Category: Boys Basketball

Colonia celebrates a North 2 Group 3 sectional final win over Chatham (Photo: Nick Hart)
by Alec Crouthamel

Not one, two, three, or four: Colonia downs Chatham for fifth straight sectional title in North 2 Group 3 final

Flash back to January 7th.

Colonia boys basketball had gotten off to a 2-6 start, still working through a young team with all new roles and skillsets.

Two months later, the Patriots (20-10) have put it all together and reached the sectional mountaintop once again.

Top-seeded Colonia won its fifth consecutive sectional championship, defeating second-seeded Chatham 57-46 in the North 2 Group 3 final. The Cougars (24-6) fell to the Patriots for the fourth time in 11 years in the sectional playoffs, with Colonia winning last year in the semifinals, the quarterfinals in 2023, and the 2015 final.

Though sophomore Jayce Rodriguez was the lone Patriot in double-figures with a game-high 25 points, it was a true team effort on both ends of the floor for Colonia while facing off against a high-octane attack from Chatham.

Both teams took a bit to find their footing, but Rodriguez scored seven points in the opening quarter, and senior point guard Dylan Chiera added six, as the two teams ended the first quarter tied at 17.

The Cougars executed their defensive gameplan well in the opening half, with plenty of aggression guarding one-on-one and in the passing lanes, as several of their baskets came off Patriots turnovers.

But the Patriots managed to weather the storm and came up with some big-time key buckets late to pull ahead 29-24 at the half. Colonia went into the locker room with momentum on its side, as the offense had found a few possessions to pull ahead.

Then in the second half, the Patriots’ emphasis — and success — came on the other side of the ball.

They contained a dangerous Chatham offense that had scored at least 65 points in each of its first three sectional tournament games, mixing in both man-to-man and zone to throw off the Cougars’ offensive rhythm.

Two underclassmen came up big for Colonia on that end as well. Freshman forward Desmond Rudanovic battled foul trouble for much of the game, and yet a foul away from being disqualified, he stood tall in the lane at 6-foot-7 and recorded a blocked layup in the fourth quarter, and altered multiple other shots.

When Rudanovic had to leave the floor, sophomore Teagan Amponsah etched his name in Patriots basketball lore. He came up with two blocks in the second half and played tremendous defense inside and outside, on a Chatham wing room with plenty of size, strength, and experience. Seniors Michael MacAniff and Marco Mannino led the way for the visitors with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Senior forward Nfa Clyne — last year a key rotation piece off the bench known for his defense — rose to the moment as a full-time starter as well. He nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, but every single bucket was key down the stretch as all nine of his points came in the fourth quarter. He crashed the glass countless times and helped Colonia come up with big possessions throughout the game, and even beat Chatham at its own game multiple times with fast-break layups to beat the Cougars’ press.

Colonia controlled the score and tempo for much of the second half, never feeling truly in danger. The Cougars cut the deficit to three points in the beginning of the third quarter, but the Patriots immediately responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead to double-digits for the first time.

The rest of the game was played in that same range of differential. Every time Chatham would force a turnover or hit a tough bucket, the Patriots stayed calm and executed on the ensuing possessions themselves.

By the time the buzzer sounded, Colonia had clinched its fifth straight sectional title under head coach Jose Rodriguez, and it did so in the exact fashion the eighth-year head coach wanted: A true team-wide effort that put the young team’s development on full display.

The Patriots advance in the state tournament once again, where they will face off against North 1 Group 3 champion Montville in the Group 3 semifinal. The Mustangs — the fourth seed in the sectional tournament — upset the top two seeds, Tenafly and Teaneck, in back-to-back games for their first sectional final appearance since 1982. The two teams will face off on Wednesday at the Thomas Dunn Sports Center in Elizabeth, with tipoff set for 5 pm.

Click below for postgame reaction on Colonia’s North 2 Group 3 title from head coach Jose Rodriguez, sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, and senior Nfa Clyne, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Boys): (3) Montgomery 55, (1) Hillsborough 47 (OT)

Senior Ethan Lin scored 22 points, while sophomore Mike Simborski added 15, as third-seed Montgomery won their third straight Central Jersey Group 4 title with a 55-47 overtime win at top-seeded Hillsborough.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Hillsborough High School on March 5, 2026.

Colonia and Piscataway square off in a GMC Red American Division game in Colonia on December 22, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
by Alec Crouthamel

Colonia goes for staggering five-peat in North 2, Group 3 title game against Chatham, in rematch of 2015 final

Coming into this season, Jose Rodriguez had seven seasons under his belt as Colonia’s head boys basketball coach.

In five of those years where a postseason was played, the Patriots (19-10) have appeared in a sectional final.

They have reached that milestone once again in Year 8, as top-seeded Colonia looks to strengthen its stranglehold on the North 2 Group 3 section with its fifth straight title in the balance.

In order to do so, though, the Patriots will have to go through a familiar foe in second-seeded Chatham, as the two teams face off in the sectional playoffs for the third time in four years. They first battled in the 2023 quarterfinals, then in last year’s semifinals, and now in this year’s title game. The Panthers (24-5) lost both previous matchups, but are in the sectional finals for the first time since 2018, when they made a run to the Group 3 final before falling to Nottingham.

You can hear the game on Saturday at 2 pm, with pregame coverage starting at 1:45, as Alec Crouthamel and Nick Hart will call the action. Click here to listen.

Colonia has rebounded from a 2-6 start to the year, with a difficult opening schedule and a young team, and the Patriots now find themselves on the verge of yet another sectional title, with Rodriguez earning GMC Coach of the Year honors.

The top seed in the bracket, Colonia worked through the first two games against 16-seed North Hunterdon and nine-seed Somerville with ease, but had to grind out a 34-30 victory over five-seed Mendham in a rematch of last year’s sectional title.

After scoring just one point in the first quarter, the Patriots rallied and woke up their offense to get back in the game, and eventually made plays late to seal a win.

Freshman forward Desmond Rudanovic hit two key go-ahead baskets in the final three minutes, set up by senior point guard Dylan Chiera. Leading scorer Jayce Rodriguez led the team with 12 points and had to battle against standout guard Talon Wehmeyer on both ends of the floor.

Even with the relative inexperience, save for Rodriguez, Chiera, and senior Nfa Clyne in the main rotation, the Patriots found a way to get back to yet another sectional final.

Chatham, on the other hand, brings a gaudy record with wins at the right time, coming into the game with a stretch of 16 wins in 17 games. The lone loss came to Morris Catholic in the Morris County Tournament final.

The Panthers bring a senior-laden rotation that puts a lot of different players on the floor, due to their frenetic, uptempo style. Similar to Colonia, the first round and quarterfinals went smoothly as Chatham defeated 15th-seeded Fort Lee 89-43 and seventh-seeded Cranford 72-53. Then in the semifinals, Chatham had to gut out a 65-57 win over sixth-seeded South Plainfield, after ending the third quarter in a tie game.

Both coach and players bring experience in bunches, with six of the Panthers’ seven leading scorers all in their senior year. Head coach Todd Ervin is no newbie, either, now in his 34th season at the helm. Chatham has won 584 games, five Morris County Tournament titles under his direction — and two straight second-place finishes this year, both losses to Morris Catholic in the final — along with the 2007 Group 2 state title, and a Group 3 finals appearance in 2018.

On the floor, seniors Michael MacAniff and Ryan Leach lead the way at guard, with a stable of fast and experienced athletes ready to run around them.

Colonia will look to extend its sectional dynasty with its fifth consecutive title, while Chatham looks to unseat the kings and get revenge for its two postseason exits at the hands of the Patriots.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez
Chatham head coach Todd Ervin

by Mike Pavlichko

Three-peat! Montgomery overcomes raucous road crowd, stingy Hillsborough defense to win third straight CJ4 crown

Every championship means something different, whether its the first ever, 20th, or third-in-a-row.

For everyone on the Montgomery boys’ basketball team, this one also will mean something different to each of them.

