Gandy Malou-Mamel of Gill St. Bernard’s puts up a shot against Franklin in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals there on February 15, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
While the Gill St. Bernard’s girls’ basketball team has been a force in Skyland Conference for the past couple of decades, it’s been a while since they last won the Somerset County Tournament.
The last time came in 2014, when they beat another powerhouse, Franklin.
For Hillsborough, it’s been even longer: all the way back to 2006, which is also the last time they were in the finals.
One of those teams will end a long streak Saturday afternoon when the top-seeded Knights take on the third-seeded Raiders ion the Somerset County Tournament Girls’ Championship Game at Montgomery High School in Skillman. Tip off is at 1 pm, with pregame at 12:45. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will call all the action; click here to listen. That game will be followed by the boys’ title tilt at 3 pm between top-seed Gill and third-seed Rutgers Prep.
The series has heavily favored the Knights over the last few years. The Radiers’ last win was a three-point victory on January 6, 2022, a 45-42 win. But Gill got the better of them by 19 later that year, and beat them by eight in the SCT semifinals, their most recent playoff meeting. GSB has won nine straight in the series, with this year’s matchups coming by the widest margins, 33 and 32 points.
Gill has a veteran team, with several starters going to D1 programs. Hillsborough also has a lot of experience, and was a sectional champion last year in North 2, Group 4. They’re down into Central this year, but are the top-seed, and considered at least one of the favorites to go back-to-back this year, though second seed Monroe – a GMC Tournament finalist – could have something to say about that as well.
All the Gill streak against Hillsborough aside, the Raiders also had not beaten Rutgers Prep since 2006, the last time they won – and even had been in – the Somerset County title game. But they snapped that skid with a win over the Argonauts in the semifinals, coming back from a 14-point first-half deficit – and a ten-point gap at the half – to win 58-54.
MORE ON THE SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT GIRLS’ FINAL:
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s (20-3) vs. (3) Hillsborough (20-5)
When: Saturday, 1 pm
Where: Montgomery Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe (LISTEN HERE)
COACHES:
Gill St. Bernard’s: Mark Gnapp (7th season, 115-44)
Hillsborough: Courtney Tierney (4th season, 76-34)
PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Gill St. Bernard’s: The Knights beat nine-seed Mount St. Mary in their opening game in the SCT, in the quarterfinals, with a 67-35 victory in the books. Addy Platt led Gill with 20 points and eight rebounds. They had just as easy a time with fourth-seed Franklin in last Saturday’s semifinals on the Warriors home “neutral” court, winning 64-31 behind a pair of double-doubles from Sidney Quinn (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Gandy Malou-Mamel (18 points 10 boards), who will present matchup headaches all afternoon Saturday for the Raiders.
Hillsborough: The Raiders cruised past fifth-seed Somerville in their opening SCT game, beating the Pioneers 66-32 in the quarterfinal round at home behind 14 points from Francesco Schiro – the school’s all-time leading scorer, girls or boys – and 13 from Mya Loniewski, the second half of ‘Boro’s one-two punch. In the win over Rutgers Prep – their first since 2006, when they beat them in the SCT finals to win their second straight championship and third overall – Schiro had a monster game: 23 points, three treys, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and 4-of-6 from the foul line. They’ll need another like that Saturday. Loniewski added 13 and Isabella Ruh nearly had a double-double, falling two rebounds shy with 12 points and eight board.
TOP SCORERS:
Gill St. Bernard’s: Gandy Malou-Mamel (17.6 ppg), Addy Platt (10.1 ppg, 14 treys), Sidney Quinn (9.3 ppg, 28 treys)
Hillsborough: Francesca Schiro (21.8 ppg, 40 treys, 1,975 career points), Mya Loniewski (11.5 ppg, 14 treys), Isbaella Ruh (9.6 ppg, 14 treys)
TOP REBOUNDERS:
Gill St. Bernard’s: Gandy Malou-Mamel (9.5), Sidney Quinn (5.4)
Hillsborough: Isabella Ruh (6.4), Francesca Schiro (6.0)
MISCELLANEOUS:
Gill St. Bernard’s: Tessa Lozner (89 assists), Gandy Malou-Mamel (48 blocks), Addy Platt (49 steals)
Hillsborough: Francesca Schiro (121 assists, 92 steals), Isabella Ruh (32 blocks)
RECENT MEETINGS: Gill has won the last nine in the series, including an SCT semifinal matchup in 2022. Hillsborough’s last win came January 6th, 2022.
SOMERSET COUNTY TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
Gill St. Bernard’s (5-6):
- 2008: (1) Rutgers Prep beat (2) Watchung Hills 38-34
- 2009: (2) Gill St. Bernard’s beat (4) Somerville 57-55
- 2010: (2) Gill St. Bernard’s beat (1) Bridgewater-Raritan 64-44
- 2012: (1) Gill St. Bernard’s beat (6) Rutgers Prep 57-45
- 2013: Gill St. Bernard’s beat Franklin 63-57
- 2014: Gill St. Bernard’s beat Franklin 55-51
- 2016: Rutgers Prep beat Gill St. Bernard’s 41-28
- 2017: Rutgers Prep beat Gill St. Bernard’s 62-35
- 2022: (1) Rutgers Prep beat (2) Gill St. Bernard’s 64-35
- 2023: (1) Rutgers Prep beat (2) Gill St. Bernard’s 64-39
- 2024: (1) Rutgers Prep beat (2) Gill St. Bernard’s 58-55
Hillsborough (3-6):
- 1996: (4) Immaculata beat (6) Hillsborough 60-44
- 1998: (1) Hillsborough beat (3) Immaculata 50-42
- 1999: (3) Immaculata beat (1) Hillsborough 40-35
- 2000: (1) Immaculata beat (2) Hillsborough 39-38
- 2001: (3) Immaculata beat (2) Hillsborough 29-26
- 2002: (1) Immaculata beat (2) Hillsborough 49-44
- 2003: (1) Immaculata beat (3) Hillsborough 45-38
- 2005: (1) Hillsborough beat (3) Rutgers Prep 40-29
- 2006: (5) Hillsborough beat (2) Rutgers Prep 51-45
OTHER NOTES:
Looking for more: Since the merger of the Somerset County Tournament from an A and B Tournament to one event in 1988, Immaculata has won the most titles with 12, followed by Rutgers Prep with ten. But these two teams are next on the list. Gill St. Bernard’s has won five, while Hillsborough has won three.
New face: Hillsborough’s win over Rutgers Prep snaps a four-year stretch of the Argonauts meeting Gill for a title. Prep beat them each of the last three years as a No. 1 seed over the No. 2. And they also met in the one-off Skyland Conference pods in the COVID year, the de facto conference championship. The Argonauts finished that year undefeated, at 13-0.
One for the publics: Hillsborough is the first public school to make the Somerset County girls title tilt since Watchung Hills did it in 2020, falling to Rutgers Prep, 60-34.
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