Colonia’s OT win over Aquinas, 3-0 week help keep Patriots atop Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

There was no change at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5, but the teams below them all moved around based on last week’s action, while Immaculata makes its debut in the rankings at No. 10.

But first, Colonia (10-1), which beat St. Thomas Aquinas on the road Tuesday, 70-62 in overtime, then picked up two more wins: a 69-57 victory at home against Old Bridge Thursday, and an 89-52 win over St. Joseph in a rescheduled game in Metuchen from earlier this season.

Jumping up to No. 2 is Gill St. Bernard’s (7-4), which beat then-No. 2 Rutgers Prep Thursday, 78-73. That followed a Tuesday win over Hillsborough, 55-46. But Gill would drop its next two games to non-conference opponents by a combined three points, the first coming Saturday, a 50-48 setback to St. Rose in the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase at Georgian Court University in Lakewood. Sunday, they lost 43-42 at Roselle Catholic.

Falling to third is Rutgers Prep (6-6). The Argonauts were Tuesday winners over Watchung Hills, 77-54, before falling to Gill Thursday in an all-out battle, 78-73. They rebounded with a Saturday win over St. Joseph-Montvlae in the Mel Henderson memorial Showcase at Hackensack High School, before falling Sunday, 80-63, to St. Peter’s Prep up at Caldwell University.

In fourth is Montgomery (8-1). The Cougars dropped as Gill St. Bernard’s jumped to the two-spot, but took care of business in the past week, going 2-0 with a 69-48 win over Hunterdon Central Thursday, and a 68-21 win over Mount Olive Saturday.

Also down one spot due to Gill’s move is Ridge (10-1), the first ten-win team in Somerset County, checking in at fifth. The Red Devils swept three games this week, 43-42 over Pingry Tuesday, 65-62 over Immaculata in Somerville Thursday, and 65-51 Saturday at Oratory Prep.

Holding at No. 6 is Piscataway (10-2), by virtue of a logjam at the top. The Chiefs were 3-0 this past week, winning 51-27 at Monroe Tuesday, 84-69 Thursday at St. Joseph-Metuchen, and Saturday at Tottenville (NY), 74-46. With the win over the Falcons, and a victory two Saturdays ago at St. Thomas, Piscataway is the first public school from the Greater Middlesex Conference to beat both Joe’s and Aquinas in the regular season in the same year since JP Stevens did it in the 2018-2019 campaign.

In seventh is St. Thomas Aquinas, which had a difficult week. After falling to Colonia in overtime Tuesday, they rebounded with a 64-45 win over Monroe Thursday that should have been the eighth and final game sat out by Austin Whitehurst, who was hired as head coach in the spring, but was suspended eight games by the NJSIAA in late November for a recruiting violation. Friday, he – along with the entire football coaching staff – were let go by St. Thomas Aquinas. Assistant Victor Verdecia – who filled in as head coach for those first eight games – is expected to remain in charge, at least for the time being. Aquinas officials – including Athletic Director Jerry Smith and principal Harry Ziegler – have not returned calls for comment.

South Plainfield (9-1) used a 3-0 week to go from tenth to eighth. The Tigers were 63-47 winners over East Brunswick on Tuesday, beat North Brunswick 49-44 on Thursday, then won at Woodbridge, 70-58, on Saturday.

Holding at No. 9 is Sayreville (9-2). the Bombers sandwiched a 69-53 win Monday at Perth Amboy and a 53-34 win at Monroe on Saturday around a Thursday loss at East Brunswick, 79-53.

And making its season debut at No. 10 is Immaculata (7-3). The Spartans won at Hunterdon Central Tuesday, 58-47, then fell to then-No. 4 Ridge, 65-52 on Thursday, before beating Hamilton West at home on Saturday, 83-52.

Previously-No. 8 Hillsborough dropped out after an 0-3 week that saw them lose a trio of road games, at Gill St. Bernard’s Tuesday, at Franklin Thursday, and at Cranford on Saturday. All were single-digit losses.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5: