It’s a Somerset County Sweep in the NJSIAA state tournament, as Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s boys and girls reach sectional title games

The Gill St. Bernard’s girls came first, then the Rutgers Prep boys and girls around the same time, one at home, and one down in South Jersey. The Gill boys put the exclamation point on it.

All four teams made the finals in their respective NJSIAA state high school basketball playoff sections Thursday night, and all will play for titles on Monday evening.

Note: This story will be updated as game statistics become available.

Non-Public North B – Girls’ Semifinals: Gill St. Bernard’s looked the part of the No. 1 seed Monday night, a well-oiled machine of a team that has played only one game – against Ranney – since winning the Somerset County Tournament title on February 22nd. Rust wasn’t a factor in the slightest, as Gandy Malou-Mamel led with 16, and Tessa Lozner and Sidney Quinn added ten each. Click here to read our recap, including audio with head coach Mark Gnapp.

(1) Gill St. Bernards def. (4) Hudson Catholic, 85-39
(2) Montclair-Immaculate def. (3) Saddle River Day, 68-56

Non-Public South B – Girls’ Semifinals: Second-seed Rutgers Prep clinched its fifth straight sectional finals berth with a 90-61 win over third-seed Wildwood Catholic in Somerset. Sophia Georgiades led the way with 22 points, including five treys, four of them back-to-back-to-back-to-back in the second quarter. Georgiades has now hit ten triples in the past two games. Ava LaMonica added 20. The Argonauts (20-6) have won the last three sectional finals – not missing out on a trophy since the COVID-shortened season, when there was no state tournament – and also made the finals in 2020, falling in the title game to Trenton Catholic.

(1) Gloucester Catholic def. (4) Ranney, 59-44
(2) Rutgers Prep def. (3) Wildwood Catholic, 90-61

Non-Public North B – Boys’ Semifinals: Top-seed and Somerset County Tournament Champion Gill St. Bernard’s (22-6) nearly doubled up fourth-seed Morristown-Beard, 81-42, Monday night in Peapack-Gladstone. The Knights lead big almost from the word go in clinching their first berth in the title game since 2022, when they also won the SCT, but lost to Roselle Catholic in the sectional final, 68-62. They got out to a 9-0 lead, and led 22-5 after one quarter, and 43-13 at the half. Kieran Quinn led the way with 11 – including three triples, while Kobe Closeil and Prosper Highlander each scored 10 points. Stanley Njekwe added six points and ten rebounds. They will play the Lions again this year, as second-seed Roselle Catholic was an 85-73 home winner over third-seed Morris Catholic

(1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (4) Morristown-Beard, 81-42
(2) Roselle Catholic def. (3) Morris Catholic, 85-73

Non-Public South B – Boys’ Semifinals: Rutgers Prep (20-9) made its first sectional title game since they beat Red Bank Catholic to win Non-Public South A in 2022, beating second-seed Holy Cross Prep down in Burlington County, 47-37, surviving a late surge by the Lancers.

(1) St. Rose def. (5) St. Joseph-Hammonton, 80-39
(3) Rutgers Prep def. (2) Holy Cross Prep, 47-37

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 – Boys’ Final
(2) Mendham at (1) Colonia, 6 pm (CJSR)

SATURDAY

Central Jersey Group 4 – Girls’ Final
(2) Monroe at (1) Hillsborough, 1:30 pm (CJSR)

Central Jersey Group 4 – Boys’ Final
(3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North at (1) Montgomery, 3 pm
Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates after halftime.

MONDAY

Non-Public North B – Girls’ Final
(1) Gill St. Bernards vs. (2) Montclair-Immaculate, 5 pm
(at Paterson Kennedy H.S.)
Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates.

Non-Public South B – Girls’ Final
(1) Gloucester Catholic vs. (2) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm (CJSR)
(at Jackson Liberty H.S.)

Non-Public North B – Boys’ Final
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s vs. (2) Roselle Catholic, 5 pm
(at Paterson Kennedy H.S.)
Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates

Non-Public South B – Boys’ Final
(1) St. Rose vs. (3) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm (CJSR)
(at Jackson Liberty H.S.)