Category: Girls Basketball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

As Top Ten keeps winning, minimal change to Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings

With only two losses by the entire Top Ten to Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams, there was minimal change in the Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings, with Gill St. Bernard’s holding at No. 1, while Edison swaps in for Spotswood in the tenth spot.

Gill St. Bernard’s (16-2) kept the top spot after a 2-1 week. The Knights – who picked up the No. 1 seed in the Somerset County Tournament Monday night – beat Franklin on Tuesday, 70-45, then picked up a non-conference wins, 55-46, over Bayonne at home Thursday, before falling 52-41 Sunday to Red Bank Catholic in the Coaches’ Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel High School. Gill opens SCT play Saturday at home against 9th-seed Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinal round.

Holding in second is Rutgers Prep (14-3). The Argonauts had a 2-0 week after getting the second seed in the SCT, where they have won four county titles in a row going back to 2020 (there was no tourney in 2021). They beat Phillipsburg Tuesday, 61-13, then topped Trinity Hall on Sunday in the Coaches’ Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel on Sunday. They’ll play in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals Saturday at home against 7th-seed Bernards.

Third is still St. Thomas Aquinas (16-5). The Trojans had a 2-2 week, but won both their GMC games, Thursday over Colonia, 77-45, and Saturday at Old Bridge, 72-37. Those victories were surrounded by a couple of losses to highly-ranked Shore conference squads. Tuesday, they lost 61-43 at St. Rose in Belmar, then fell Sunday, 56-51, to Manasquan in the Coaches’ Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel High.

Steady in fourth is Hillsborough (15-3), which went 2-0 this week, picking up a 53-44 win at Hunterdon Central Tuesday, then a 75-27 win at Old Bridge on Thursday night.

Bernards (15-2) stays put in fifth, also after a 2-0 week. The Mountaineers won 50-35 at Roselle Park Tuesday, then came back Saturday with a 58-40 win over 10-seed Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament’s second round. Seventh-seeded Bernards travels to No. 2 seed Rutgers Prep Saturday for a quarterfinal matchup.

Holding at six is Somerville (15-4). The Pioneers won 65-52 Tuesday at Montgomery, before losing Friday at Holmdel, 46-31. But The ‘Ville rebounded with a 41-36 win over 11th-seed Ridge Saturday in the SCT’s second round. They’ll visit third-seed Hillsborough in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Staying in seventh is Pingry (14-4), which picked up a 64-3 win at Ridge Tuesday, then took a 64-46 loss to University (Newark) Thursday, before topping 12-seed Bound Brook 47-26 in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament on Saturday. They’ll visit 4th-seed Franklin in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

The last three teams are from the GMC, including Middlesex (16-4) at No. 8. The Blue Jays beat Edison 58-46 Tuesday, then won at North Brunswick 72-49 Thursday, which – coupled with Spotswood’s loss to Edison that night – gave them the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division title. The Blue Jays finished off a 3-0 week Saturday with a 57-53 win at East Brunswick.

Monroe (12-7) holds steady in ninth. IN a 2-1 week, the Falcons lost 46-44 at home to South Brunswick on Tuesday, but came back with two straight road wins: 53-42 at East Brunswick on Thursday, and 53-51 at North Plainfield on Saturday.

But in the tenth spot, Spotswood got bounced after a second loss to Edison (12-8), which took the Chargers’ place after beating them Thursday, 56-50, for a second time this season. That followed a loss to Middlesex, 58-46, on Tuesday.

Below is the complete Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

On a solid week, no changes in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7

The Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten went 25-2 in the week gone by, necessitating no changes to the rankings in Week Seven.

That keeps Gill St. Bernard’s (13-2) in the No. 1 spot for a second week in a row, after dethroning Rutgers Prep. The Knights were 2-0 in the past week, winning 72-18 at Phillipsburg on Thursday, then beating Dexter (MA) in the More Than a Highlight Showcase at St. John Vianney in Holmdel.

Rutgers Prep (12-3) holds in second, also going 2-0 last week, with a 63-37 win over Hunterdon Central on Thursday, and a 61-36 victory over George (PA) in the More Than A Highlight Showcase.

