Tag: 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:

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

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

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
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals (Boys): (1) Hillsborough 73, (5) Jackson Twp. 44

Top-seed Hillsborough got 15 points each from Jack Toth and Aaron Feath – with Feath hitting three times from downtown – to beat fifth-seed Jackson Township in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 73-44, sending the Raiders to their first sectional title game since they won their only championship, in 2015.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from Hillsborough High School on March 3, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: Montgomery, Hillsborough advance to meet in Central Jersey Group 4 final; Piscataway falls to defending Group 4 champion Plainfield

Somerset County basketball fans will get the matchup they wanted to see this Friday night, as both top-seed Hillsborough and third-seed Montgomery – neighbors along Route 206 – will meet in the Central Jersey Group 4 final Friday night, after both won sectional semifinal games on Tuesday.

Central Jersey Sports Radio-area boys’ basketball teams went 2-1 Tuesday evening, with top-seed Piscataway falling to defending Group 4 state champion Plainfield at home.

Scroll down for brief recaps and links to coverage in separate stories, complete with postgame comments from the head coaches, then check out the upcoming schedule below.

Central Jersey Group 4

Top-seed Hillsborough was locked in a tight game with fifth-seed Jackson in the first half, which saw seven ties, and five lead changes. The last change came when Hillsborough took a late 30-28 heading into the locker room, after which they pulled away in the third quarter for a 73-44 win that sends them to a sectional title game for the first time since the Raiders won their only title, in 2015.

Click here to read our game story, and hear postgame reaction from sophomore Aaron Feath and head coach Tim Palek, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Meanwhile, two-time defending CJ4 champion Montgomery will get a crack at a three-peat, after they came from behind to beat second-seed Marlboro on the road, 61-49, behind 30 points from senior point guard Ethan Lin, one shy of a career high.

Click here to read our game story, and hear postgame comments from Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy.

  • (1) Hillsborough def. (5) Jackson Twp., 73-44
  • (3) Montgomery def. (2) Marlboro, 61-49

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Top-seed Piscataway had all it could handle against fourth-seed Plainfield – the defending state Group 4 champions and sixth-ranked team in New Jersey – in taking a 73-57 loss at home. The Chiefs hung in early with the game tied 17-all after one, but a 24-8 second quarter proved to be too much a hole for Piscataway to dig out of.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, including postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Bob Turco.

  • (4) Plainfield def. (1) Piscataway, 73-57
  • (2) Linden def. (3) Union, 54-35

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 (SEMIFINALS)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (5) Mendham at (1) Colonia, 6 pm
  • (6) South Plainfield at (2) Chatham, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (4) Shore at (5) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
  • (6) Manville at Pt. Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 (SEMIFINALS)

Non-Public South A

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

Non-Public North B

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

Non-Public South B

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery gets third crack at Hillsborough, earns 3rd straight trip to CJ4 finals with 61-49 road win in semis at Marlboro

Two-time defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Montgomery will get a chance to win a third straight, after coming from behind to beat second-seed Marlboro on the road Tuesday night, 61-49, in the sectional semifinals of the NJSIAA high school basketball tournament.

The Cougars got a triple-double from sophomore Shriyans Mallavarapu, who scored ten points, had 14 rebounds and 21 blocks, while Penn-bound senior guard Ethan Lin scored 30, just one shy of a career high.

They say there are no style points, just wins and losses, and that might have applied for top-seeded Monty Tuesday evening against a Shore Conference foe. Head coach Kris Grundy said his team didn’t necessarily play its A game. But with the heady Lin running the show, the word “panic” isn’t in the Cougars’ dictionary.

Down 15-8 after one, Montgomery (24-4) cut the deficit by three to 27-23at the break as they slowly chipped away. Down one going into the fourth, the Cougars shifted into high gear, with their defense winning the day over the final eight minutes.

Montgomery won the 2024 CJ4 title over Monroe, but lost to Lenape in the Group 4 semis. Last season, they won the crown with a victory over West Windsor-Plainsboro North, then exacted revenge on Lenape in the semis before falling to Plainfield in the state Group 4 final at Rutgers.

Now, they get a chance to win their third straight. And while the other two have been at home, this one won’t be far from home.

It’ll be just a quick jaunt up Route 206 Friday night to face top-seed Hillsborough, which they’ve beaten twice this year, by 16 in the regular season and by 15 in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The Raiders used a strong third quarter Tuesday night to blow open a tight game and beat fifth-seed Jackson Township 73-44, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Click below to hear postgame comments from Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

In tale of two halves, Hillsborough boys pull away from Jackson Twp. in third quarter, clinches first sectional final berth in 11 years with 73-44 win in CJ4 semifinals

If you watched the first half of top-seed Hillsborough’s Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal against fifth-seed Jackson Township Tuesday night, then left and looked at the final score later, you might wonder what in the world happened.

Or think it was a typo.

Well, it wasn’t. In fact, for the Raiders, it was picture perfect and nearly flawless.

The first half saw seven ties, at two, six, eight, ten, 12, 14, then – after Jackson took a six point lead and threatened to pull away – at 28-28 late in the half. Hillsborough led by two at the break, 30-28.

In the second half, things just changed. The Raiders hit more shots, clamped down on defense, and – when Jackson did get to the basket – made them miss, and scooped up rebounds, then got in transition and scored. That all fueled a 19-6 third quarter for ‘Boro, and ultimately a 73-44 win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bigger than a win, it got the Raiders back to a sectional final for the first time since they pulled off a miraculous run in 2015, when they were 11-12 heading into the state tourney, but won the Central Jersey Group 4 title, stunning Freehold Township on the road, 66-58, with a team led by late head coach Ian Progin.

Sophomores Aaron Feath and Layne Pawlowski each had game-highs of 15 points in the win, with Feath coring ten after the break, and Pawlowski 13. Aaron also hit a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third to give his team a 49-34 advantage, it’s biggest of the game at that point. They led by 27 later, in the fourth.

Another tenth-grader, point guard Jack Toth, ran the offense like a well-oiled machine, and finished with 13, all in the first half.

The win puts top-seed Hillsborough (22-7) in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game Friday night at home against third-seed Montgomery (24-4), which beat second-seed Marlboro on the road Tuesday night, 61-49.

The Cougars are the two-time defending champions in the section, and beat Hillsborough twice this year: 53-37 on January 13th in the regular season, and 53-38 on February 7th in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough sophomore Aaron Feath and head coach Tim Palek, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: Colonia, South Plainfield careen toward each other in North 2, Group 3; Manville rallies to win thriller; St. Joseph, Gill St. Bernard’s, Rutgers Prep all advance to sectional semis

It was a 6-4 Monday night for the ten boys’ basketball teams fromthe Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area in action in the NJSIAA high school basketball tournament.

Colonia and South Plainfield both moved on to sectional semifinal play in separate sides of the bracket in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, while Manville overcame a big second-half deficit to surge past stunned Middlesex in Central Jersey Group 1.

Meanwhile, the parochials went 3-2, as St. Joe’s won, Gill cruised, and Rutgers Prep hung on, while St. Thomas Aquinas and Timothy Christian were sent packing.

Read through for recaps on all the games involving CJSR-area teams, then scorll down further for all results and the upcoming schedule for sectional semifinal play Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Top-seed Colonia continued its tremendous rebound from a rough start to the season with a 68-28 win over visiting ninth-seed Somerville Monday night. The Patriots – who jumped out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter, then pulled away even further after halftime to leave no doubt, got 21 points from Jayce Rodriguez – including three triples – while Desmond Rudanovic added 11 points and 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Dylan Chiera scored seven points and added ten assists. Messiah Bradley led the Pioneers (16-12) with seven points. Colonia (18-10) now will host fifth-seed Mendham – a team they’ve knocked out of the states in four of the last five playoff seasons, including last year’s title game – Wednesday in the semifinals. The Minutemen (20-8) knocked off fourth-seed Warren Hills, 42-36, on the road Monday evening.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, it was sixth-seed South Plainfield holding on late to win at third-seed Millburn, 59-57. The Tigers (18-10) got 17 points from Aiden Noblecilla, 16 from Justin Vaca, and 12 from Trayvon Smith, while Boresa Juwala added ten rebounds, and survived a ten-trey onslaught from the Millers, which nearly won them the game late.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach John Greco talk about the Tigers’ sectional quarterfinal win Monday at Millburn with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

