Category: Girls Basketball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep claims final No. 1 Ranking in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

Despite a loss in its final game of the year to Morris Catholic in the Non-Public Group B Final Sunday afternoon, another dominating season by Rutgers Prep has earned them their rightful place at the top of the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings of the 2022-23 season for the third straight season.

The numbers for the Lady Argonauts continue to stagger the mind.

Consider: they have won 41 straight games against Somerset County opponents and 54 against Skyland Conference foes. Of the last 30, none have been by fewer than ten points. And their last loss to a Skyland opponent came against Franklin in the 2019 Somerset County Tournament Final.

They’ve won three straight SCT titles, a stretch interrupted by winning the one-off 2021 Skyland Conference top playoff pod during the COVID-shortened season where there was no county or state tournament.

They are also the only team ever to be ranked in the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten since it’s inception along with our first season of high school basketball in 2020, making it 28 straight weeks at the top.

Ultimately, Rutgers Prep finished 25-5, won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, the Somerset County Tournament, and their second straight Non-Public South B sectional title.

The top three teams stayed the same as in the most recent rankings – from Week Eight – with St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 2. The Trojans finished 22-7, and won the GMC Red Division as well as the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, their fourth straight – not counting the COVID year of 2021.

Gill St. Bernard’s (18-9) is third, the Somerset County Tournament runner-up to Rutgers Prep.

Monroe returned to the rankings at No. 4 after a strong playoff run, going all the way to the Central Jersey Group 4 title game. They beat division foe South Brunswick to get there, but lost in the finals to Jackson Memorial, and finished 17-10.

South Brunswick (19-8) finished right behind the Falcons in fifth place.

Edison checks in at No. 6, the the GMC White Division Champions, who finished the season 21-7 after starting the season 11-0.

Middlesex made a nice run ot the Central Jersey Group 1 finals, where they fell to Shore in the sectional title game, finishing 20-9.

Watchung Hills came in eighth, finishing 20-7, followed by Hillsborough in 9th at 16-11.

North Plainfield finished tenth at 17-9, bowing out of the state tournament to eventual Group 3 finalist Randolph.

Below are the full Bellamy & Son Paving Final Girls’ Basketball Rankings for the 2022-23 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls hold court in final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten before season’s end

In the last Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings before the end of the season, Rutgers Prep held onto the top position, making it 26 weeks out of 26 the Lady Argonauts have been No. 1 in the three-year history of the rankings.

Prep is 15-3, with wins last week over Blair and Rumson-Fair Haven, the latter coming in the Coaches’ Choice USA Shore Conference Challenge.

Holding on at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) which went 2-1 last week, including a loss to two-point loss to state-ranked Saddle River Dayy, a win over Colonia, and a victory over Wall in the Coaches’ Choice showcase.

Gill St. Bernard’s (14-5) holds at No. 3 after a 2-1 week, with the only area game a 74-45 win over Pingry.

South Brunswick (15-6) and Edison (18-4) flip-flopped on the strength of a 2-1 week that included a Vikings’ win over the Eagles on Friday, 61-34.

Bernards (14-5 held in sixth with two non-league wins over Johnson and Parsippany Hills, while Watchung Hills (15-4) remained in seventh, having not played last week.

Middlesex (15-5) moved up two spots to No., 8, with a 2-1 week that included wins over North and South Plainfield, and a loss playing up to the Red Division and East Brunswick.

Hillsborough (12-9) split four games last week to hold in ninth place, beating Monroe and Pemberton, falling to Pennginton and Ewing, while Monroe joined the Top Ten at No. 10. The Falcons were 2-1 with win at North Brunswick, home over Mount St. Mary, and a loss at Marlboro in non-conference play.

Previous No. 8 North Plainfield (14-6) dropped out.

Below are the full Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s 25 straight weeks atop the rankings for Rutgers Prep, with two new teams joining Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten in Week 7

On the strength of a 3-0 week, and a win that solidified their position as the team to beat in the Skyland Conference – a 75-36 thumping as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio last Tuesday afternoon – Rutgers Prep held on to the No. 1 spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7.

The Lady Argonauts (13-3) had a 3-0 week, which also included an 80-19 rout at Bridgewater-Raritan, and a 76-56 win over Montclair-Immaculate on Sunday. They’re on a seven-game winning streak heading into the final week of the regular season, with the Somerset County Tournament seeding coming up a week from tonight.

St. Thomas Aquinas (15-4) holds in second, while Gill St. Bernard’s (12-4) stays put in third.