Still in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3). They won all three of their games this week: 83-48 over Piscataway on Thursday, 90-33 over No. 9 Monroe on Saturday, and 94-77 over Teaneck Sunday in the More Than A Highlight Showcase.

Holding at No. 4 is Hillsborough (13-3). The Raiders took a loss this week at Franklin, 63-60, bt bookended it with a 71-46 win at home against Pennington Tuesday, then beat Scotch Plains-Fanwood 71-33 Saturday at home.

Bernards (13-2) stays at five after a 2-0 week, with a 59-6 Thursday win over Central Jersey College Charter, then a 40-22 win at Millburn on Saturday.

Holding in sixth is Somerville (13-3). The Pioneers went 3-0 this week, picking up a 63-56 win over Voorhees Tuesday, then a 38-30 win at Delaware Valley Thursday, before closing it out with a 57-38 victory at South Hunterdon on Saturday.

Pingry (12-3) holds in seventh off a 3-0 week. The Big Blue won 71-53 at Immaculata on Monday, then beat Watchung Hills 85-53 Thursday, and Lawrenceville on Friday, 70-36.

The last three teams – all in the same place as last week – come from the GMC.

Middlesex (13-4) holds at No. 8 after a 3-0 week that started off with a 53-19 victory over JP Stevens heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, followed by a 66-40 win at Perth Amboy Thursday, and a Saturday road win at South Plainfield, 50-34.

Monroe stays at nine, following a 2-1 week. They beat Colonia 57-24 Tuesday and Old Bridge 65-46 Thursday, before falling to No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, 90-33, on Saturday.

And Spotswood (14-4) remains in tenth on a 3-0 week. They beat South Plainfield 49-44 on Tuesday, got a 69-43 home win over North Brunswick Thursday, then won at Woodbridge, 62-43 on Saturday.

The Lady Chargers will be on Central Jersey Sports Radio again Saturday for a big GMC White Division game at Edison (5:30 pm – LISTEN LIVE), following an Eagles matchup with Middlesex on Tuesday. Spotswood and the Blue Jays are tied atop the White Division at 10-2, with Edison a game back at 9-3.

Here’s the complete Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s takes over No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, ending Rutgers Prep’s record 43-week reign

For the first time in the history of the Central Jersey Sports Radio/Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Rankings, there’s a new team at No. 1: Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Knights ended Rutgers Prep’s reign of 43 straight weeks in the top spot; they were the only team to hold that position since our inaugural season of 2021, the COVID-shortened year. They did it with a dominating 64-27 home win over the Argonauts, which ended their 54-game Somerset County win streak and 67-game Skyland Conference win streak,

Gill St. Bernard’s is now 11-2 on the strength of a 2-0 week – also beating No. 4 Hillsborough 72-39 Tuesday – as it moves up to No. 1, while Rutgers Prep slipped back to No. 2 at 10-3, with a Tuesday win at Franklin, 83-58, and a Saturday win over Mary Louis Academy (NY) in the Rose Classic Super Jam in Nazareth, PA, 78-71, sandwiched around the loss to Gill.

The next few teams stayed put, with few losses.

St. Thomas Aquinas (11-3) holds at No. 3 on the heels of a 2-0 week. The Trojans rebounded from Sunday’s home loss to Gill St. Bernard’s with a 95-51 win over South Brunswick Thursday, and a 91-41 victory at East Brunswick on Saturday, extending their regular season GMC winning streak to 46 games, and their overall Middlesex County win streak to 54.

Hillsborough (11-2) remains fourth on a 2-1 week. They opened with a 72-39 home loss to then-No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s Tuesday, but followed it with a 65-19 drubbing of Phillipsburg, followed by a 71-51 win Saturday at Pingry.

Holding in fifth is Bernards (11-2). The Mountaineers were 3-for-3 last week, with a 5-0-22 win over Manville Tuesday, a 51-18 victory at South Hunterdon Thursday, and a 54-30 home win over Bound Brook on Saturday.

Somerville (10-2) remains at six, with wins over Science Park, 61-32, on Monday, and over Immaculata Thursday, 60-56. They fell Saturday at Ridge, 56-53.

And the last of four straight Somerset County teams is Pingry (9-3), which went 2-1 in the week gone by. The beat Warren Hills 60-25 on Tuesday, and Voorhees 48-45 on Thursday, both on the road, then Saturday at No. 4 Hillsborough, 71-51.

Middlesex (10-4) moved up two spots to No. 8, as the Blue Jays downed then-No. 9 Spotswood Tuesday, 38-32, then picked up a 61-40 decision at Woodbridge Thursday, before closing the week with a 41-32 home loss to Hunterdon Central. (Correction: An earlier version of this story had Middlesex with a win over Hunterdon Central.)

Moving back into the Top Ten at No. 9 is Monroe (8-5). The Falcons went 3-0 this week, beating Piscataway on Tuesday, 52-46; Highland Park on Wednesday, 66-34; then taking out Princeton 52-47 Saturday, on the road.

Spotswood drops to tenth at 11-4 after a 2-1 week. After Tuesday’s 38-32 divisional loss to the Blue Jays, they bounced back with a 55-40 win over JP Stevens, and a 66-5 victory at South River on Saturday afternoon.

Dropping out this week was previously-No. 8 South Brunswick, which lost three games this week, at Old Bridge at St. Thomas Aquinas, and at home against Hightstown.

Below is the complete Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gill’s win at STA shakes up Bellamy & Son Paving Girls Basketball Top Ten for Week 5

With its third big win of the year, Gill St. Bernard’s has moved up in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, which saw two teams drop out, two new teams, and nine of the ten schools move to a new position.

And more could change this week.

Still in first – for a 43rd straight week – is Rutgers Prep (8-2). The Argonauts extended their Skyland Conference winning streak to 66 and Somerset County win streak to 53 in the week gone by, winning a pair of road games: 67-19 at Phillipsburg Tuesday, and 66-52 at Hillsborough Thursday, handing the Raiders their first loss.

The Argonauts will face Gill St. Bernard’s (9-2) on the road Thursday, with the Knights now up to No. 2 inn the rankings, in a rematch from December 16th, which Rutgers Prep won. Gill went 3-0 this past week, beating Franklin on the road Tuesday, 56-43, then Hunterdon Central at home Thursday, 77-35, and then-No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas Sunday evening in the St. Thomas Challenge College Showcase, 67-54.

Gill’s week doesn’t get any easier. Before Thursday’s matchup with Prep, they’ll have to visit 9-1 Hillsborough.

St. Thomas Aquinas (9-3) drops to third with the loss to the Knights, but the Trojans went 2-1 last week, winning Thursday at Colonia, 93-31, then Saturday at Old Bridge, 83-28. And they’ve extended their streak to 44 straight GMC regular season games, and 52 against Middlesex County opponents overall (including the postseason).

Hillsborough (9-1) drops to fourth after a 2-1 week that saw them beat Hunterdon Central, 72-27, at home Tuesday, lose to Prep on Thursday, then beat Plainfield on Saturday, 60-50.

Somerville (8-2) and Bernards (8-2) flip-flopped this week, with the Mountaineers moving up to five on a 3-0 week that included a Monday win over Montgomery, 41-19; a 44-29 win at North Hunterdon Thursday, and a 68-48 home victory over Bridgewater-Raritan Saturday. The Pioneers beat Belvidere 58-47 on Tuesday, and won at Columbia 53-30 Friday, before falling Saturday, 42-38 at Ridge.

Pingry (7-2) jumps into the poll at No. 7. They routed Ridge, 61-13, on Tuesday, they got by Mount St. Mary, 49-38 on Thursday.

South Brunswick (5-4) went 2-1 this week, but 2-0 against area teams, and enters at No. 8. Sandwiched around a Friday non-conference loss to Middletown South, 46-39, the Vikings got Red Division wins over Monroe, 53-30 on Tuesday, and over Colonia Saturday, 48-36.

Down two spots to ninth is Spotswood (9-3). The Chargers went 2-1 this week, beating Woodbridge at home with a dozen treys Tuesday, 72-38, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then topping Perth Amboy on the road, 53-43 Thursday, before falling to Edison at home Saturday, 54-45.

And down one to tenth is Middlesex (8-3). The Blue Jays lost to South Plainfield Tuesday, 28-28, but rebounded with a win at Edison, 43-37, on Thursday, and a 45-39 home win over North Brunswick on Saturday.

Dropping out were No. 8 Old Bridge – which fell to 5-4 with losses to Colonia and St. Thomas Aquinas this past week – and No. 10 Edison. The Eagles (7-6) split four games, beating Perth Amboy and Spotswood, but falling to Middlesex and East Brunswick.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams keep winning, but more turmoil in bottom half of first Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten of 2025

There was no change in the top four of the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings for Week Four, but the bottom six moved around with two new teams in, and two dropping out.

The list starts – again – with Rutgers Prep (6-2). The Argonauts went 1-1 in the week gone by. They beat Immaculata Heart Monday to wrap up their trip to Paterson Kennedy for the Holiday Hoopfest, but lost Sunday in Pennsylvania to Upper Darby (PA) in the Blue Star Invitational. Prep has a huge game with the team they’re tied with for first in the Skyland Delaware Division Thursday when the Argos visit No. 3 Hillsborough (7-0) for a 5:30 pm tip.

This is Rutgers Prep’s 42nd straight week at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son/CJSR rankings. They have won 52 straight games against Somerset County opponents and 65 straight against the Skyland Conference; their last loss to either came to Franklin in the 2019 Somerset County Tournament title game.

In second is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2). The Trojans also have a hefty streak going, having not lost in 42 Greater Middlesex Conference regular season games, nor in 50 GMC games overall, factoring in an 8-0 record the last two years in the county tournament. They went 3-1 this past week, with a win Monday in the Holmdel Holiday Invitational finale over Hudson Catholic, and GMC Red Division wins at Piscataway Thursday and Monroe Saturday, before falling Sunday to Moore Catholic (NY), 72-64, in the Coaches Choice NY/NJ/Staten Island Challenge.

In third, as mentioned earlier, is Hillsborough (7-0). The Raiders won their only game this week, Friday, 84-67 at Voorhees, with senior Francesca Schiro breaking the all-time Raiders’ career scoring record – boys or girls. They’ll battle Rutgers Prep at home on Thursday at 5:30 pm.

And the last team to hold their ground this week is Gill St. Bernard’s (6-2). The Knights split a pair this week against top-flight competition. They beat St. Rose of Belmar 66-41 in the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, but lost Sunday to two-time defending Non-Public Group B champion Morris Catholic 65-53 in the Garden State New Year’s Ball up at DePaul Catholic in Wayne.

Surging up two spots to No. 5 this week is Somerville (5-2). The Pioneers were 2-0 last week, beating Princeton Monday, 49-43, to wrap up the West Windsor-Plainsboro South Tournament, then Watchung Hills Saturday on the road, 63-41.

Bernards (6-0) also moves up two spots to No. 6 this week, winning their only game since the last rankings, a 52-28 thumping of Delaware Valley at home Friday night.

Spotswood (7-2) used a 3-0 week to jump up from tenth to seventh. The Chargers swept three GMC games; they beat Piscataway 49-40 Monday on the final day of the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament – going 2-1 in the event – then won at South Plainfield Thursday, 48-33, and at North Brunswick Saturday, 61-45.

The next two teams are new to the rankings.

Middlesex (6-2) rejoins at No. 9 after last having been seen at No. 7 in the Week One Top Ten. The Blue Jays fell at Absegami, 46-34, in the Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood Monday, but came back to GMC-land and beat JP Stevens in Edison Thursday, 66-33, then clobbered Perth Amboy Friday, 61-33.

Meanwhile, Old Bridge (5-2) makes its season debut on the strength of a 3-0 week. They beat Edison Monday, 34-24-, in the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament, then beat edged Monroe, 44-43, at home on Thursday, before winning a Skyland Conference crossover on Saturday, 51-31 over South Hunterdon.

Dropping one spot to No. 10 is Edison (5-4). The Eagles lost Monday to Old Bridge in the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament, then again Thursday at home by two to North Brunswick, but rebounded with a Saturday win at Woodbridge, 54-43.

Below is the complete Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top five hold court, bottom five shift in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

Despite its first loss of the season, Rutgers Prep remains No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Three.

The top five teams remained the same – with Prep’s loss the only one by any of the top five – but the bottom five juggled a bit.

Rutgers Prep (5-1) now has been atop the CJSR rankings for a 41st straight week, the only team to hold the No. 1 position since our debut basketball season in 2021. The Argonauts split their first two games at the Holiday Hoopfest down at St. John Vianney in Holmdel, beating Montclair-Immaculata on Thursday, 47-39, then falling 46-41 to St. Rose of Belmar in a rematch of last year’s NJSIAA Non-Public South B title game, won by Prep. The Argos will close plat at SJV Monday at 2 pm against Immaculate Heart.

St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1) won its only game last week and holds at No. 2, winning their opener in the Holmdel Holiday Invitational Saturday, 53-48 over Ranney. They’ll get Hudson Catholic Monday afternoon at 1:30 for the title.

Hillsborough (6-0) continues its hot start, and holds at No. 3 after sweeping a pair of games at the MCCC Showcase at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor. They beat Ewing Friday, 69-41, then topped George (PA), 64-43, on Saturday afternoon.

Gill St. Bernard’s (5-1) remains No. 4 after a 2-0 trip to the Holiday Hoopfest in Holmdel. They beat host St. John Vianney on Thursday, 61-44, then Immaculate Heart 53-36 on Saturday. They’ll close play Monday at 3:20 against St. Rose of Belmar.

And holding in fifth is Piscataway (3-0), which picked up a win in its Woodbridge Holiday Tournament opener. They beat the host Barrons on Saturday, 62-48, and now will play Spotswood in the Tourney’s finale Monday at 11:30 am.

The sixth and seventh spots flipped this week, with Monroe (3-1) moving up a spot to No. 6. They were 2-0 this week with a Monday win over Hightstown, 51-43, and a 49-39 victory Thursday in their own Monroe Holiday Tournament over South Plainfield. They’ll play Westfield Monday for the title at 2 pm.

That bumps Somerville (3-2) down to No. 7 after a 1-1 week. They beat South Hunterdon Thursday in the West Windsor-Plainsboro South Tournament, 77-34, but lost its next game there Saturday, 41-38 to Pennsbury (PA). They close the event Monday at 2 pm vs. Princeton.

Bernards (5-0) is up two places to No. 8 after winning the Metuchen Bulldog Holiday Tournament. The Mountaineers tok the opener, 58-33 over Governor Livingston, then beat the host Metuchen 41-30 in the title game Saturday.

That moves Edison (4-2) and Spotswood (4-2) down to nine and ten, respectively.

The Eagles split a pair this week, beating Metuchen 54-52 Monday, then falling to Colonia Saturday in the Woodbridge Holiday Tournament, 39-35. Edison plays Old Bridge at 10 am Monday to open the final day. The Chargers split a pair at the same event, beating Colonia Friday, 38-22, then falling 43-40 to Old Bridge. They’ll get Piscataway at 11:30 am Monday.

Here’s the full Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early season wins, losses shake up bottom half of Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

While there was little change in the top part of the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, the bottom six saw some movement with early season wins and losses jumbling things up.

Rutgers Prep remains the standard-bearer in the Central Jersey Sports Radio listening area, still the only team to ever hold the top spot in the rankings since their debut in the 2021 COVID-shortened season. They have been No. 1 for 40 consecutive weeks. The Argonauts are 4-0 after a three-win week, including a 61-38 victory over then-No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s Tuesday, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Prep also beat Hunterdon Central 67-37 Thursday, and Archbishop Molloy (NY) Saturday in the Shore Games of the She Got Game Classic down at St. John Vianney in Holmdel.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1). The Lady Trojans had a 2-0 week, routing East Brunswick 81-38, then beating North Plainfield Saturday, 80-45.

Hillsborough edged up one spot this week, still undefeated at 4-0. They were 3-0 this past week, opening with a 76-33 pounding of Hillsborough. They then picked up two tighter wins: 64-60 over Franklin at Home Thursday, and Saturday at Madison, 66-61.

Gill. St. Bernard’s (3-1) dropped to No. 4 on a 2-1 week, which opened with the loss to Rutgers Prep. But the Knights rebounded with a 69-17 drubbing of Phillipsburg Thursday, then a 75-58 win over Virginia Academy in the Shore Games of the She Got Game Classic at St. John Vianney.

New to the rankings this week, and debuting at No. 5, is Piscataway (2-0). The Chiefs won Thursday at Colonia, 61-50, then beat Old Bridge on Saturday, 57-43.

Somerville (2-1) slips just one spot to sixth this week. They opened their season Tuesday with a 48-32 win at cross-town rival Immaculata, then lost Thursday at home to Delaware Valley, 50-48. The Pioneers rebounded with a 52-4 shellacking of Central Jersey College Charter.

Monroe (1-1) edged up one place to seventh. Their loss came Thursday in their opener in an out-of-area game at Howell, 48-22, but they came back and beat Colonia Saturday, 51-38.

Debuting at No. 8 is Edison (3-1), which has won three straight since dropping its opener to Highland Park. The Eagles beat JFK 42-23 and JP Stevens 50-36 at home, before travelling to South Plainfield and coming away with a 38-36 win Saturday.

Spotswood (2-1) had a 2-0 week after dropping their opener to Spotswood (VA). The Lady Chargers beat Middlesex and the state’s top scorer from last year, Jess Devine, 47-37 at home Thursday before winning a tight one at JP Stevens Saturday, 44-43.

And the third new team in this week’s rankings is Bernards (3-0). They Mountaineers opened their season Tuesday with a non-league win over Verona, 47-39, then won at Bound Brook Thursday 42-38, and 52-20 up at Morristown-Beard Saturday.

Dropping out this week were No. 5 South Brunswick (1-1), No. 7 Middlesex (1-1) and No. 9 JP Stevens (0-2).

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 2:

by Mike Pavlichko

No changes in Boys’ or Girls’ Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten with limited, soft opening week

With few teams taking advantage of the NJSIAA’s early start schedule, there was no movement in this week’s Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, either on the girls’ or boys’ side.

Only three ranked boys teams were in action this weekend, all at the Tip-Off Showcase at Montgomery High School Saturday afternoon and evening.

Top-ranked Colonia won its opener, dropping St. Peter’s Prep out of Jersey City, 46-40, despite falling behind early, while No. 3 Montgomery lost in the event’s nightcap, falling to Hudson Catholic, 48-44.

Earlier in the day, No. 2 Rutgers Prep lost a heartbreaker to Manasquan on a buzzer-beater, 64-61, on a half-court trey by Matteo Chiarella. That’s the same Manasquan team that looked to have beaten Camden last year in the state Group 2 semifinals before the officials got together and waved the basket off, saying the shot came after the buzzer. It sparked a huge controversy as replays from multiple media outlets and fans showed the shot clearly beat the buzzer; however, the NJSIAA does not use replay in games.

Below is the full Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten:

Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, the top four all won their openers. No. 1 Rutgers Prep cruised past Ewing, 66-29, also at the Tip-Off Showcase at Montgomery. Earlier in the week, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas beat St. Joseph Hill (NY) back on Tuesday, but lost Saturday to Monsignor McClancy (NY), 71-62.

Third-ranked Gill St. Bernard’s and No. 4 Hillsborough also won their openers. The Knights topped Albertus Magnus (NY) on the road, 58-31, while the defending North 2, Group 4 champion Lady Raiders powered past Linden at home, 69-23.

Spotswood – No. 10 in the preseason rankings – lost down in Virginia to Spotswood. Yes, you heard that right, the Chargers played their namesake in Virginia at the She Got Game Classic, but lost 59-35.

Below is the full Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top four girls’ teams hold court in Preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, but a huge league opener could change that

Though a handful of teams have played a smattering of games this week, the high school basketball season in New Jersey will open up much more this weekend, and in earnest by next Tuesday.

And one of those matchups – a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – could very well alter the top of the Top Ten.

That’s Tuesday’s Skyland Conference opener for No. 1 Rutgers Prep and No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s, which will be played in Somerset that evening at 6:00. Join us for pregame at 5:45 pm with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino on the call; click here to listen.

Rutgers Prep lost four starters from last year’s 24-5 squad that won its fourth straight Somerset County Tournament title, including Mikayla Blakes, Chloe Escanillas and Zahra Alexander. Blakes is leading the nationin scoring down at Vanderbilt, while Escanillas is at Marist and Alexander is at LIU. Gigi Battle moved to Florida, and Leah Crosby, who transferred in from St. Thomas Aquinas last year, has transferred back to the North Edison school.

That leaves junior Ava LaMonica as the lone starter back, but she’ll have support from several key backups who played smaller roles last year, including returnees like Hannah Fraser, Logan Squeri and Cali McCoy, along with newcomers Hailey Benbow and Ava Frith.

Gill St. Bernard’s is just the opposite. UConn-bound post Gandy Malou Mamel is back along with Sidney Quinn, Maya Abramson and Tessa Lozner, and that crew should challenge Prep this season, as they did in last year’s SCT final. The Knights had a halftime lead on the Argonauts, the first Skyland Conference team to do so since Franklin did it in the 2019 championship game, which was also their last loss to a Skyland team.

Prep has won 64 straight against Skyland foes, 51 in a row against Somerset County opponents, and has been the only girls team in the history of CJSR (dating back to the 2021 season) to be ranked No. 1, holding that spot for a 38th straight week, including these rankings.

In between them, at No. 2, is St. Thomas Aquinas, which is also loaded coming off a 22-8 season, and its fourth straight full GMC Tournament Championship. As mentioned earlier, Leah Crosby returns after a year at Rutgers Prep, and Gianna Chuffo, Jordan Barnes and Trista Whitney all are back as well for second-year head coach Tim Corrigan.

Checking in at No. 4 is Hillsborough, which returns all of its key pieces as well. Though they got knocked out of the SCT in the semifinals by Gill last year, the Raiders won their first-ever sectional title in 2024, beating Elizabeth in the North 2, Group 4 title game at home before falling to Morristown in the Group 4 semifinals.

Up a spot to No. 5 is South Brunswick, which finished 16-12 a year ago. And though they lose key starters like Meher Vig and Leilani Pinder, return Avery Jenne and Alexis Lease-Springer.

Moving up from ninth to sixth is Somerville. The Pioneers were 23-5 last year and Mountain Division champions in the Skyland Conference, and bring back just about everyone. The only significant contributor lost to graduation was Emily Kolodziej, the team’s third leading scorer. Top scorers Charlotte Taylor (senior) and Kaylee Lauber (junior) are back, along with Amaya Miller and Lilly Taylor.

Up a spot to seventh is Middlesex, which went 17-14 last year and is expected to improve even more this season. The biggest piece returning is star Jess Devine, who is likely to crack the 2,000-point mark late this season. She had 1,576 career points after scoring 723 last year. She’s the second-highest scoring returnee on the girls’ side in the state this year, and only one returning boys’ player – Alex Grospe of South River – scored more than her.

Down one spot to No. 8 is Monroe. The Falcons were 18-10 last season, but lose a significant amount of scoring in Avery Labaska, Halley Cottrell and Nicole Turco, but new head coach Brian Hinz – who replaces Leigh Vogtman – does have second-leading scorer Evangelina Francisco back. She’s a three-point threat, who also led the team in steals and assists, while junior Sophia Rivas returns as well.