For Ethan Lin, it will be his last at the high school level before he heads off to Penn. For Mike Simborski, it will mean he established himself (even more) as an offensive weapon. For James Kamara, it might be the game where his defensive agility shone the brightest.

For head coach Kris Grundy, it was the first without his father, who passed away last week. The man he’d talk to after every game.

Third-seed Montgomery needed overtime, but eventually, the Cougars were able to get enough ahead on top-seed Hillsborough to close the game out, even if they needed an extra four minutes. The final: 55-47.

No one was ever really in control of the game, even though the Raiders led virtually the entire first half, but by no more than six. They kept Simborski out of the scoring column over the first 16 minutes. And brothers Derek and Aaron Feath combined for three triples.

The third quarter was tight, too. Down 24-19 at the half, a mini four-nothing run by Montgomery turned it into a one-point game. They tied it at 30, and again at 32, and then took the lead, but by no more than two. Then, a few lead changes. And then, Montgomery went ahead again a couple minutes into the fourth.

And even though things swung, one could get the sense that Hillsborough was playing like the underdog: more tentative, a little less daring. Cautious, perhaps.

But Montgomery played it 180 degrees the other direction in the final 12 minutes, the fourth quarter and overtime. They took wild shots, made fancy moves to the basket. And more often than not, they finished.

The final score was Montgomery’s biggest lead of the game, at eight. But even then, they didn’t pull away fast. They hit buckets and foul shots down the stretch to seal the deal.

The Cougars – now 25-5 and three-time defending Central Jersey Group 4 champs – will go on to play Cherry Hill East (25-3), the top-seed and South Jersey Group 4 champion, Tuesday night at 5 pm down at Deptford High School in the state Group 4 semifinals. The Cougars beat second-seed Lenape 57-52 Friday night for the SJ4 title.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there for the semis, as well as the girls’ game at 7 pm between Central Jersey Group 4 champion Franklin and South winner Lenape.

Hillsborough ends its season at 22-8 with the loss.

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA switches South Jersey non-public finals sites due to travel concerns, moves Rutgers Prep girls and St. Joseph-Metuchen title games

Typically, the NJSIAA has its sites chosen for neutral site state tournament games well in advance. And the championship games for the same sections are placed at the same venues, that way one school doesn’t have its boys’ and girls’ teams playing at the same time at different locations.

But one thing has been an issue among schools in the “south” half of the state, at least according to NJSIAA geography: travel.

And now that the non-public sectional finals are set after Thursday night games, the NJSIAA is making a change

Originally, Non-Public South B finals were supposed to be at Jackson Twp. High School (formerly Jackson Liberty), while the South A finals were to be held at Lenape H.S. in Medford Lakes.

But on Friday, the NJSIAA announced a change. All the South A finals have been moved from Lenape to Jackson, while the South B finals are going from Jackson to Lenape.

Locally, that means the South A boys’ final between St. Joseph-Metuchen and St. Peter’s Prep – yes, both are considered “south” due to the prevalence of teams up in North Jersey and the paucity of teams in South Jersey – will be in Jackson, while Rutgers Prep’s game against Gloucester Catholic for the South B girls’ title will be down at Lenape.

All the times remain the same, with St. Joe’s playing at 5 pm and Rutgers Prep at 7 pm.

There had been some chatter on social media about the methodology that left two teams from Middlesex and Hudson Counties playing a title game in Burlington County. It’s unknown, however, whether anyone from the participating schools contacted the NJSIAA about the matter.

None of the Non-Public North games were changed.

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH FINALS SCHEDULE

At Jackson Twp. (formerly Jackson Liberty)

  • South A Boys’ Final: (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen vs. (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 5 pm
  • South A Girls’ Final: (2) St. John Vianney vs. (1) Red Bank Catholic, 7 pm

At Lenape

  • South B Boys’ Final: (5) Bishop Eustace vs. (2) Holy Cross, 5 pm
  • South B Girls’ Final: (1) Rutgers Prep vs. (2) Gloucester Catholic, 7 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: St. Joseph-Metuchen, Gill St. Bernard’s keep on winning, reach sectional finals; Rutgers Prep upset by Bishop Eustace

As Meatloaf once sang, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joseph-Metuchen won their sectional semifinals Thursday night in the state tournament, the Knights in North B and the Falcons in South A, and now both are headed opposite directions in the state Monday for sectional title games.

Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep was upset at home by Bishop Eustace in the Non-Public South B semifinals.

Scroll through to read game recaps and hear postgame interviews with coaches, then check out the upcoming schedule below.

Non-Public South A

Now on a 13-game winning streak, St. Joseph-Metuchen is in the sectional finals for the first time in three years. The Falcons were 54-52 winners Thursday night, knocking off top-seed Paul VI, 54-52, on the road. Up 21-12 after one quarter, Joe’s saw its lead cut to six at the half. And in the end game, up 54-52, Paul VI got a steal of f the inbound, and fired a 30-foot three from just about straight on for the lead. It missed, St. Joseph got the rebound, but the Eagles inexplicably didn’t foul, even though there were about four seconds left. They had four fouls at the time, and could have sent the Falcons to the line, where a split would have left them with a chance at a miracle to at least tie. Aidan Carter and Andrew Kretkowski shared game-high honors with 18 points apiece, while Joel Patrick had seven and 16 rebounds. St. Joseph (29-1) will play third-seed St. Peter’s Prep at 5 pm Monday in the South A Final at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes.

Click here to listen to St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach Mark Taylor talk about the Falcons’ win in the Non-Public South A semifinals.
  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (1) Paul VI, 54-52
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep def. (2) CBA, 59-46

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (26-2) is back in the finals for a second year in a row, after a 58-50 win over fourth-seed St. Mary Rutherford in Peapack Thursday night. That’s 22 straight wins for the Knights, who got 19 points from Proper Sonkoua, and 13 points and six boards from Jahmal Dixon, but even more impressive was the eleven rebounds grabbed by Connor Junker, known more as a sharp-shooter from beyond the arc. Gill led by just one after one, but took a 12 point lead at the half on the strength of a strong second quarter. Now, the Knights get a rematch with second-seed Roselle Catholic in the final, which beat them last year, 43-35. That final is at JFK High School in Paterson at 5 pm.

Click below to listen to Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina talk about the Knights’ win in the Non-Public North B semifinals.
  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (4) St. Mary-Rutherford, 58-50
  • (2) Roselle Catholic def. (3) Morris Catholic, 60-55

Non-Public South B

Top-seed Rutgers Prep was upset at home Thursday night by fifth-seed Bishop Eustace, falling 77-70 on their home floor. It was a tight one throughout, with Prep down 14-13 after one, and by four at the half. A big third quarter for Eustace upped the lead by seven heading into the fourth, and it was just too much to overcome. Julian Ceberio led the Argonauts (18-10) in defeat, scoring 19, including five triples, while also grabbing six rebounds. Nicolas Nsenkyrie added 16 points and five boards.

  • (5) Bishop Eustace def. (1) Rutgers Prep, 77-70
  • (2) Holy Cross Prep def. (3) Holy Spirit, 41-34

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Central Jersey Group 4 Final

  • (3) Montgomery (24-4) at (1) Hillsborough (22-7), 6 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Non-Public South A Final

  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen (29-1) vs. (3) St. Peter’s Prep (27-3), 5 pm at Lenape H.S. (Medford Lakes)

Non-Public North B Final

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s (26-2) vs. (2) Roselle Catholic (22-6), 5 pm at JFK Paterson (LIVE on CJSR)

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

Group 4 Semifinals

  • (3) Montgomery/(1) Hillsborough (Central 4 Champion) vs. (2) Lenape/(1) Cherry Hill East (South 4 Champion)
by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough boys may be top-seed, but will have to topple two-time title winner Montgomery to claim Central Jersey Group 4 championship

The last time (the only time) the Hillsborough boys’ basketball team won a state sectional title, it was 2015. Coming off a 22-3 year in which they beat Gill St. Bernard’s to win the Somerset County Tournament championship.

Ian Progin’s team didn’t quite make the encore, bowing out in the quarterfinals of the SCT to Montgomery, the Raiders were 11-12 heading into the state tournament, not even a top eight seed.

All they did was win four games on the road, culminating with an upset of top-seed Freehold Township on the road in the final, 66-58, making for a boisterous trip back up to the ‘Boro from Monmouth County.

This year’s team? Well, they’re 22-7. And nothing’s easy, but having earned the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, they would certainly be considered a contender for a title. Since the tournament started, they’ve cemented that rep, entering the state Top 20 at No. 20 last week, up one spot this week to 19.

They will face another state-ranked team Friday night in the CJ4 final: No. 14 Montgomery, as the top-seeded Raiders take on the third-seeded Cougars (24-4) for some NJSIAA hardware. Central Jersey Sports Radio will be there so you can listen to the game, with tip-off set for 6 pm, pregame at 5:40 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will be on the call. Click here to listen.

While many will look at Montgomery’s two wins over Hillsborough this year – by 16 on the road in the regular season in mid-January, and 15 at home in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals back on February 7th. But Montgomery also took a pair of losses to Rutgers Prep, while the Raiders beat them, 82-79, the next game after losing to the Cougars in the SCT.

While the guards get a lot of attention – including Derek Feath, who now owns the single season three-point record at Hillsborough with 78 and counting – it was the frontcourt that came up big Tuesday in the semis against Jackson. Layne Pawlowski scored 13 and had six rebounds, Kai Williams had ten and five rebounds, and Kow Quagrine had nine.

And Hillsborough may need that against Montgomery’s big, Sriyans Mallavarapu. Also known as “Shree,” he had 12 blocks in Monty’s 61-49 win at second-seed Marlboro Tuesday in the semifinals.

Click below to hear Hillsborough head coach Tim Palek talk about the Central Jersey Group 4 final against Montgomery with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two-time defending champion Montgomery will play for a third just up the road, as Cougars visit Hillsborough in Central Jersey Group 4 title tilt

While the Montgomery boys’ basketball program has won back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 titles, and seemingly been through it all, there was something that happened Tuesday that was a first on this run by the Cougars: a true road game.

Sure, in 2024, they had to go all the way down to Central Regional in Bayville to play a sectional semifinal against South 4 champ Lenape, which they lost. And last year, they got another crack and this time exacted revenge, sending them to the Group 4 final against Plainfield at Rutgers.

But Tuesday was different. Those were neutral courts.

Tuesday saw the third-seeded Cougars playing a sectional semifinal on the road, down in Monmouth County, against Marlboro, the second-seed.

Despite a slow start and an early deficit, Montgomery prevailed, and now will play another road game in the final, though not quite as far away.

Friday night, Monty (24-4) will travel up Route 206 on a short jaunt to neighboring Hillsborough, where they’ll face the top-seeded Raiders (22-7) for the Central Jersey Group 4 title. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with tip-off set for 6 pm, pregame at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Montgomery has beaten Hillsbrough twice this season: by 16 on the road in the regular season, and by 15 at home in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. But head coach Kris Grundy has been around long enough to know those don’t mean a thing. The Raiders are playing solid basketball at the right time of the year.

Still, Montgomery has been solid all year as well. Of their four losses, one came to Gill St. Bernard’s, two to Rutgers Prep, and one to Linden, which is in the North 2, Group 4 final Friday night against Plainfield. All those teams are ranked in the statewide Top 20.

Ethan Lin, of course, has been a big reason for Monty’s success, even though he missed that 2024 run with a broken leg. He came back stronger than ever last year, and has been even bigger this season. Lin is a steadying force on a team that’s a bit on the young side otherwise. And in three games in the state tournament, he’s averaging 28.7 points per game, going for 31 and 30 in the last two.

But big man Shriyans Mallavarapu – just a sophomore – has also been “a revelation,” according to Grundy. Tuesday night at Marlboro, he had 12 blocks. You don’t want to get down low against him and risk your shot being swatted away.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about Friday’s Central Jersey Group 4 title game against Hillsborough with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA announces site designations for public school basketball tourney State semifinals

The NJSIAA has announced what sectional champions will play where next week, when the state high school basketball tournament moves to the group semifinal stage.

Groups 2 and 4 will play state semifinals on Tuesday, with Groups 1 and 3 taking their turn on Wednesday.  Winners move on to the state Group Finals at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, with Groups 2 and 4 playing on Saturday, and Groups 1 and 3 finishing up on Sunday.

Here are the assignments for next week’s State semifinals.

Tuesday, March 10 – Groups 2 and 4

  • Group 4 North 1 vs. North 2:  The Dunn Center, Elizabeth; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 4 Central vs. South:  Deptford H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 2 North 1 vs North 2:  Bloomfield H.S.; boys at 4:30, girls at 7
  • Group 2 Central vs. South:  Monroe Twp. H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7

   

Wednesday, March 11 – Groups 1 and 3

  • Group 3 North 1 vs. North 2:  The Dunn Center, Elizabeth; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 3 Central vs. South:  Central Regional H.S., Bayville; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 1 North 1 vs. North 2:  Franklin H.S.; boys at 6, girls at 7:30
  • Group 1 Central vs. South:  Monroe Twp. H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7

Based on those assignments, here’s where the remaining public schools in the tournament from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area would land:

  • Montgomery, Hillsborough boys:  The Central Jersey Group 4 winner would play down at Deptford at 5 pm Tuesday against the South 4 winner, either Cherry Hill East or Lenape.
  • Hillsborough, Franklin girls:  The Central Jersey Group 4 winner would play down at Deptford at 7 pm Tuesday against the South 4 winner, either Lenape or Howell.
  • Colonia boys:  The North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 winner would play at The Dunn Center in Elizabeth Wednesday at 5 pm against the North 1, Group 3 winner, either Teaneck or Montville.
  • Bound Brook girls:  The Central Jersey Group 1 winner would play at  Monroe Twp. H.S. Wednesday at 7 pm against the South 1 winner, either Haddon Township or Wildwood.
by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State Tourney Roundup: Colonia boys clinch 6th straight trip to sectional finals; Bound Brook girls overcome early abyss to reach finals; South Plainfield, Manville boys, Somerville girls bow out

What a run by Colonia.

The four-time defending North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 boys’ basketball champions are back looking for a fifth straight state title, after a win in the sectional semis Wednesday night, while the Bound Brook girls came back from a disastrous start at home against Roselle Park to reach the Central Jersey Group 1 final, its first since the 2020 season, which came to an end in the midst of the state playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the four Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams in action Wednesday night, the Patriots and Crusaders moved on, but the South Plainfield boys lost in the North 2, Group 3 semis at Chatham, while the Somerville girls also lost to Chatham, at home, in their North 2, Group 3 semifinal.

Read on for recaps and links to game stories, plus results, then the upcoming schedule for the boys and girls heading into sectional championships this weekend.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 (Boys)

In a rematch of last year’s sectional final, top-seed Colonia trailed 6-1 after the first quarter against fifth-seed Mendham. That’s right: 6-1. That’s not even a football score. But great teams find a way, and the Patriots did just that. They rebounded with a 15-7 second quarter to take a 16-13 lead at the break, and led 28-20 going into the fourth. The first part of the quarter was a stalemate. Slowly, the Minutemen chipped away. All of a sudden, with about two minutes to go, the game was knotted at 28. But down the stretch, the Patriots hit their foul shots, and ratcheted up the defense. In the final minute, they forced Mendham – looking for a three to tie, down 33-30 – into a well-defended triple that missed, got the rebound, and hit one of two at the other end to put the game out of reach with four seconds and change to go.

Jayce Rodriguez finished with 12 points, and had two big free throws down the stretch. Desmond Rudanovic added eight and four rebounds, while Dylan Chiera chipped in with five.

It’ll be the sixth straight trip to the North 2, Group 3 final for Colonia (19-10), and head coach Jose Rodriguez – the GMC Coach of the Year – has now made the finals in every single year one was held, the only exception behind the 2021 COVID season, when the state tournament was not played. They are 5-1 in finals, winning in Rodriguez’ first year, losing in the final in 2020, then winning four straight from 2022 through 2025. Now they have a chance to win their fifth straight and sixth in seven trips to the finals since Rodriguez took over.

Click below to hear Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez talk about the Patriots’ win over Mendham with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Meanwhile, sixth-seed South Plainfield fell at second-seed Chatham in the other North 2, Group 3 semifinal, 65-57. A tight game throughout, the Tigers and Cougars were tied 17-17 after one, and led 26-25 at the half. Down two going into the fourth quarter, 49-47, South Plainfield got outscored 16-8 over the final eight minutes to take the loss. Their season ends at 18-11, and they still have the distinction of being the only team to beat GMC Tournament champion St. Joseph-Metuchen this year, 55-54 back on January 27th. The Falcons are still alive in the Non-Public South A playoffs, facing Paul VI Thursday night at 7 at home in the semifinals.

  • (1) Colonia def. (5) Mendham, 34-30
  • (2) Chatham def. (6) South Plainfield

Central Jersey Group 1 (Girls)

Second-seeded Bound Brook will play in their first sectional title game since 2020, after a 62-41 win. But it didn’t look good from the start, as the Crusaders found themselves in a 17-2 hole against sixth-seed Roselle Park, which features the top girls’ scorers in the state, Sidney Smith, averaging 30 points a game. But Bound Brook rallied big, and took a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime.

Freshman Peytan Pugh finished with 17 points for Bound Brook (25-3), while Jayden Campbell grabbed 12 rebounds, and Pugh fueled the comeback with 16 steals. Smith – who scored her 2,000th point in an opening round rout of Florence last week – still got her points, finishing with 25 in her final high school game before heading off to Elon.

Bound Brook will visit top-seed New Providence in Saturday’s sectional final.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, including postgame reaction from Pugh and head coach Jen Derevjanik, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

  • (1) New Providence def. (5) Brearley, 63-32
  • (2) Bound Brook def. (6) Roselle Park, 62-41

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 (Girls)

Top-seed Somerville got stunned at home by fifth-seed Chatham, falling 45-26 in the sectional semifinals. This was another one with a slow start, as the Cougars led 7-2 after one. But unlike the Colonia boys, the second quarter also belonged to Chatham, which extended its lead to 22-10 at the half, then sealed the deal over the final eight minutes. Amaya Miller finished with 17 points, while Kaylee Lauber was next up with four. The Pioneers finish their season at 21-17.

  • (5) Chatham def. (1) Somerville, 45-26
  • (7) Mendham def, (3) Millburn, 45-29

Central Jersey Group 1 (Boys)

Manville’s season came to an end in the sectional semifinals, as the sixth-seeded Mustangs (19-9) fell at second-seed Point Pleasant Beach, 49-35.

  • (1) Thrive Charter def. (4) Shore, 73-25
  • (2) Point Pleasant Beach def. (6) Manville, 49-35.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Central Jersey Group 4 Final

Non-Public North A Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
  • (6) Pingry at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) St. Thomas Aquinas at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Paul VI at (2) St. John Vianney, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North B Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5 pm
  • (3) Hudson Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 4:30 pm

Non-Public South B Semifinals (Girls)

  • (5) Stuart Day at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (3) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Gloucester Catholic, 5 pm

Non-Public South A (Boys)

  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep at CBA, 6 pm

Non-Public North B (Boys)

  • (4) St. Mary-Rutherford at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 7 pm
  • (3) Morris Catholic at (2) Roselle Catholic, 7 pm

Non-Public South B (Boys)

  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm
  • (3) Holy Spirit at (2) Holy Cross Prep, 6 pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Boys)

  • (3) Montgomery at (1) Hillsborough, 6 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final (Boys)

  • (2) Chatham at (1) Colonia, 2 pm

Central Jersey Group 1 Final (Girls)

  • (2) Bound Brook at (1) New Providence, TBA