Bernards’ senior Aletha Reynolds eclipsed the 1,000 rebound mark in her career during a 58-25 home win over Lyndhurst in the opening round of the North 2, Group 2 state playoffs on February 26, 2026. (Source: @Bernards_GBball on Twitter)
First the blizzard, then the aftermath, and a long two-day wait. But the NJSIAA state high school basketball tournament finally got underway Thursday night with 23 Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams in action in public Groups 2 and 4 and Non-Public Group A.
Overall, eleven moved on, while a dozen saw their seasons come to a close.
Here’s a look at some of the key wins, followed by all results, and the upcoming schedule.
Woodbridge wins first state tournament game in 12 years…
The last time the Barrons’ girls’ basketball team won a state tournament game it was 2014. They topped Northern Burlington on the road in Central Jersey Group 3 play, 51-32, then lost in the next round, 93-36, at Neptune, to finish 13-13.
But 9th-seed Woodbridge snapped that long drought Thursday night, leading most of the way and holding on despite a late surge by 8th-seed North Star Academy up in Newark, 66-53, behind 17 points from Laila Stanford, 15 points and seven rebounds from Angel Smith, and another 15 points – including three treys – from Layla Mercado. Bobbi Jo Timinski added eight, and two more from downtown in what was a well-rounded effort from the Barrons (17-8), the GMC’s White American Division champion.
Woodbridge now has to go on the road again to face the top-seed, Bayonne, which is 23-4, and won the HCIAL American Division this season at 6-0.
Click below to hear Woodbridge girls’ basketball coach Bobby Timinski talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Bernards’ Reynolds joins 1,000-1,000 club…
Last season, Aletha Reynolds scored her 1,000th point as a junior in a 58-39 win against Belvidere. Thursday night, she joined the 1,000 rebound club as well.
She got it in a 58-28 rout by the second-seeded Mountaineers over 15th-seed Lyndhurst, finishing with 15 points and nine boards. She now has 1,465 points and 1,001 rebounds in her stellar four-year varsity career.
Bernards (23-4) now goes on to host the sectional quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at 1 pm against 7th-seed Hanover Park (18-10).
Hillsborough continues postseason success…
The Raiders have won sectional titles each of the last two years – the first in North 2, Group 4, the second in Central Jersey Group 4 – and won their first-ever state Group 4 championship last winter. And even though they only got a three-seed this year in CJ4, they’re off to another good start.
Thursday night, Hillsborough cruised past 14th-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 52-21, giving eleven wins in their last 12 state tournament games.
Alexa Gaspar scored 11 points, while Isabella Ruh had ten rebounds in a game the Raiders (19-6) led 23-5 after one, leaving little to doubt. The Raiders will host 6-seed Princeton Saturday in the sectional quarterfinals.
Metuchen stuns South River in Central 2…
Fourth-seed South River (19-8) fell to 13th-seed Metuchen (14-13) in one of the night’s biggest upsets by seed, 50-35 at home Thursday night, as Victoria Zaniecki logged a double-double of 24 points, 11 rebounds, her 15th such effort this season, and third straight. And they may have a good chance to get to the semifinals, as they’ll meet 12-seed Robbinsville on the road Saturday, after the Ravens knocked off 5th-seed Bordentown on the road Thursday night, 54-37.
The Bulldogs’ last trip to a sectional semifinal came in 2017 in Central Jersey Group 1, when they beat South Hunterdon and South Amboy in the first two rounds, but lost to Shore in the semis.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Central Jersey Group 4
- (1) Franklin def. (16) Manalapan, 75-17
- (8) Freehold Twp. def. (9) Sayreville, 71-42
- (5) Jackson Twp. def. (12) Monroe, 62-37
- (4) Hunterdon Central def. (13) Trenton, 48-15
- (3) Hillsborough def. (14) West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 52-21
- (6) Princeton def. (11) Old Bridge, 66-39
- (7) Marlboro def. (10 Montgomery, 54-48
- (2) East Brunswick def. (15) Hightstown, 70-30
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
- (1) Bayonne def. (16) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 54-42
- (9) Woodbridge def. (8) North Star Academy, 66-53
- (5) Columbia def. (12) Linden, 66-38
- (4) Plainfield def. (13) Ridge, 66-25
- (3) Piscataway def. (14) Perth Amboy, 69-38
- (11) Union def. (6) Elizabeth, 57-50
- (10) Watchung Hills def. (7) Bridgewater-Raritan, 46-40
- (2) Westfield def. (15) JP Stevens, 67-26
Central Jersey Group 2
- (1) Manasquan def. (16) Ocean Twp., 55-24
- (9) Spotswood def. (8) Delaware Valley, 64-48
- (12) Robbinsville def. (5) Bordentown, 54-37
- (13) Metuchen def. (4) South River, 50-35