Up one place to ninth is JP Stevens, which was 020-6 a year ago, but graduates four of its five top scorers in Katherine Bogutskyy, Cassidy Gesualdo, Trisha Nair and Genilah Singleton.

And new to the rankings this year at No. 10 is Spotswood. Vinny Vizzi’s squad was 21-6 a year ago – their best record under his six year tenure – and ran the table at 14-0 to take the GMC Blue Division title with a young team that just had one senior. The Chargers could work their way up the rankings with top scorer Lizzie Calandruccio back for her senior year, along with Gabby Hill – now a sophomore – and a solid supporting cast.

The only team not in the preseason rankings that finished last year ranked is Colonia. While the Patriots were 22-9 and made the GMC Tournament finals, they have lost two all-time leading scorers in two seasons to graduation: Matti Chiera graduated in 2023, and Taylor Derkack finished her senior season last year. Derkack scored 727 points last season – almost half her teams total, and Mya Patino and her 287 points will graduate as well.

Here’s the full Preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

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

Though in the end, they fell just a few points short of a fourth state championship, Rutgers Prep’s Somerset County title, Non-Public South B title, and sheer dominance over area opponents have garnered them the No. 1 ranking in the final Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball rankings of the 2023-24 season.

Rutgers Prep finished the season 24-5, and steamrolled though New Jersey competition much of the year. The Argonauts’ lone loss of the year to a New Jersey school came in the Non-Public Group B final Friday afternoon at Rutgers, a 52-49 defeat at the hands of Morris Catholic, which won its second straight state championship. Still, Prep’s sectional title was its third straight, coming after they beat Gill St. Bernard’s to win its fourth straight Somerset County Tournament championship.

Rutgers Prep is the only team to be No. 1 in the four-year run of the Bellamy & Son Paving/Central Jersey Sports Radio girls’ basketball top ten, holding the top spot for 37 straight weeks, with no sign of slowing down. The Argonauts have not lost a game to a Somerset County or Skyland Conference opponent since the 2019 SCT final, a loss to Franklin.

Coming in second was St. Thomas Aquinas, which went 22-8, sweeping the GMC Red Division to the tune of a 13-0 mark, then ran through the GMC Tournament for its fifth straight county title, this one under first-year head coach Tim Corrigan. The Trojans reached the Non-Public South A quarterfinals, before falling to Our Lady of Mercy.

Coming in at No. 3 was Gill St. Bernard’s, which finished 24-5, lost by three to Prep in the SCT final, and lost at Montclair-Immaculate in the Non-Public North B semifinals.

In fourth is Hillsborough (21-9), which had a solid regular season despite losing three times to Gill St. Bernard’s, twice to Rutgers Prep and once to Franklin. The Raiders went on a magnificent run in the North 2, Group 4 finals, claiming their first-ever sectional championship with a 59-46 win over Elizabeth.

At No. 5 is Colonia (22-9), which reached its second straight GMC Tournament championship game, a year after making its first-ever appearance, and that despite the loss to graduation this year of all-time leading scorer Matti Chiera, who was replaced at the top of the list this year by senior Taylor Derkack.

Checking in at No. 6 South Brunswick, which finished 16-12 and scored a quarterfinal knockout of Monroe in the Central Jersey Group 4 state tournament on a buzzer-beater by Avery Jenne. Monroe (18-10) came in right behind them in seventh place. The Falcons reached the semifinals of the GMC Tournament

Middlesex (17-4) is No. 8, as the Blue Jays had a fantastic run in the county and state tournaments. In the GMC Tournament, they upset third-seed JP Stevens in the first round, then knocked off six-seed South Brunswick in the quarterfinals, and took Colonia to overtime before falling in the semis. They also reached the Central Jersey Group 1 title game in the states, falling to Shore Regional for a second straight season.

Somerville (23-5) finished ninth, and reached the quarterfinals of both the Somerset County and NJSIAA state tournaments, JP Stevens (20-6) came in tenth.

Below is the final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2023-24 season: