Category: Girls Basketball Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ rankings before counties and states have Rutgers Prep atop for a 36th straight week

The run continues for the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team, and – if anything – the Lady Argonauts further bolstered their resume with a big win over a state-ranked team this weekend.

Rutgers Prep (17-4) holds the top spot for a 36th straight week – the only team to be No. 1 on the girls’ side in the four years we’ve run it. They beat Franklin and Blair this week, then topped state No. 3 (Prep is No. 2) Red Bank Catholic in the Coaches’ Choice USA Shore Classic on Sunday.

Gill St. Bernard’s (19-2) also had a solid week, going 3-0, with wins over Trenton Catholic, Ridge and St. Rose of Belmar in the Coaches’ Choice showcase.

Staying put in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (17-6), which beat North Brunswick, then lost to national power Long Island Lutheran, but came back for a win at Colonia before falling Saturday to Ocean Township in the Coaches’ Choice event.

Colonia (16-7) moves up a spot to fourth this week. The Patriots went 2-1 with wins over Piscataway and Paterson Eastside surrounding a home loss to Red Division rival St. Thomas Aquinas.

Hillsborough (13-6) also is up a spot, now at No. 5, with a 3-0 week, taking wins from Morristown, South Plainfield and Watchung Hills.

JP Stevens (17-2) made a big jump after a 3-0 week, which included wins over South Plainfield, Woodbridge, and finally, North Plainfield.

As a result, North Plainfield (16-4) dropped to seventh. They had a 1-1 week, with their win coming over Middlesex.

In eighth is Somerville (18-2). The Pioneers held steady with a 3-0 week that saw wins over Belvidere, American History, and Bound Brook.

Monroe (13-8) drops to ninth, going 2-1 this week with wins over North Brunswick and Woodbridge, but they closed out with a loss to South Brunswick.

And East Brunswick (13-8) falls one spot to tenth after a 2-1 week with wins over Edison and South River bookending a loss at South Brunswick.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s now 35 straight weeks for Rutgers Prep atop Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten

The powerhouse that is Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball shows no sign of slowing anytime soon, as the Lady Argonauts maintain their position at No. 1 in the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the 35th strtaight week they’ve been atop the rankings. They’re the only team to hold that position in the nearly four-year history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten.

In fact, none of the teams in the rankings moved at all this week.

Rutgers Prep (14-4) split its week, with a win over Roselle Catholic Monday, but a loss at the Mecca Showcase Sunday to Bishop McNamara of New York.

Holding in second is Gill St. Bernard’s (15-4), which went 3-0 in the week gone by, notching victories over Pingry, at Hillsborough, and at Mendham.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas (15-4). They also were unbeaten in the past week, with wins at Notre Dame (NY), over East Brunswick, at Monroe, and over Piscataway.

Holding in fourth at 15-3 is North Plainfield, which had wins at Middlesex and South Plainfield sandwiched around a home loss by four to Woodbridge on Tuesday.

Colonia (14-6) holds at No. 5, going 3-1 this past week. While they opened with a home loss to Piscataway, they came back for three Red Division wins, topping Old Bridge, East Brunswick and Monroe.

Hillsborough (10-6) remains in sixth after a 2-1 week with wins over Watchung Hills and Randolph, followed by a two-point loss to Gill St. Bernard’s.

Monroe (11-7) held in seventh, despite an 0-3 week. They opened with a loss to Piscataway, then took losses to a pair of Top Five teams in St. Thomas Aquinas and Colonia.

Somerville (15-2) stays at No. 8 on a 4-0 week. They beat Union, Manville, Delaware Valley and Bridgewater-Raritan.

East Brunswick (11-7) holds in ninth. They split a four-game week, starting with a road win against West Winsdor-Plainsboro South. They then dropped two back-to-back, at Aquinas and home to Colonia, before closing the week out Saturday with a home win over North Brunswick.

And JP Stevens (14-2) holds on to the No. 10 spot. The Hawks went 3-0 this past week, with wins over Perth Amboy, at Edison, and back home over Sayreville on Saturday.

Below is the full Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, but JP Stevens makes its debut

None of the top nine teams in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten saw any change in their ranking, but a new team joined the group in Week 6.

JP Stevens is 11-2 on the year, and has won four straight games, with its only divisional loss coming to White Division leader North Plainfield, with a rematch on tap next week.

In the meantime, Rutgers Prep remains in the No. 1 spot with a 13-3 record following a 3-0 week that saw wins during the week over Hillsborough and Ridge – the second of which earned head coach Mary Klinger her 300th coaching win – as well as over Montclair-Immaculate in the More than a Highlight showcase Saturday.

That’s 34 straight weeks at No. 1 for Prep, which is the only team to hold the spot in the three-plus year history of the CJSR/Bellamy & Son rankings.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-2) played in the same event Saturday, beating St. Mary’s-Manhasset (NY) following an earlier win during the week over Watchung Hills, keeping them at No. 2 in the rankings.

Third is St. Thomas Aquians (11-4), which also had an unbeaten week, including a home victory over South Brunswick and a road win at Old Bridge.

Checking in at No. 4 is North Plainfield (13-2). The Canucks went 3-0 this week, beating Perth Amboy, Edison and Sayreville, and have won eight straight games, the longest current streak among CJSR-area teams.

Colonia (11-5) holds in fifth despite a 1-2 week, which began with an MLK Day loss at the Jarel Lowery Showcase to Newark Central, and a mid-week non-conference loss to Chatham. The Patriots regrouped with a three-point road win over South Brunswick.

In sixth is Hillsborough (8-5), which fell to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but bounced back with wins over Immaculata and Pingry.

Holding at seven is Monroe (11-4). The Falcons split a pair this week, beating East Brunswick, but losing an out-of-conference game to Plainfield.

Somerville (11-2) holds in 8th, bookending a mid-week loss to Voorhees with wins over Belvidere and Linden.

In ninth, it’s East Brunswick (9-5), which lost to Monroe Wednesday, but beat Piscataway Saturday afternoon.

Dropping out was Bound Brook (8-4), which went 1-2 this past week with losses to Piscataway and Westwood sandwiched around a victory over Manville.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls stay No. 1, Gill edges up, East Brunswick joins Bellamy & Son Week 5 Top 10

There weren’t too many changes in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

Gill St. Bernard’s moved up to second, and East Brunswick’s win over ranked South Brunswick knocked the Vikings (6-5) out of the top ten, with the Bears joining the rankings this week.

Rutgers Prep (10-3) is now at 34 weeks and counting at No. 1, after a 2-1 week that saw wins over Franklin and at Watchung Hills, but a loss Saturday to nationally-ranked Long Island Lutheran (No. 2 in MaxPreps’ rankings). Head coach Mary Klinger is two wins away from 700, sitting at 698 with the next two games set for Tuesday at Hillsborough, then Thursday night at home against Ridge.

Gill St. Bernard’s (11-2) moved up to second this week after going 3-0, with a pair of wins during the week against Union City and Franklin, then picking up a 93-69 win over St. Joseph by the Sea in the College Choice USA Showcase on Saturday.

That puts St. Thomas Aquinas (9-4) at third. The Trojans beat Colonia 72-59 on Thursday, but then fell to Neumann Goretti 69-52 at the College Choice USA Showcase Saturday.

Teams four through six stay the same. North Plainfield (10-2) swept two games this week from JP Stevens and JFK; Colonia (10-3) split with a win over Passaic Charter, but a loss at Aquinas Thursday; and Hillsborough (6-4) lost at North Plainfield Thursday, then beat Scotch Plains-Fanwood Saturday.

Monroe (8-3) and Somerville (9-1) moved up one spot each to seventh and eighth, respectively. The Falcons went 2-0 this past week, with a couple of non-conference wins over Central Regional and Allentown. The Pioneers beat South Hunterdon Thursday, then won at Bound Brook Saturday in a make-up of Tuesday’s game, postponed due to stormy weather and heavy rains.

East Brunswick (8-4) makes its debut at No. 9, after knocking off No. 7 and Red Division foe South Brunswick, 59-53 on Thursday. The Bears also beat Old Bridge Saturday, 62-49, and have won three straight.

And holding in tenth is Bound Brook (7-2), which split a pair this week, winning at Belvidere Thursday 51-43, then falling at home to Somerville Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Week 5 Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s still Rutgers Prep at top of Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, while Colonia’s hot streak has Patriots on the move

While Rutgers Prep extended its record streak to 33 weeks at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings – the only team ever to hold that spot in its more than three years in existence – there was some movement in the middle, as Colonia moved up with a win over Monroe.

Rutgers Prep (8-2) holds the top spot yet again after a 3-0 week, which started Thursday with a 71-46 home win over No. 3 Gill St. Bernards, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They also won at Ewing on Saturday and on Sunday against St. John’s College HS out of Washington, D.C., at the Blue Star Invitational.

St. Thomas Aquinas (8-3) holds at No. 2 after a 3-1 week, with Red Division wins over East Brunswick, Monroe and Piscataway, while they lost Sunday in the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase to Trinity Hall, 49-35.

Holding at third is Gill St. Bernard’s (8-2), despite an 0-2 week, with losses to Prep, as well as to Manasquan – the top-ranked public school in the state – Sunday in the Hoop Group Boardwalk Classic, 41-38.

In fourth, North Plainfield (8-2) continues its stellar year, going 3-0 with wins at Woodbridge, and home against South Brunswick and South Plainfield.

Moving up from No. 8 to No. 5 is Colonia (9-2), which has more wins than anyone in the rankings, and has picked up six straight victories, since starting 3-2. This week, they were 3-0 with Red Division wins at Old Bridge and Monroe, sandwiched around a home defeat of East Brunswick.

Hillsborough (5-3) moves up a spot top sixth – after a 1-1 week with a win over Franklin and a loss to out-of-area Madison – while South Brunswick (5-4) drops from six to seven with a win over North Brunswick and a loss to No. 4 North Plainfield.

Monroe (6-3) falls to No. 8 after a 1-2 week, which began with a win over Piscataway, but then saw losses – albeit to a pair of ranked clubs – in Colonia and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Checking in at No. 9 and 10 are Somerville (7-1) and Bound Brook (6-1), who will square off Tuesday night at 7 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Pioneers went 1-2 this past week, beginning with a loss to New Providence, but then followed it up with wins over Manville and Watchung Hills. The Crusaders lost their only game of the past week, a 42-25 decision to Delaware Valley out in Alexandria on Thursday.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls continue long streak atop Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten; division-mates Somerville, Bound Brook join rankings

There wasn’t much change in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 3, other than two bottom-half teams dropping out, and two new ones taking their place.

Rutgers Prep (5-2) – coming off a 1-2 trip down to North Carolina and the John Wall Invitational against stellar national competition – remains at No. 1 for a 32nd straight week, and will come home to play its first game of the New Year Thursday on its home court, against No. 3 and unbeaten Gill St. Bernard’s (8-0, which held in third place this week on the strength of a 3-0 trip to the KSA Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. That Prep-Gill game can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with tip-off set for 6 pm. Click here to listen.

St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) – which won the Holmdel Holiday showcase with victories over Ranney and the host team – holds in second.

Despite two losses in the West Orange Holiday Showcase to Teaneck and Paterson Eastside, North Plainfield (5-2) remains in fourth, ahead of Monroe (5-1) in fifth, with the Lady Canucks having beaten the Falcons the week before Christmas. Monroe swept its own holiday tournament, with wins over Marlboro and Westfield.

South Brunswick (4-3) won the Ridge Holiday Classic, going 2-1 in the event, beating the hosts Friday, 61-50, following loss to Bayonne and a win over Hunterdon Central, while Hillsborough (4-2) remains at No. 7. The Lady Raiders swept the John Molinelli Tournament at Hopewell Valley, with wins over their host, then Pennington in the finale.

The No. 8 and No. 9 teams from last week – Woodbridge and Spotswood, respectively – both fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with three losses apiece this past week at Piscataway’s Lady Chiefs Holiday Showcase. The Lady Barrons (3-3) were swept by host Piscataway, Old Bridge and Colonia, while the Lady Chargers (3-3) were swept by Colonia, Piscataway and Old Bridge, all much larger schools than Spotswood.