Edison (15-2) moves up to No. 4 on the strength of a 3-0 week, while South Brunswick (13-5) moves up two spots to No. 5, despite a 1-1 week in which they beat North Brunswick, but dropped an out-of-conference game to Morristown 54-51.

READ: Edison community and beyond comes together to “Fight For Allie,” help local 11-year old girl beat brain tumor

Bernards (12-5) had a 1-2 week and dropped to sixth, after a win over Delaware Valley, but losses to Belvidere and Dayton.

In seventh is Watchung Hills, which went 3-0, sweeping a week of games from Phillsipburg, Montgomery and Hunterdon Central.

North Plainfield (13-4) makes its debut this season at No. 8, with wins in the past week over Woodbridge and South Plainfield, but a loss to former Skyland Conference foe Bound Brook. (North Plainfield joined the Greater Middlesex Conference this season.)

Hillsborough (10-7) – which fell out of the rankings in Week 4 – rejoins the Top Ten at No. 8 after a three-win week that included victories over Franklin, Hunterdon Central, and previously-No. 9 Mount St. Mary (13-6), which dropped out, along with previous No. 10 Spotswood (15-4).

Below are the full Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls keep on keepin’ on, lead Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten again

Make it 24 straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep in the Central Jersey Sports Radio/Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, as the Lady Argonauts remain the only team ever to hold the top spot in the rankings, now in their third year.

Rutgers Prep (10-3) went 2-0 in an abbreviated week gone by, with wins at Hunterdon Central and Hillsborough by a combined 166-71. They will take a nearly four-year and 50-game winning streak against Skyland Conference opponents into a huge clash Tuesday afternoon at home against Gill St. Bernard’s, which can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. It’ll determine the Skyland Conference Delaware Division winner, and could figure into who gets the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament with the seeding two weeks from today.

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St. Thomas Aquinas (12-3) held in second with wins over South Brunswick and Old Bridge, while Gill (11-3) had a 2-0 week with wins over Hillsborough and Bridgewater-Raritan, keeping them in third.

The rest of the rankings, however, saw some shifts.

Bernards (11-3), Edison (14-2) and Middlesex (12-2) all edged up one spot each to fourth, fifth and sixth, while South Brunswick (12-4) dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 after a 1-2 week that saw them beat Piscataway, but lose to No. 2 Aquinas and unranked Colonia.

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The bottom three also saw some shuffling: Watchung Hills (12-4) moved up two spots to eighth on the strength of a 3-0 week that included wins at Ridge and Hillsborough, and at home over Immaculata.

Mount St. Mary (11-5) dropped one spot to No. 9 after a 1-1 week: a win over Somerville and a loss at Warren Hills.

Spotswood (12-4) entered the rankings after a 3-1 week where they lost to East Brunswick, 56-41, but rebounded with wins at Carteret and at home over South River and Keansburg. Metuchen (12-3) – previously ranked No. 9 – dropped out with a 2-1 week that included a loss at Woodbridge. The Chargers and Bulldogs square off against each other Monday.

Below are the full Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Few teams lose, but Franklin, Old Bridge girls bow out of Bellamy & Son Paving Week 6 Top Ten

The top four teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls Basketball rankings remained the same this week, while Franklin and Old Bridge dropped out, and Metuchen and Watchung Hills joined the group.

From No. 1 to No. 4, neither Rutgers Prep (8-3), St. Thomas Aquinas (10-2), Gill St. Bernard’s (9-3), no South Brunswick (11-2) dropped a single game last week.

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Previously-6th Franklin dropped out after suffering an 0-3 week – albeit losses to Gill, Rutgers Prep and Rumson – and falling to 4-7 on the year. Meanwhile, Edison (12-1) suffered its first loss of the season – falling at Monroe 60-36 – and dropped one spot in the poll from fifth to sixth.

That all paved the way for Bernards (10-3) to move up to fifth on the strength of a 4-0 week.

Middlesex (9-2) and Mount St. Mary (10-4) each moved up a spot to seventh and eighth, followed by two new teams.

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Metuchen (10-2) joins the rankings at No. 9, while Watchung Hills (9-4) takes the last spot at ten.

Below are the full Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Three teams out, two new ones join Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings

It was a week of losses, some more impactful than others, in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten. Week Four saw the top five remain the same, but there were many changes in Week Four after that.

Rutgers Prep (6-3) continues to hold the top spot; their third loss of the season came by ten to McDonogh of Maryland. St. Thomas Aquinas (8-2) had a 3-0 week, while Gill St. Bernard’s (6-3) remained in third, despite a two loss-week; one came to top-ranked Rutgers Prep, which has not lost a Skyland Conference regular season game since a December 2018 loss to Franklin. The other came to statewide No. 1 St. John Vianney.

South Brunswick (8-2) holds at No. 4, while Edison (10-0) remains No 5.

Franklin (4-4) moves up from seventh to sixth despite a 2-1 week. Their two wins came in-league over Hunterdon Central and previously-6th-ranked Hillsborough.

Bernards (6-3) – which was tied for tenth with Middlesex last week – moves up to No. 7, while the Blue Jays (7-1) rose to No. 8. Mount St. Mary joins the rankings at 7-4 and in the nine-spot, while Old Bridge (6-3) debuts in tenth.

Dropping out were No. 6 Hillsborough, No. 8 Monroe, and ninth-ranked Colonia. The Raiders (4-4) went 0-3 last week against Rutgers Prep, Franklin and Watchung Hills. Colonia was 2-1 with a division loss to Old Bridge. Monroe dropped a pair of games to St. Thomas Aquinas and Colonia.

Below are the full Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten takes out-of-area losses, but top remains mostly unchanged

Rutgers Prep lost once, St. Thomas Aquinas lost twice, and South Brunswick lost, too. But with all those defeats coming out-of-area or out-of-state, they failed to drop in the Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

While Colonia dropped, it was their fourth loss of the season, and the Patriots’ are the only team below .500 in the rankings, though three of those losses – including their most recent – are out-of-area.

Gill St. Bernards (5-1) was the only team that went unbeaten over the Christmas break, and the Knights check in third, behind Prep (4-2) and Aquinas (5-2), with the Vikings (6-2) behind them.

The Vikings are followed by Edison (7-0) in fifth, then Hillsborough (4-1), Franklin (2-3) and Monroe (4-1) with Colonia (2-3) in ninth. There was a tie for tenth, with Bernards (5-2) holding court, and Middlesex (5-0) debuting at No. 10.

Below are the full Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Little new in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings

No. 9 Edison and No. 8 Monroe flip-flopped this week, but other than that, there were no changes to the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Two.

The top five remained the same, led by Rutgers Prep (2-1), followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0), Gill St. Bernard’s (2-1), South Brunswick (4-1) and Colonia (2-3). The Patriots – with two out-of-area-losses – lost at South Brunswick 43-40 last Thursday night, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

READ MORE: Price, defense help No. 4 South Brunswick girls stifle No. 5 Colonia at home

Hillsborough (2-1) held in sixth, while Franklin (2-1) kept pace in seventh, while Edison (5-0) moved up a spot to No. 8 and Monroe (2-1) dropped one to ninth.

Bernards (4-1) held in tenth.

Below are the full Week 2 Girls’ Basketball Bellamy & Son Paving Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Despite losses, top teams remain at the top in Week One Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball rankings

The No. 1 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball top ten lost this weekend. So did the No. 3 team, and the No. 5 team.

But with all coming to out-of-area opponents, neither slipped in the Week One rankings.

Rutgers Prep (1-1) remains No. 1, followed by 2-0 St. Thomas Aquinas, with Gill St. Bernard’s (1-1) holding in the third spot.

After No. 4 South Brunswick (2-0), Colonia also held in the fifth spot at 1-1.

Dropping out were the ninth and tenth teams – North Brunswick (0-2) and Mount St. Mary (1-2), with Edison and Bernards – both 2-0 – taking their place.

Below are the full Bellamy & Son Paving Week One rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Lady Argonauts lead preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings, yet again

In Central Jersey Sports Radio’s third season of covering girls’ basketball in Middlesex and Somerset Counties, Rutgers Prep has taken the Number One preseason ranking for the third straight year.

The Lady Argonauts went wire-to-wire at No. 1 in the COVID-shortened 2021 season, and did the same last season, meaning Rutgers Prep has been in the top position in all 18 polls since its inception.

The two-time defending Somerset County Tournament, Non-Public South B and Non-Public Group B champions went 29-3 last season.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas Aquinas – which has won three straight GMC Tournament titles – is ranked second in the preseason, coming off a 22-4 season.

Gill St. Bernard’s – the 2022 SCT runner-up, which went 18-6 last year – checks in at No. 3, while GMC Tournament runner-up South Brunswick – 15-6 last year with a young team that’s more experienced this year – comes in fourth..

Colonia, a Central Jersey Group 3 finalist which went 25-5 a year ago and has back senior Mattison Chiera and junior Taylor Derkack, checks in fifth.

Below is the full preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten: