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Free Throw Shooting Helps Raiders Edge Bombers For Title, 48-45 |
By Greg Machos
December 30, 2009HILLSBOROUGH, NJ--In what may have been a preview of a state tournament game in March, the Sayreville Bombers and Hillsborough Raiders, two teams in the Central Jersey Group IV region, went at it in the Championship Game of the Hillsborough Holiday Classic at Hillsborough High School on Wednesday night. The game was another close one for Sayreville, which lost in overtime to Monroe on December 21st (68-62). Once again, the Bombers, which lost a great deal of experience from last year's team, came up short as the home team Raiders sank 21 free throws to get the edge in a 48-45 victory.
The Bombers, which had more field goals and three pointers on the game, may have done themselves in with their physical play as Hillsborough went to the line often, and took advantage. Senior forward, Frank Mitchell led the way for the Somerset County team, which is yet to lose so far this season. Mitchell came up with 18 points and 7 boards as he connected on five field goals and eight foul shots in the win. Tournament MVP, Kyle Banfield chipped in with 11 points on two field goals and seven free throws while Jason Jolliffe accounted for all of the Raiders three pointers with three from long distance en route to his 10 points.
Steve Hydzik, who had two field goals and five free throws, rounded out Hillsborough's scoring with 9 points as the Raiders only had four players break into the scoring column. On the other side of the ledger, the Bombers, which had six different players get into the score sheet, were led by senior guard, Tarif Jackson, who scored a team high 16 points on five field goals and two threes. Jarrell Smith added 8 points on two threes and two foul shots while Dave Milewski, Darryl Stephenson, and Syd Holt all had six points apiece in the loss. Mark Keir rounded out the scoring with 3 points.
Neither team had a lead bigger than seven points, and that came early on in the contest as Sayreville jumped out to a 9-2 lead. Each team outscored the other in two of the four periods played, and there were 12 lead changes and 2 ties before Hillsborough managed to pull this one out. The Bombers jumped out to a 3-2 lead with 5:09 left in the first quarter, and then added a layup at the 4:52 mark for a three point lead. Hillsborough had a chance to get closer, but missed both foul shot attempts at the 4:36 mark
The Raiders had another chance to get closer, but Jackson swiped a steal, and passed to Smith in the left corner for a baseline drive and layup attempt that drew a foul, and produced two free throws for a 7-2 lead at the 4:03 mark. Hillsborough continued to have problems as it lost the ball out of bounds on an ensuing possession at the 3:47 mark. However, the problems didn't last long as the Raiders went on a 9-2 run that included a steal for a layup, and then a three pointer by Jolliffe for an 11-9 lead. Sayreville did rebound to take an 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter on a three pointer from the right wing by Smith at the buzzer.
The second quarter began with a lull in the scoring for several minutes before Hillsborough retook the lead at 15-12 with two free throws and a steal for a layup. Sayreville responded though with a 4-0 run of its own on scores by Smith and Milewski for a 16-15 lead at the 3:32 mark. The Raiders went back out in front with a score for a 17-16 lead, but the Bombers came right back with a bucket by Milewski for an 18-17 edge with about two minutes remaining in the period. Hillsborough went back out in front again with two foul shots, but Sayreville tied it up on a one of two showing from the line by Stephenson at the 59.5 second mark.
The Raiders then closed out the first half scoring with another steal for a layup at the 28 second mark to take a 21-19 lead into the locker room. It was a very competitive first half with the contest going back and forth. In total, there were eight lead changes and one tie in the opening half. Hillsborough started the second half off right away with a jumper from the right side at the 7:33 mark of the third for a 23-19 lead. Following a 30 second timeout by the Bombers at the 7:13 mark, Keir stole a pass and drove for a layup that resulted in a foul, and a one of two from the line for a 23-20 score with 6:51 left in the period.
Nearly a minute later, Keir was back at it again with a drive and kick to Smith for a three pointer from the right side that tied the score at 23-23 with 6:04 to go in the third. The Raiders went back in front by scoring the next four points including two free throws at the 5:02 mark for a 27-23 lead. The Bombers responded by scoring four of the next five points including baskets by Jackson and Stephenson to pull within one before Hillsborough got a layup to make the score 30-27 at the 3:07 mark. The Raiders added another two free throws at the 2:49 mark for a 32-27 lead before Jackson scored on a floater at the 2:29 mark, and two free throws by Syd Holt with 21.2 left to make it a one point game at 32-31 entering the fourth.
The Bombers took the lead on a floater by Jackson, and forced a five second call prior to a full timeout by Hillsborough at the 6:46 mark. Following the stoppage, Jolliffe put the Raiders back in front again at 35-33 with a three pointer from the right side with 6:17 remaining. The Raiders then entered the bonus at the 5:49 mark, and even though they missed the front end of the one and one, they would take full advantage starting with two free throws at the 5:32 mark for a 37-33 lead. Forty-five seconds later, Stephenson got Sayreville within one with a traditional three point play for a 37-36 score.
The Bombers then retook the lead at 39-37 after a minute and a half lull in the scoring as Jackson connected on a three pointer with 3:17 to go in the game. On its next possession, Jolliffee got a kind bounce on his final three of the game to put Hillsborough back in front at 40-39 with 2:52 to go. The Raiders then added two foul shots at the 2:11 mark for a 42-39 lead before Sayreville called timeout. Milewski put the visitors from Middlesex County within one again prior to a 30 second timeout, but Hillsborough made another two free throws for a 44-41 lead with exactly one minute left to play.
Sayreville crept within one again at 44-43 as Jackson continued to keep his team in it with a running one hander at the 45 second mark, but Hillsborough went back up by three on two free throws at the 19.2 second mark. Keir then went to the line and made two foul shots with 6.7 seconds to go to close the gap to one again at 46-45, but Hillsborough sealed the 48-45 victory with two free throws at the 3.6 second mark. With the victory, the Raiders remained undefeated at 4-0 while Sayreville, which had its three game winning streak snapped, fell to 3-2. See details on the final day of action in this tournament, and video highlights from this game in the GMC Hoops Blogosphere.
Team |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Hillsborough (4-0) |
11 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 48 |
Sayreville (3-2) |
12 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 45 |
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