Colonia (6-2) is finding its groove, as they swept the Chiefs’ tournament, with victories over Spotswood, Edison and Woodbridge. The victories snapped a two-game skid for the Patriots, and moved them up to No. 8 this week.

Debuting in the nine-hole is Somerville (5-0). The Pioneers swept and won the West Windsor-Plainsboro North Tournament, taking out Matawan, Princeton and a solid Neptune squad in the process. Bound Brook (6-0) takes its place at No. 10, with a bit of a weaker schedule, one one less Mountain Division win (2-0 vs. 3-0) than The ‘Ville. The Lady Crusaders beat Koinonia and Oak Knoll in their own Crusader Classic, and will host Somerville in a big division clash on Tuesday, January 9th at 7 pm in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Undefeated North Plainfield joins Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten; Rutgers Prep holds on to No. 1, again

The record streak continues, with Rutgers Prep now No. 1 for a 31st straight week in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, the only school to hold that spot in the rankings, now in its fourth full season.

Meanwhile, North Plainfield’s win over Monroe shot them into the rankings for the first time, ahead of the Falcons.

Rutgers Prep (4-0) only played one game this week, but got a 69-47 win over Hillsborough in Delaware Division play, while the top GMC team, St. Thomas Aquinas, remained in second with a 3-2 record. They beat South Brunswick and Old Bridge in GMC Red play, but lost a non-conference game back on Saturday at Teaneck.

In third is Gill St. Bernard’s (5-0). The Knights held court with a 3-0 week, beating Watchung Hills and Hillsborough, as well as Newark Central out of area on Saturday.

North Plainfield debuted at No. 4, after knocking off previous No. 4 Monroe in a GMC crossover matchup, 50-36 on Saturday, with a stellar defensive fourth quarter, allowing just two points while pulling ahead to secure the win.

Monroe fell to fifth at 3-1, that loss to the Canucks their first of the season. They beat East Brunswick on Tuesday to go 1-1 this week.

Hillsborough (2-2) is seventh after a 1-2 week. They got a win at Westfield Saturday to snap a two-game skid against the top two teams in the county, both on the road, at Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s.

Woodbridge (3-0) edged up to eighth with a win over Sayreville, 45-19, in its only game this week, while Spotswood (3-0) edged up to ninth with a 2-0 week, including wins against South River and at Metuchen in the GMC Blue.

Colonia (3-2) went 1-2 this week, and dropped to tenth place. The Patriots won their third straight by beating Howell Tuesday, but then dropped two in a row, to South Brunswick Thursday and Madison Saturday.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia, Woodbridge join Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, while Rutgers Prep remains atop the list

While two new teams – Colonia and Woodbridge – filter into the rankings this week, Rutgers Prep remains No. 1 for a record 30th straight week in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

The Lady Argonauts – the only team ever to hold the top spot since the debut of the rankings in January of 2021 – are 3-0, after a season-opening win against Watchung Hills and wins over St. Mary’s (NY) and West Orange in the She Got Game Classic down at the Jersey Shore, in which a number of CJSR-area teams participated this weekend.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1-1) took a loss in that event at the hands of Cherokee Sunday, but opened by clicking on all cylinders in a 90-30 victory at North Brunswick. The Trojans hold at No. 2 this week.

In third is Gill St. Bernard’s (2-0), which picked up a 76-47 win against Franklin Thursday, then topped Trinity Hall in the She Got Game Classic on Saturday, 52-43.

Monroe (2-0) edged up a spot to No. 5 with wins at South Brunswick in their opener, 49-36, and against Old Bridge Saturday, 55-32.

Hillsborough (1-0) rose two spots this week from eighth to No. 6 after the Raiders opened their season with a 51-48 victory over Morris Knolls on Saturday.

At NO. 7 is Watchung Hills (1-1). The Warriors lost their opener to Rutgers Prep, 78-33 on Thursday, then beat West Morris Saturday, 52-49.

Colonia (2-0) joins the rankings after the opening weekend-plus of play with a two blowout victories. They played in the She Got Game Classic on Friday, beating Camden 75-25. They came back and beat North Brunswick on Saturday, 64-25.

Woodbridge also enters the rankings this week at No. 9 with a 2-0 mark. Thursday, they beat Perth Amboy 56-36 in the season opener. They then knocked off previous No. 7 Edison, 56-48, sending them out of the rankings, along with previous No. 6 Middlesex, which fell out after a pair of losses to JP Stevens and Bound Brook.

And in tenth is Spotswood (1-0). The Chargers beat Carteret in their opener Friday and had the rest of the weekend off before hosting arch-rival South River Monday evening.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep maintains No. 1 spot in preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

The Lady Argonauts have a number of streaks going.

They have won 41 straight games against Somerset County foes, and 54 straight in Skyland Conference play. They also finished last year at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the only team ever to hold that position in our third season covering girls’ basketball.

And you can extend that streak to 29 weeks and counting at No. 1, where they begin the 2023-24 season.

The remarkable run is very likely to continue, with a solid returning cast. The biggest loss from last year’s 25-5 team which won the Non-Public South B title is senior Katie Ledden, who’s now at Rhode Island. But highly-recruited Mikayla Blakes – the two time CJSR Girls’ Player of the Year who has schools like Rutgers, Tennessee and Stanford, in her final seven – is back for her senior season, as are a host of other standouts like Chloe Escanillas, Ava LaMonica, Zahra Alexander and GiGi Battle, while junior Leah Crosby transfers in from St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Trojans are No. 2, coming off a 22-7 season and their second straight GMC Tournament title. They’ve got a new coach, in former Watchung Hills girls’ mentor and St. Joseph-Metuchen alum Tim Corrigan, but he’s familiar with Aquinas, serving as an assistant under Joe Whalen last year.

At No. 3 is Gill St. Bernards, 18-9 a year ago, and runner up in the Somerset County Tournament. Mark Gnapp’s team graduated just one senior, Aniyah Boston, but will have to get by loaded Rutgers Prep to win the Delaware Division and/or the Somerset County Tournament.

In fourth is South Brunswick, which comes back loaded for first-year head coach Ryan Murphy. Coming off a 19-8 season, the loss of Katie Kausch (14 ppg) will be a big blow, but No. 2 scorer Alexis Lease-Springer – a junior who will be starting for a third season and already has accumulated 500 career points in 48 games is back to lead the Vikings.

Checking in at No. 5 is Monroe, with veteran coach Leigh Votgman leading the way. At 17-10 last year, Monroe made the Central Jersey Group 4 finals, falling by eight at Jackson Memorial. Haley Higgins and Katelyn Louro are gone to graduation, but seniors Halley Cottrell and Nicole Turco return, along with junior Evangelina Francisco.

No. 6 is another sectional finalist, Middlesex, which was 20-9 last season and fell at Shore in the Central Jersey Group 1 title game. The Blue Jays graduated top-scorer Neysa Aguilar, but right behind he was Jessica Devine, who’s back for her sophomore year. Middlesex also has a new coach, as Stew Lester comes over in-house after serving as an assistant on the boys’ side to take over for Kevin Harper, who retired.

In seventh is Edison, which beat out Middlesex to take the GMC White Division title a year ago, finishing 21-7. While second-leading scorer Trista Whitney transferred to nearby St. Thomas Aquinas, leading scorer Ghelsey Go is back for Frank Eckert’s squad.

At No. 8 is Hillsborough, which was 16-11 last season, and returns their second- and third-leading scorers, junior Francesca Schiro and junior Mya Loniewski, respectively.

Watchung Hills is ninth, coming off a 20-7 season that saw them reach the semifinals of both the Somerset County Tournament and the North 2, Group 4 state playoffs. The Warriors lose a ton of seniors, but the defending Skyland Raritan Division champs should still be competitive.

And in tenth is Spotswood of the GMC. They were 17-9 a year ago, but very young, with three of their top four scorers sophomores last season, while the fourth was a freshman. With another year of experience under their belt, they should be at or near the top of the GMC Blue Division this season.

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

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 to 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: