home some hardware they’ve never had before, head coach Courtney Tierney is the Central Jersey Sports Radio girls’ basketball Coach of the Year for 2023-24.

The Raiders also cracked the 20-win plateau for the first time in three seasons under Tierney, finishing 21-9. Their season ended with a loss to Morristown in the Group 4 semifinals.

Click below to hear third-year head coach Courtney Tierney talk about the Hillsbrough girls’ basketball team’s 2023-24 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early Hillsborough scoring drought too much to overcome, Raiders succumb to Morristown in Group 4 semifinals

The Hillsborough girls’ basketball team had already beaten Morristown in the regular season by eleven points at the end of January, and the Raiders had to think their rematch in the state tournament would at least be a good chance to advance to their first ever state title game.

And it was, except for one small thing: their shots weren’t falling.

Hillsborough gave up the first bucket but then went ahead 4-2 just shy of midway through the period. That’s when the scoring drought began.

It continued into the second quarter, and by halftime, the 27-16 lead held by the Colonials was just too deep of a hole to climb out of.

The young Hillsborough squad made one last run, getting it to within eight late in the third, and they were down only ten going into the fourth. But some Raider turnovers – and a couple of killer threes by the game’s high scorer, Cameron McGinley – were the final daggers. She finished with 20 and four treys.

Morristown (23-9) goes on to play Lenape in the Group 4 final Saturday at 6:30 pm at Rutgers.

Hillsbrough’s high scorer was Francesca Schiro, with 18, while Isabella Ruh added ten rebounds.

And they leave a bright future for Boro next year. That’s because both will be back with the vast majority of the team, which will return just under 99-percent of its scoring in 2024-25.

The Raiders finish 21-9, with their first-ever sectional championship trophy now in their display case. Not too shabby at all.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough head coach Courtney Tierney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough girls stun Franklin in rare fourth meeting, move on to Tuesday night North 2, Group 4 final at Westfield

Even after two losses to Franklin in the regular season – one at home and one away – the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team felt confident the third time would be the charm.

They headed back to Elizabeth Avenue for a third meeting in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, and got the revenge win.

As fate would have it, they would meet again, a fourth time, this time Thursday night in the state tournament. And after the first eight minutes of play, it looked like Franklin would reassert itself. After all, they have been one of the elite programs in Somerset County for a goodly amount of recent memory under coach Audrey Taylor.

But the 6th-seeded Lady Raiders got back into it, led by two at halftime, and put enough distance between themselves and the Warriors to withstand a fourth quarter rally, hanging on for a 62-57 win over second-seed Franklin.

The victory sets up a North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title game appearance for Hillsborough (18-8) Monday night in Union County against top-seed Westfield. Game time is set for 7 pm.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Hillsborough’s semifinal win with head coach Courtney Tierney:

by Mike Pavlichko

After split with Gill St. Bernards, Hillsborough girls know what to do – and what not – in tonight’s SCT semifinals

Though the Franklin girls’ basketball team may not be of Tournament of Champions-caliber this season, any win over them can be considered a statement win.

Statement made.

Especially because Hillsborough had lost twice to the Warriors this season, once by 22, and the second time by six.

Turned out the third time was the charm.

Tonight, in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, the 6th-seeded Lady Raiders (15-7) will look to make it to the championship when they face second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (16-4).

They split with GSB this year, winning their first meeting by three on January 6th, but dropping the rematch in Gladstone – where they’ll play tonight – by a 62-43 score.

You can hear tonight’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with tip-off at 5 pm and pregame at 4:45, as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action. Click here to listen.

The game will immediately be followed by the Gill boys’ team taking on Montgomery in semifinal action – also heard on CJSR – and scheduled for 7 pm.

Click below to hear second-year Hillsborough coach Courtney Tierney talk about the season and tonight’s SCT semifinal with Mike Pavlichko: