Franklin guard Alissa Myers lofts a three-pointer against Gill St. Bernard’s in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals on Saturday, February 14th, 2026 (Photo: Mike Pavlichko).
The Franklin girls’ basketball program has had a few tough years since COVID, when you consider they had won the Tournament of Champions in 2017, then again in 2019 with a perfect 34-0 record, and might have done it a third time had the entire planet not been hit by a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.
This year, not so much, under first-year head coach Jimmy Kreie, who has picked up quickly what the rivalry games mean down here in Central Jersey, having grown up in Bergen County.
His top-seeded Warriors will face another rivalry game Thursday night, thanks to a 66-34 home win over fifth-seed Jackson Twp. Tuesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals of the state tournament, to send them to their first sectional final since 2020.
Junior phenom Aleah Sunkins scored a career high 34 points in the victory, but it was the balance the rest of the way that stood out to Kreie: another 11 from Alivia Steward, eight from Gianna Mattia, and four each from Nola Bright, Jamila McRiney, and Kayla Duncan.
Franklin got out to an 18-7 lead after one, and was up 36-21 at the half before breaking the thing wide open with a 25-8 third quarter before the benches emptied and the starters had some time to rest.
Now, in the final, the Warriors will meet third-seed Hillsborough, a 60-49 winner at two-seed East Brunswick Tuesday night. The final initially was set to be Friday, but had to be moved because Franklin’s gym is hosting District 9 wrestling for the NJSIAA on Friday. Start time will be 6 pm.
Click here to listen to postgame comments from Franklin head coach Jimmy Kreie, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.