Spotswood’s win at North Brunswick Saturday capped a 3-0 week, and the Chargers moved up three spots in this week’s rankings. (Source: Hudl)
There was no change in the top four of the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings for Week Four, but the bottom six moved around with two new teams in, and two dropping out.
The list starts – again – with Rutgers Prep (6-2). The Argonauts went 1-1 in the week gone by. They beat Immaculata Heart Monday to wrap up their trip to Paterson Kennedy for the Holiday Hoopfest, but lost Sunday in Pennsylvania to Upper Darby (PA) in the Blue Star Invitational. Prep has a huge game with the team they’re tied with for first in the Skyland Delaware Division Thursday when the Argos visit No. 3 Hillsborough (7-0) for a 5:30 pm tip.
This is Rutgers Prep’s 42nd straight week at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son/CJSR rankings. They have won 52 straight games against Somerset County opponents and 65 straight against the Skyland Conference; their last loss to either came to Franklin in the 2019 Somerset County Tournament title game.
In second is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2). The Trojans also have a hefty streak going, having not lost in 42 Greater Middlesex Conference regular season games, nor in 50 GMC games overall, factoring in an 8-0 record the last two years in the county tournament. They went 3-1 this past week, with a win Monday in the Holmdel Holiday Invitational finale over Hudson Catholic, and GMC Red Division wins at Piscataway Thursday and Monroe Saturday, before falling Sunday to Moore Catholic (NY), 72-64, in the Coaches Choice NY/NJ/Staten Island Challenge.
In third, as mentioned earlier, is Hillsborough (7-0). The Raiders won their only game this week, Friday, 84-67 at Voorhees, with senior Francesca Schiro breaking the all-time Raiders’ career scoring record – boys or girls. They’ll battle Rutgers Prep at home on Thursday at 5:30 pm.
And the last team to hold their ground this week is Gill St. Bernard’s (6-2). The Knights split a pair this week against top-flight competition. They beat St. Rose of Belmar 66-41 in the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, but lost Sunday to two-time defending Non-Public Group B champion Morris Catholic 65-53 in the Garden State New Year’s Ball up at DePaul Catholic in Wayne.
Surging up two spots to No. 5 this week is Somerville (5-2). The Pioneers were 2-0 last week, beating Princeton Monday, 49-43, to wrap up the West Windsor-Plainsboro South Tournament, then Watchung Hills Saturday on the road, 63-41.
Bernards (6-0) also moves up two spots to No. 6 this week, winning their only game since the last rankings, a 52-28 thumping of Delaware Valley at home Friday night.
Spotswood (7-2) used a 3-0 week to jump up from tenth to seventh. The Chargers swept three GMC games; they beat Piscataway 49-40 Monday on the final day of the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament – going 2-1 in the event – then won at South Plainfield Thursday, 48-33, and at North Brunswick Saturday, 61-45.
The next two teams are new to the rankings.
Middlesex (6-2) rejoins at No. 9 after last having been seen at No. 7 in the Week One Top Ten. The Blue Jays fell at Absegami, 46-34, in the Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood Monday, but came back to GMC-land and beat JP Stevens in Edison Thursday, 66-33, then clobbered Perth Amboy Friday, 61-33.
Meanwhile, Old Bridge (5-2) makes its season debut on the strength of a 3-0 week. They beat Edison Monday, 34-24-, in the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament, then beat edged Monroe, 44-43, at home on Thursday, before winning a Skyland Conference crossover on Saturday, 51-31 over South Hunterdon.
Dropping one spot to No. 10 is Edison (5-4). The Eagles lost Monday to Old Bridge in the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament, then again Thursday at home by two to North Brunswick, but rebounded with a Saturday win at Woodbridge, 54-43.
Below is the complete Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:
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