Somerville’s Kaylee Lauber controls the ball in a road game at Bound Brook on January 13, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Day Two of the NJSIAA state high school basketball tournament saw six area teams advance, including high seeds Colonia and Somerville, while Middlesex, Manville and Dunellen also won in Central Jersey Group 1, and Carteret won in Central Jersey Group 3.
But fifth-seed North Plainfield was upset in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, as the Lady Canucks lost at home to 12th-seed West Morris, 47-32.
That game saw the return of star Layla Gutierrez, who was injured in early February, and tried valiantly to come back in the GMC Tournament quarterfinals against Monroe. But she couldn’t make a go of it in what turned out to be an upset loss, and Thursday night’s game was her first in almost two weeks.
Jayla Worthy finished with a team-high 10 points and 6 rebounds in defeat.
But second-seed and GMC Tournament finalist Colonia advanced in the section, a 53-14 home winner over 15-seed Belleville. Click here to read the full game story.
In Central Jersey Group 3, third-seed Somerville out of the Skyland Conference beat 14th-seed South Plainfield out of the GMC, 57-28. The Pioneers only led 11-10 after one quarter, but sprinted out to a ten-point halftime lead before pulling away in the second half. Kaylee Lauber was the leading scorer with 23 points, adding 10 rebounds to finish as one of two Somerville players to register a double-double. Emily Kolodziej finished with 13 points and 10 boards.
It was Somerville’s first “double” double-double all season, and first since Kolodziej (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Nicole Rinaldi (11 points, 13 boards) did it last season, January 5th, 2023, in a 52-39 win over Warren Hills.
Click below to hear Somerville head coach Matt Melesurgo talk about the win:
THURSDAY RESULTS
Central Jersey Group 3
(1) Ewing def. (16) Allentown, 88-42
(4) Colts Neck def. (9) Hopewell Valley, 38-26
(12) Carteret def. (5) Robbinsville, 50-45
(4) Red Bank Regional def. (13) Freehold Boro, 68-36
(3) Somerville def. (14) South Plainfield, 57-28
(6) Neptune def. (11) Middletown North, 43-21
(10) Brick Memorial def. (7) Steinert, 44-35
(2) Ocean Twp. def. (15) Brick Twp., 64-35
Central Jersey Group 1
(8) South Hunterdon def. (9) Keansburg, 54-42
(5) Manville def. (12) Henry Hudson. 44-28
(4) Point Pleasant Beach def. (13) South Amboy, 43-16
(3) Shore def. (14) Florence, 78-24
(6) Highland Park def. (11) Perth Amboy Magnet, 76-35
(7) New Egypt def. (10) Keyport, 50-24
(2) Dunellen def. (15) Somerset Tech, 35-11
North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3
(1) Chatham def. (16) North Hunterdon, 63-26
(8) Summit def. (9) Randolph, 40-24
(12) West Morris def. (5) North Plainfield, 47-32
(4) Cranford def. (13) Governor Livingston, 33-21
(3) Mendham def. (14) Ferris, 64-21
(6) Warren Hills def. (11) Nutley, 63-44
(7) Payne Tech def. (10) Snyder, 64-35
(2) Colonia def. (15) Belleville, 53-14
Non-Public South A
(6) Our Lady of Mercy def. (11) Union Catholic, 68-42
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Non-Public South A
(9) Mount St. Mary at (8) Notre Dame, 5 pm; winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Donovan Catholic at (5) Pingry, 6 pm*
(13) Camden Catholic at (4) St. John Vianney
(14) Princeton Day at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas, 5:30 pm; winner vs. (6) Our Lady Of Mercy
(10) Immaculata at (7) Paul VI; winner at (2) Trinity Hall
Non-Public South B
(9) Timothy Christian at (8) Bishop Eustace, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep (Mon, 2/26, 5 pm)
(12) Moorestown Friends at (5) Trenton Catholic
(13) Calvary Christian at (4) Gloucester Catholic, 4:30 pm
(14) St. Joe’s-Hammonton at (3) St. Rose-Belmar
(11) Koinonia at (6) Holy Spirit
(10) Holy Cross Prep at (7) Ranney; winner at (2) Wildwood Cathollic
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Central Jersey Group 4
(8) Old Bridge at (1) Hightstown, 6 pm
(12) Freehold Twp. at (4) Jackson Memorial
(6) South Brunswick at (3) Monroe
(10) Middletown South at (2) Howell
Central Jersey Group 2
(8) Delaware Valley at (1) New Providence
(5) Wall at (4) Voorhees
(11) Holmdel at (3) Rumson-Fair Haven
(9) Metuchen at (2) Manasquan
North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4
(8) Phillipsburg at (1) Plainfield
(13) Ridge at (5) Elizabeth
(6) Franklin at (3) Bayonne
(7) Hunterdon Central at (2) Hillsborough
Non-Public North B
(8) St. Mary-Rutherford at (1) Morris Catholic
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Saddle River Day
(6) Villa Walsh at (3) Gill St. Bernard’s, TBA
(7) DePaul at (2) Montclair-Immaculate
Non-Public South B
(9) Timothy Christian/(8) Bishop Eustace winner at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Central Jersey Group 3
(4) Colts Neck at (1) Ewing
(12) Carteret at (4) Red Bank Regional
(6) Neptune at (3) Somerville
(10) Brick Memorial vs (2) Ocean Twp.
Central Jersey Group 1
(8) South Hunterdon at (1) Middlesex
(5) Manville at (4) Point Pleasant Beach
(6) Highland Park at (3) Shore
(7) New Egypt vs (2)Dunellen
North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3
(8) Summit at (1) Chatham
(12) West Morris at (4) Cranford
(6) Warren Hills at (3) Mendham
(7) Payne Tech vs. (2) Colonia
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