Franklin and Gill St. Bernards’s face off in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals at Franklin H.S. in Somerset on February 14, 2026. Both got top seeds in the state tournament when the NJSIAA announced its brackets Tuesday. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The NJSIAA has announced its playoff pairings for the 2026 girls’ basketball state tournament, with the seeding taking place down in Robbinsville Tuesday morning, and four teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area earned top seeds.
Among the publics, fresh off an upset of second-seed and defending champion Gill St. Bernard’s in Saturday’s Somerset County Tournament semifinals, Franklin got the top seed in Central Jersey Group 4, while Somerville earned the No. 1 seed in Central 2.
On the non-public side, just as they did on the boys’ side, the Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep girls were awarded No. 1 seeds in Non-Public North and South B, respectively.
Overall, 36 teams from the CJSR coverage area qualified.
The NJSIAA state playoffs begins on Tuesday, February 24th, with the opening round for public sections in Groups 2 and 4. Groups 1 and 3 begin the next day, while Non-Public Group A begins play on Thursday, March 26, and Group B the day after. Public sectional finals are Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, while non-publics are held on Monday, March 9. The state finals will be at Rutgers, with Non-Public A and B title games on Thursday, March 12th, public Groups 2 and 4 Saturday, March 14, and Groups 1 and 3 on Sunday, March 15.
Here are the first-round matchups, section by section, with CJSR-area teams in bold. The brackets become official as of noon Wednesday.
Central Jersey Group 4
- (16) Manalapan at (1) Franklin
- (9) Sayreville at (8) Freehold Twp.
- (12) Monroe at (5) Jackson Twp.
- (13) Trenton at (4) Hunterdon Central
- (14) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (3) Hillsborough
- (11) Old Bridge at (6) Princeton
- (10) Montgomery at (7) Marlboro
- (15) Hightstown at (2) East Brunswick
Central Jersey Group 2
- (16) Ocean Twp. at (1) Manasquan
- (9) Spotswood at (8) Delaware Valley
- (12) Robbinsville at (5) Bordentown
- (13) Metuchen at (4) South River
- (14) Holmdel at (3) Johnson
- (11) Governor Livingston at (6) Piscataway Magnet
- (10 Delran at (7) Point Pleasant Beach
- (15) Wall at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven
Central Jersey Group 1
- (16) Dunellen at (1) New Providence
- (9) Middlesex at (8) Shore
- (12) Highland Park at (5) Brearley
- (13) Henry Hudson at (4) South Amboy
- (14) College Achieve Central at (3) Keansburg
- (11) Florence at Roselle Park
- (10) Manville at (7) Thrive Charter
- (15) Dayton at (2) Bound Brook
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
- (16) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (1) Bayonne
- (9) Woodbridge at (8) North Star Academy
- (12) Linden at (5) Columbia
- (13) Ridge at (4) Plainfield
- (14) Perth Amboy at (3) Piscataway
- (11) Union at (6) Elizabeth
- (10) Watchung Hills at (7) Bridgewater-Raritan
- (15) JP Stevens at (2) Westfield
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
- (16) Warren Hills at (1) Somerville
- (9) Carteret at (8) Summit
- (12) Randolph at (5) Chatham
- (13) North Plainfield at (4) Cranford
- (14) Orange at (3) Millburn
- (11) Fort Lee at (6) North Hunterdon
- (10) South Plainfield at (7) Mendham
- (15) Cliffside Park at (2) Colonia
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
- (16) Harrison at (1) Caldwell
- (9) Ridgefield Park at (8) Snyder
- (12) West Morris at (5) Rutherford
- (13) Weequahic at (4) Voorhees
- (14) West Side at (3) Madison
- (11) Hoboken at (6) Hackettstown
- (10) Newark Collegiate at (7) Hanover Park
- (15) Lyndhurst at (2) Bernards
Non-Public North A
- (9) Oak Knoll at (8) Montclair-Kimberley, winner at (1) Morris Catholic
- (12) Holy Angels at (5) Mount St. Dominic
- (13) Newark Academy at (4) DePaul
- (14) St. Elizabeth at (3) Pope John
- (11) Kent Place at (6) Pingry
- (10) Paramus Catholic at (7) Dwight-Englewood
- (15) Morristown-Beard at (2) Immaculate Heart
Non-Public North B (all teams have first-round bye, will begin play with quarterfinals)
- (8) Pioneer Academy at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
- (5) Eastern Christian at (4) Villa Walsh
- (6) St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic
- (7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day
Non-Public South A
- (9) Princeton Day at (8) Union Catholic, winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
- (12) Our Lady of Mercy at (5) Trinity Hall
- (13) Immaculata at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas
- (14) Mount St. Mary at (3) Paul VI
- (11) Notre Dame at (6) Camden Catholic
- (10) St. Rose at (7) Bishop Eustace
- (15) Donovan Catholic at (2) St. John Vianney
Non-Public South B
- (9) Holy Cross Prep at (8) Doane Academy, winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
- (12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Stuart Day, winner at (4) Holy Spirit
- (11) Ranney at (6) Moorestown Friends, winner at (3) Wildwood Catholic
- (10 Calvary Christian at (7) Koinonia, winner at (2) Gloucester Catholic
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