Strong Start Lifts Hillsborough Past Watchung Hills

After falling behind at half 24-20, Hillsborough boys basketball Head Coach Ian Progin needed to only point out one thing at halftime to his team that they were doing wrong.  After he did, his team went on a 32-11 run to end the game and pick up the 52-35 win at Watchung Hills on Monday night.

“We were allowing the ball to go into the high post against our zone and then just dumping it underneath,” said Progin.  “They’re varsity high school players.  They’re going to make layups.  We let their shooter get off 2 threes and sent him to the foul line.  Their other guards aren’t strong perimeter shooters.  Let those guys shoot it or have a hand in their face near them.” 

Raiders (14-5) forward Jason Jolliffe echoed the same notion.

“They put up 24 points in the first half.  Our coach told us we had to play defense or it would be a close game,” said Jolliffe, whose trio of three pointers in the third quarter was a big key to the Raiders picking up the victory.  “Being away, its tough to beat a team when it’s a close game.  We picked up our defense and we went up in the second half.”

And play defense they did, allowing just 6 points in the third quarter and just 5 in the fourth quarter.  Meanwhile, the Raiders cranked up their offensive machine.  They would pump in 16 points in the 3^rd quarter, and duplicated that effort in the final stanza. 

While getting some easy buckets in the third, it was Jolliffe’s three triples that put doubt into the mind of Watchung Hills (5-14).  And in the fourth quarter, all eight of Hillsborough’s baskets were layups from inside the paint, or right outside of it. 

While the Raiders shot better and played smarter defense in the second half, there was another area Coach Progin believed made a big difference.

“Another key was we really didn’t rebound in the first half.  We were out rebounded 11-5.  It was the first thing I looked at,” said Progin.  “You cant run your transition game if you don’t get rebounds.  I told them that if they were going to let them run half court set defense on you all game, then you’re going to have a hard time scoring.” 

“You have to rebound.  That leads to the transition game and that’s what led to some open threes and that’s what led to some things inside.  And in the last part of the game, we worked in some new plays for different types of situations.  It was effective.  We got some easy layups off it.”

“We hit the defensive boards a little better, that got our transition game in play.  We got the ball inside a little bit.  That was really big for us.  That opened up the outside shot a little more,” said Jason Jolliffe.

After the first half, Hillsborough trailed Watchung 24-20.  The Raiders had trouble getting into a rhythm offensively, thanks in part to confusion on Watchung’s part.

“They were switching up their defenses constantly.  I’m not sure our kids were always recognizing it.  That’s the very first thing you have to do,” said Progin.

Overall, Progin was happy with the win.  But with the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament coming up on Saturday, and the State tournament not too far down the road, he knows his team has to pick things up. 

“The biggest thing is more consistency on defense.  Overall, we have these lulls…peaks and valleys, ups and downs.  One quarter we’re good, the next quarter we’re not,” said Progin.  “We need to find some consistency on that end because as move into county semis and states, we’re going to see a lot of good teams.  Every team in there is going to be good.  We have to be playing our best ball at this point in the year.” 

“We’re starting to play a little bit better the last couple games,” said Jolliffe.  “We need to pick up our defensive intensity a little bit and be a little bit more effective on offense.  We rushed it a little bit tonight.”

Jolliffe led the Raiders with 15 points.  Kenny Gan was right behind him with 14 of his own.  Mike Morelli notched 11.  Steve Hydzik had 5 while Cody Watts chipped in with 3.  Devonn Foster and Greg Faenza added 2 apiece.

Hillsborough is back in action Tuesday at home vs. Ridge at 7pm.