Thursday NJSIAA Hoops Roundup: Schiro cracks 2k in top-seed Hillsborough girls’ win; East Brunswick, North Brunswick boys, JP Stevens girls among upset winners

With 37 Central Jersey Sports Radio teams opening state playoff action Thursday night, there were sure to be a few big games and wild upsets, and Central Jersey Group 4 made it happen.

On the boys’ side, 12th-seed North Brunswick knocked off 5th-seed Hillsborough on the road, 50-47, while 9th-seed East Brunswick got by 8th-seed Hightstown, 57-48. The Bears now get top-seed Montgomery in the CJ 4 quarterfinals, while the Raiders will play 13-seed Manalapan, which upset 4th-seed Old Bridge on the road, 63-60. And in North 2, Group 2, 11-seed Bernards pulled off the upset of 6-seed Hackettstown, 57-46.

On the girls’ side, top-seed Hillsborough – last year’s North 2, Group 4 champ, now playing in Central 4 – wasn’t even close to being upset. The Lady Raiders blew past 16th-seed Long Branch, 69-39, with senior Cesci Schiro – already the top scorers in school history, girls’ or boys’ – cracking the elite 2,000-point milestone.

But there was one significant girls’ upset, as 12-seed JP Stevens won its opening round, North 2, Group 4 game at 5-seed North Star Academy, 45-42. And the Hawks will get to host a sectional quarterfinal at home on Monday, because 13-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood upset 4-seed Columbia up in Maplewood Thursday, 55-47. According to the team’s twitter page, it’s their first playoff win in at least 15 years.

In all, eight boys’ teams moved on, while seven advanced on the girls’ side.

Here are Friday’s results in all sections with Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams. Scroll down further for the next round schedule for Groups 2 and 4, which will be played Monday, March 3.

BOYS’ TOURNAMENT

Central Jersey Group 4
(1) Montgomery def. (16) Monroe, 69-26
(9) East Brunswick def. (8) Hightstown, 57-48
(12) North Brunswick def. (5) Hillsborough, 50-47
(13) Manalapan def. (4) Old Bridge, 63-60
(3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North def. (14) Franklin, 52-39
(6) Trenton def. (11) Hunterdon Central, 62-44
(10) Freehold Twp. def. (7) Marlboro, 67-37
(2) Sayreville def. (15) Edison, 69-57

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(1) Plainfield def. (16) Perth Amboy, 81-42
(8) Linden def. (9) Phillipsburg, 65-50
(5) Westfield def. (12) Newark East Side, 75-24
(4) Piscataway def. (13) Bridgewater-Raritan, 60-56
(3) Ridge def. (14) Union, 50-49
(11) Irvington def. (6) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 58-47
(7) Dickinson def. (10) Bayonne, 67-57
(2) Elizabeth def. (15) Woodbridge, 72-35

Central Jersey Group 2
(1) Manasquan def. (16) Ocean Twp., 46-16
(9) Robbinsville def. (8) Delran, 72-54
(5) Wall def. (12) South River, 67-43
(4) Delaware Valley def. (13) Bordentown, 74-37
(3) Holmdel def. (14) Roselle, 68-30
(11) Pt. Pleasant Boro def. (6) Johnson, 67-52
(7) Metuchen def. (10) Spotswood, 44-37
(2) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (15) Raritan, 84-43

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
(1) Caldwell def. (16) Becton, 81-42
(8) West Morris def. (9) Voorhees, 61-42
(5) Hoboken def. (12) Hillside, 65-61
(13) Ridgefield Park def. (4) Lyndhurst, 76-75
(3) Madison def. (14) Weequahic, 85-57
(11) Bernards def. (6) Hackettstown, 57-46
(7) Newark Collegiate def. (10) Snyder, 60-44
(2) Rutherford def. (15) Hanover Park, 60-46

GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT

Central Jersey Group 4
(1) Hillsborough def. (16) Long Branch, 69-39
(8) East Brunswick def. (9) South Brunswick, 63-54
(5) Franklin def. (12) Old Bridge, 56-33
(4) Princeton def. (13) Trenton, 61-54
(3) Hightstown def. (14) Montgomery, 56-41
(11) Hunterdon Central def. (6) Edison, 39-28
(7) Freehold Twp. def. (10) Marlboro, 49-48
(2) Monroe def. (15) North Brunswick, 46-30

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(1) Bayonne def. (16) Phillipsburg, 79-28
(8) Elizabeth def. (9) Bridgewater-Raritan, 45-38
(12) JP Stevens def. (5) North Star Academy, 45-42
(13) Scotch Plains-Fanwood def. (4) Columbia, 55-47
(3) Plainfield def. (14) Ridge, 62-27
(6) Linden def. (11) Union, 37-34
(7) Piscataway def. (10) Watchung Hills, 74-48
(2) Westfield def. (15) Perth Amboy, 57-28

Central Jersey Group 2
(8) Holmdel def. (9) Spotswood, 53-39
(5) Delaware Valley def. (12) Piscataway Magnet, 68-9
(11) Wall def. (6) Metuchen, 48-36
No more are teams are left in this section.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
(1) Caldwell def. (16) Weequahic, 70-19
(8) Becton def. (9) Hanover Park, 28-19
(5) Voorhees def. (120 Newark Central, 59-27
(4) Bernards def. (13) West Morris, 59-47
(3) Rutherford def. (14) Hackettstown, 42-27
(6) Science Park def. (11) Lyndhurst, 42-41
(7) Snyder def. (1) Ridgefield Park, 52-42
(2) Madison def. (15) Newark Collegiate, 79-36

BOYS’ TOURNAMENT – MONDAY

Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) East Brunswick at (1) Montgomery
(12) North Brunswick at (13) Manalapan
(6) Trenton at (3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North
(1) Freehold Twp. at (2) Sayreville

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) Phillipsburg/(8) Linden at (1) Plainfield
(5) Westfield at (4) Piscataway
(11) Irvington at (3) Ridge
(7) Dickinson vs. (2) Elizabeth

Central Jersey Group 2 Quarterfinals
(9) Robbinsville at (1) Manasquan
(5) Wall at (4) Delaware Valley
(11) Pt. Pleasant Boro at (3) Holmdel
(7) Metuchen at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Quarterfinals
(8) West Morris at (1) Caldwell
(13) Ridgefield Park at (5) Hoboken
(11) Bernards at (3) Madison
(7) Newark Collegiate at (2) Rutherford

GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT – MONDAY

Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
(8) East Brunswick at (1) Hillsborough
(5) Franklin at (4) Princeton
(11) Hunterdon Central at (3) Hightstown
(7) Freehold Twp. at (2) Monroe

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals
(8) Elizabeth at (1) Bayonne
(13) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (12) JP Stevens
(6) Linden at (3) Plainfield
(7) Piscataway at (2) Westfield

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Quarterfinals
(16) Caldwell at (8) Becton
(5) Voorhees at (4) Bernards
(6) Science Park at (3) Rutherford
(7) Snyder at (2) Madison