- (3) Johnson def. (14) Holmdel, 57-39
- (11) Governor Livingston def. (6) Piscataway Magnet, 64-17
- (7) Pt. Pleasant Boro def. (10 Delran, 63-50
- (2) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (15) Wall, 54-39
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
- (1) Caldwell def. (16) Harrison, 64-18
- (9) Ridgefield Park def. (8) Snyder, 48-45
- (12) West Morris def. (5) Rutherford, 54-43
- (4) Voorhees def. (13) Weequahic, 49-13
- (3) Madison def. (14) Newark West Side, 66-24
- (6) Hackettstown def. (11) Hoboken, 53-50
- (7) Hanover Park def. (10) Newark Collegiate, 40-32
- (2) Bernards def. (15) Lyndhurst, 58-25
Non-Public North A
- (9) Oak Knoll def. (8) Montclair-Kimberley, 43-37
- (5) Mount St. Dominic def. (12) Holy Angels, 83-46
- (4) DePaul def. (13) Newark Academy, 83-36
- (3) Pope John def. (14) St. Elizabeth, 71-33
- (6) Pingry def. (11) Kent Place, 43-11
- (10 Paramus Catholic def. (7) Dwight-Englewood
- (2) Immaculate Heart def. (15) Morristown-Beard, 54-14
Non-Public South A
- (8) Union Catholic def. (9) Princeton Day, 69-48
- (5) Trinity Hall def. (12) Our Lady of Mercy, 54-48
- (4) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (13) Immaculata, 73-42
- (3) Paul VI def. (14) Mount St. Mary, 59-24
- (6) Camden Catholic def. (11) Notre Dame, 56-33
- (7) Bishop Eustace def. (10) St. Rose, 57-48
- (2) St. John Vianney def. (15) Donovan Catholic, 67-16
Non-Public North B (Quarterfinals)
- (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (8) Pioneer Academy, 68-31
- (4) Villa Walsh def. (5) Eastern Christian, 49-25
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 (FIRST ROUND)
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
- (16) Warren Hills at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
- (9) Carteret at (8) Summit, 5 pm
- (12) Randolph at (5) Chatham, 5 pm
- (13) North Plainfield at (4) Cranford, 5 pm
- (14) Orange at (3) Millburn, 7 pm
- (11) Fort Lee at (6) North Hunterdon, 5:45 pm
- (1) South Plainfield at (7) Mendham, 5 pm
- (15) Cliffside Park at (2) Colonia, 5 pm
Central Jersey Group 1
- (16) Dunellen at (1) New Providence, 4 pm
- (9) Middlesex at (8) Shore, 6 pm
- (12) Highland Park at (5) Brearley, 4:30 pm
- (13) Henry Hudson at (4) South Amboy, 4:30 pm
- (14) College Achieve Central at (3) Keansburg, 4 pm
- (11) Florence at (6) Roselle Park, 5:30 pm
- (10) Manville at (7) Thrive Charter, 5 pm
- (15) Dayton at (2) Bound Brook, 4:30 pm
Non-Public South B
- (9) Holy Cross Prep at (8) Doane Academy, TBA; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
- (12) Noor ul-iman at (5) Stuart Day, 4 pm; winner at (4) Holy Spirit
- (11) Ranney at (6) Moorestown Friends, 6 pm; winner at (3) Wildwood Catholic
- (10) Calvary Christian at (7) Koinonia, 6:30 pm; winner at (2) Gloucester Catholic
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 (SEMIFINALS)
Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.
Central Jersey Group 4
- (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Franklin, noon
- (5) Jackson Twp. at (4) Hunterdon Central, 4 pm
- (6) Princeton at (3) Hillsborough, 11 am
- (7) Marlboro at (2) East Brunswick, 11 am
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
- (9) Woodbridge at (1) Bayonne, 1:30 pm
- (5) Columbia at (4) Plainfield, 1 pm
- (11) Union at (3) Piscataway, 10 am
- (10) Watchung Hills at (2) Westfield, 12 pm
Central Jersey Group 2
- (9) Spotswood at (1) Manasquan, 11 am
- (13) Metuchen at (12) Robbinsville, 5 pm
- (11) Governor Livingston at (3) Johnson, 2:30 pm
- (7) Point Pleasant Boro at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven, 12 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
- (9) Ridgefield Park at (1) Caldwell, 11 am
- (12) West Morris at (4) Voorhees, 11 am
- (6) Hackettstown at (3) Madison, 11 am
- (7) Hanover Park at (2) Bernards, 1 pm
Non-Public North A
- (9) Oak Knoll at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
- (5) Mount St. Dominic at (4) DePaul, 4:30 pm
- (6) Pingry at (3) Pope John, 5:30 pm
- (10) Paramus Catholic at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm
Non-Public South A
- (8) Union Catholic at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
- (5) Trinity Hall at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm
- (6) Camden Catholic at (3) Paul VI, L:30 pm
- (7) Bishop Eustace at (2) St. John Vianney, 5 pm
MONDAY, MARCH 2
Non-Public North B Quarterfinals
- (6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic, 4:30 pm
- (7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 4:30 pm
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
Non-Public North B Semifinals
- (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, TBA
- (3) Hudson Catholic/(6) Mount St. Dominic vs. (2) Saddle River Day/(2) Roselle Catholic, TBA
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.