South Plainfield will go on the road to face a familiar foe in Wednesday’s semifinals, a second-seeded Chatham team the lost to less than a month ago, 59-57 on Senior Night, back on Groundhog Day. Justin Vaca had 18 in that game, including three triples. The Cougars (23-5) were 72-53 winners over seven-seed Cranford Monday.

  • (1) Colonia def. (9) Somerville, 68-28
  • (5) Mendham def. (4) Warren Hills, 42-36
  • (6) South Plainfield def. (3) Millburn, 59-57
  • (2) Chatham def. (7) Cranford, 72-53

Central Jersey Group 1

In what may have been the most thrilling game of the night, sixth-seed Manville overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit to beat third-seed Middlesex on the road, 47-44. The Mustangs (19-8) ended the third quarter on an 11-2 run, and never looked back, ending the Blue Jays’ season at 19-9. Josh D’Ambrosio led the way with 22 points, while Jonathan Gosk added ten. Jax Robel finished with 19 for Middlesex in the loss. Middlesex now draws second-seed Pt. Pleasant Beach (20-7) on the road in Wednesday’s sectional semifinals.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, including postgame reaction from D’Ambrosio and head coach Bill Rooney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Non-Public South A

The two GMC teams split here, with fourth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen beating 5th-seed Red Bank Catholic at home, 65-46. Junior Andrew Kretkowski logged his sixth double-double of the season with an 18-point, 12-rebound night, while Aidan Carter scored 17 and just missed a double-double with nine boards. The Falcons (28-1) will go on the road for the first time this postseason – including the GMC Tournament, which they won going away – to play a semifinal game Thursday night at top-seed Paul VI (25-4), which was a 79-71 winner over nine-seed Union Catholic Monday night.

Meanwhile, 11th-seed St. Thomas Aquinas saw its season come to an end with a 69-33 loss at third-seed St. Peter’s Prep. Senior Dan Jennings scored 14 to lead the Trojans (12-15) in defeat, in his final high school game. Down eleven at the half, the third quarter eventually did in STA, which was outscored 22-8 in the period. Albion Ahmetaj added ten points and five assists in the loss.

  • (1) Paul VI def. (9) Union Catholic, 79-71
  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (5) Red Bank Catholic, 65-46
  • (3) St. Peter’s P{rep def. (11) St. Thomas Aquinas, 69-33
  • (2) CBA def. (7) Camden Catholic, 81-47

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s didn’t have much trouble getting past eight-seed Pioneer Academy after getting a first-round bye, wining 85-42 at home Monday night. Prosper Sonkoua logged his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing eleven boards, Jason Geltzeiler added 15, including three treys, while Connor Junker scored 14 and had four triples. The Knights will host Thursday’s semifinal against fourth-seed St. Mary-Rutherford (25-4), a 60-51 winner at home over fifth-seed Morristown-Beard Monday night.

On the other side of the bracket, seventh-seed Timothy Christian fell to second-seed and defending champion Roselle Catholic, 83-31, getting a team-high 16 points from Adian Badger in defeat.

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (8) Pioneer Academy, 85-42
  • (4) St. Mary-Rutherford def. (5) Morristown-Beard, 60-51
  • (3) Morris Catholic def. (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 78-58
  • (2) Roselle Catholic def. (7) Timothy Christian, 83-31

Non-Public South B

Top-seed Rutgers Prep survived a scare from eighth-seed St. Rose (7-21), winning 68-61 at home in Somerset Monday night. The Argonauts trailed by seven after one quarter, and 25-24 at halftime, before winning the third quarter by eight, and playing a 15-15 fourth. While Rocco Loomis led the way with a 22-point night in which he was a perfect 12-of-12 from the foul line, William Brunson had a 21-and-21 double-double, a career-high rebounding night. Next up, the Argonauts (18-9) host fifth-seed Bishop Eustace (21-8) in Thursday night’s sectional semis. They were a 74-53 winner at fourth-seed Doane Academy Monday night.

  • (1) Rutgers Prep def. (8) St. Rose, 68-61
  • (5) Bishop Eustace def. (4) Doane Academy, 74-53
  • (3) Holy Spirit def. (6) Ranney, 74-54
  • (2) Holy Cross Prep def. (10) Wildwood Catholic, 78-41

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (1) Hillsborough, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Montgomery at (2) Marlboro, 5:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (4) Plainfield at (1) Piscataway, 5 pm
  • (3) Union vs. (2) Linden, 7 pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 (SEMIFINALS)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (5) Mendham at (1) Colonia
  • (6) South Plainfield at (2) Chatham

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (4) Shore at (5) Thrive Charter
  • (6) Manville at Pt. Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 (SEMIFINALS)

Non-Public South A

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

Non-Public North B

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

Non-Public South B

  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm
  • (3) Holy Spirit at (2) Holy Cross Prep, 6 pm
Manville guard Josh D'Ambrosio (3) directs traffic for the Mustangs against Middlesex in the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals.
by Alec Crouthamel

Manville boys rally, stun Middlesex in Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals

Midway through the third quarter, Manville was on the ropes.

In the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals, the sixth-seeded Mustangs (19-8) trailed Middlesex 36-22 on the road, with a rising home crowd.

But just as it looked like the playoff matchup was going to slip away from Manville, they struck back.

The Mustangs ended the third quarter on an 11-2 run, and kept their foot on the gas to eventually pull away late and stun the third-seeded Jays (19-9) 47-44. Senior Josh D’Ambrosio finished with a game-high 22 points – 14 in the second half – and knocked down a go-ahead three with under two minutes to play to take the lead for good.

As the final buzzer sounded to end a frenetic final minute, Manville came out of the fray with a victory, before being promptly mobbed by the section’s worth of students who made the trip down Route 28.

Middlesex opened the game rolling on both sides of the floor, complementing an aggressive and opportunistic defense with a balanced scoring attack on offense. Five different Jays scored in the opening quarter.

They took a nine-point lead into halftime, led by 13 points from Jax Robel. He finished with a team-high 19 in the loss, as the Mustangs’ defense held him without a point in the final quarter. As a team, Middlesex knocked down six three-pointers in the opening half, but made none in the second half.

Once the teams exited the locker room after halftime, it was clear Manville had a different intensity than the opening 16 minutes.

The Mustangs attacked the basket and set up threes of their own on offense, and did a much better job matching up on the defensive side, forcing turnovers and bad shots.

The late run to end the third quarter was just as much due to Manville’s defensive intensity as its deliberation and efficiency on offense. In addition to D’Ambrosio taking more scoring initiative, the Mustangs got a major boost from junior forward Jonathan Gosk with seven points in the third quarter alone. He finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with ten points.

Manville trailed by five at the end of the third, and the momentum fully swung the visitors’ way quickly to start the fourth. D’Ambrosio drew a three-shot foul to open the scoring, and freshman guard Levan Chankotadze added a three-pointer of his own to take the lead for the first time in the half.

The two teams went back and forth from there, including a go-ahead three-point play chance from Chris Kozak, but Manville found its footing from the perimeter and knocked down its free throws late to seal the upset victory. D’Ambrosio scored 11 of the Mustangs’ 14 fourth-quarter points.

Manville moves on to the semifinal round for a third straight year, where it will face the winner of the opposite quarterfinal between second-seeded Point Pleasant Beach and tenth-seeded Dayton. The location will depend on the winner of the game. Middlesex’s season comes to a close with a 19-9 record.

Click below for postgame reactions from Manville head coach Bill Rooney and guard Josh D’Ambrosio with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen: