Monroe’s Mia Marabuto drives with the ball against Middlesex in the GMC Tournament semifinals on February 18, 2025 at Monroe High School. Both teams remain alive in the state tournament. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Following Sunday’s near day off, the NJSIAA state basketball tournament is back in action Monday afternoon and evening, as Public Groups 2 and 4 and Non-Public schools pick back up with quarterfinal round play, though the Rutgers Prep girls will jump in a day earlier, on Sunday morning.
Here’s a section-by-section breakdown of girls’ matchups for Monday’s games, and some storylines for Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams, as well as Tuesday’s playoff schedule for Public Groups 1 and 3.
MONDAY – SECTIONAL QUARTERFINALS
Central Jersey Group 4: Of the eight teams left, there are three from the CJSR coverage area, and really, three of them have a good shot to win this thing. Top-seed Hillsborough – which is 21-6 and went to the Somerset County Tournament final this year for the first time since 2006 – is the favorite to win here, just like they did last year, for the first time ever, although it was in North 2, Group 4. They’ll play 8-seed East Brunswick (13-13) for the first time since 2018 Monday in the quarters. And how fun would it be if the Raiders met up with Franklin in the semis? The 5th-seeded Lady Warriors are the other quarter on the Raiders’ side of the bracket, but don’t let their 10-15 record fool you. Five of those losses came to Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s, but they split with Hillsborough, winning 63-60 on January 23rd, and losing 64-40 on December 19th. Yes, Franklin won by three, ‘Boro won by four. How much closer can you get? We’ll see that meeting if Franklin can win at four-seed Princeton (19-9) Monday.
In the other half of the bracket is second-seed Monroe. The Falcons (18-9) will play Shore Conference opponent and 7th-seed Freehold Township (15-9) in the quarters, a team they’ve beaten each of the last two seasons – 76-56 last year, and 47-42 two seasons ago – both times late in the season, but not in the state tournament.
(8) East Brunswick at (1) Hillsborough, 5:30 pm
(5) Franklin at (4) Princeton, 5 pm
(11) Hunterdon Central at (3) Hightstown, 6 pm
(7) Freehold Twp at (2) Monroe, 5 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: With the defending sectional champ now in Central Jersey Group 4, all we know is that there will be a new champ there this season. The two locals left are JP Stevens and Piscataway. The 12th-seeded Hawks (13-14) pulled off an “upset” win in the opening round, 45-42, at fifth-seed North Star Academy (10-14) up in Newark on Thursday in the opening round, the Hawks’ first state tourney win in at least the last 15 years, despite trailing by six heading into the fourth quarter. Now they get 13-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood, which is just 10-16, but also copped a first-round upset, beating 4th-seed Columbia up in Maplewood Thursday, 55-47. It’ll be their first meeting since at least prior to 2010. On the other side of the bracket, 7th-seed Piscataway will visit 2nd-seed Westfield (21-6) – while the Chiefs’ boys host the Blue Devils the same night – on Monday. The Lady Chiefs cruised past 10-seed Watchung Hills, 74-48, their first win in five games, getting them back on the right track.
(8) Elizabeth at (1) Bayonne, 4:30 pm
(13) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (12) JP Stevens, 5:30 pm
(6) Linden at (3) Plainfield, 5 pm
(7) Piscataway at (2) Westfield, 5:30 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Bernards (22-5) – the only team in this section from the beginning – is the fourth-seed, and cruised to a 42-27 win over 13-seed West Morris in the opening round. They’ll get at least one more home game, this time against 5th-seed Voorhees (19-7). Despite the records and seeds, Bernards has lost 15 straight to Voorhees dating back to the 2015-16 season. (They did not play before that going back to 2006-2007, the last year for which records can easily and be publicly found online.) But this year’s regular season matchup on February tenth was a good one – a 39-38 decision in favor of the Vikings, so this could go either way.
(8) Becton at (1) Caldwell, 5 pm
(5) Voorhees at (4) Bernards, 6 pm
(6) Science Park at (3) Rutherford, 6:30 pm
(7) Snyder vs (2) Madison, 4 pm
Non-Public North A: Fourth-seed Pingry is back in action after at 82-34 win over 13-seed St. Elizabeth Friday in the opening round. Now they get to host fifth-seed DePaul (18-6) for the right to likely play two-time defending state champ Morris Catholic, which is up to the larger-school Group A this year, winning those titles in Group B both seasons over Rutgers Prep. This could be a great matchup.
(8) Paramus Catholic at (1) Morris Catholic, 5 pm
(5) DePaul at (4) Pingry, 4:15 pm
(6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Immaculate Heart, 5:45 pm
(7) Oak Knoll at (2) Pope John, 5:45 pm
Non-Public South A: Sixth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas dominated its opening round win over 11-seed Camden Catholic, 69-41, and now will visit powerhouse Red Bank Catholic, the third-seed at 25-4 The Trojans know they will have their work cut out for them.
(9) Our Lady of Mercy at (1) Paul VI, 5:15 pm
(5) Bishop Eustace at (4) St. John Vianney, 5 pm
(6) St. Thomas Aquinas at (3) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
(7) Trinity Hall at (2) St. Rose
Non-Public North B: In just a seven-team field, Monday is the “official opening” quarterfinal round, and the only local team here – top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s – has a first round bye, and will open with semifinal play on Thursday at home against the winner of five-seed Roselle Catholic and four-seed Hudson Catholic. Second-seed Montclair-Immaculate, however, opened on Friday.
(5) Roselle Catholic at (4) Hudson Catholic, 4:30 pm, winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
(6) Villa Walsh at (3) Saddle River Day, 5:30 pm, winner at (2) Montclair-Immaculate
Non-Public South B: The only area team left here is second-seed Rutgers Prep (18-6), which will play the only girls state tournament game on Sunday, hosting 7-seed Holy Cross Prep at 11 am. This will be their first meeting since 2018. Holy Cross beat 10th-seed Moorestown Friends in the opening round on Thursday, getting their first-round game in earlier than the rest as well. The Argonauts are 2-3 in their last five games, with all three defeats to state-ranked teams: Red Bank Catholic on February 10th, Hillsborough on the 15th in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, and last Monday to Morris Catholic, the team they lost two in the last two state Non-Public Group B finals, but which now is in Group A. That’s head coach Mary Klinger wanting to play the best.
(9) Konionia at (1) Gloucester Catholic, Monday
(5) Holy Spirit at (4) Ranney, 4 pm Monday
(11) Stuart Day at (3) Wildwood Catholic, 6 pm Monday
(7) Holy Cross Prep at (2) Rutgers Prep, 11 am Sunday
TUESDAY – SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS:
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
(4) Mendham at (1) Chatham
(6) Cranford at (2) Somerville, 6 pm
Central Jersey Group 1
(4) Middlesex at (1) New Providence
(3) Bound Brook at (2) Thrive Charter, 5 pm
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