Tag: Gill St. Bernard’s

by Mike Pavlichko

Sectional trophy in hand, Gill St. Bernard’s boys seek first-ever state title when Knights head down to Rutgers to take on Holy Cross Prep

With all the success Mergin Sina has had leading the boys’ basketball program at Gill St. Bernard’s – including too many Division 1 prospects to count and ten Somerset County titles – it had been a while since they won a sectional championship.

So close last season, and with a wacky finish that cost Sina the first two games of this season for arguing a controversial late game call – something he’ll willingly bring up on his own, by the way – the Knights avenged their defeat at the hands of perennial state power Roselle Catholic with a 58-47 win Monday in the Non-Public North B title game.

Now, there’s just one more game left, as Gill seeks its first ever state title when it takes on Holy Cross Prep out of Delran in the Non-Public Group B final at Rutgers. Tip-off time from Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway is at 7 pm, and we’ve got live coverage on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel calling all the action. Pregame starts at 6:45; click here to listen.

That game will follow the Gill girls taking on Gloucester Catholic for the girls title at 5 pm, which also can be heard on CJSR.

Gill St. Bernard’s was the top-seed in North B, and comes in with a 27-2 mark, on a 23-game win streak. That’s one win away from what’s likely a school record of 24, which they set in 2011, albeit in a season where they won the Somerset County Tournament, but fell to St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth in the sectional semis.

Nearly all season long, Gill has just been consistently good. They always play “big boy” basketball, but this squad – while they’re also having fun – has been all business on the court. They get up and down in transition, Dorsett Mulcahy leads the offense, Prosper Sonkua cleans up on the glass and blocks shots like it’s going out of style, Jahmal Dixon plays lock-down defense, and Connor Junker hits threes.

Gill has hit a whopping 251 threes on the year. That’s not No. 1 in the state – Rutgers Prep is, with 282 – but it’s pretty darn close. And they’re easily the top perimeter-shooting team left in the state tournament.

Meanwhile, Holy Cross Prep – the second-seed in Non-Public South B out of Delran in Burlington County, just south of Trenton – comes in at 27-4, winners of 11 straight. They beat Westhampton Tech, the eventual Central Jersey Group 3 champion, to win the Burlington County Tournament a few weeks ago, and fifth-seed Bishop Eustace, 55-42, back on Monday to win the South B sectional title.

They’re led by senior Josh Swain, averaging 18.2 points per game, while fellow senior Jordan Owens is averaging 17.5 per contest. They’ve also hit a lot of threes – 205 on the year – but are a lower scoring team than Gill, averaging 60 points per game, compared the the Knights at 71.1. And Gill has a rebounding edge, too on the season, averaging just under 34, while the Lancers are at 25.8 per game.

Gill is coming off its second sectional title in school history, with Holy Cross picking up its first, so both teams are looking for their first-ever state title.

Click below to hear Gill St. Bernard’s coach Mergin Sina talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Non-Public B title game against Holy Cross Prep:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Non-Public North B Final (Girls): (1) Gill St. Bernard’s 57, (2) Saddle River Day 40

Senior Addy Platt scored 16 points and had eight rebounds, while four Knights scored in double figures, as top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s beat second-seed Saddle River Day, 57-40, in the Non-Public North B championship game, giving Gill its first sectional title since 2012.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from JFK High School in Paterson on March 9, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Non-Public North B Final (Boys): (1) Gill St. Bernard’s 58, (2) Roselle Catholic 49

Gill St. Bernard’s got 19 points and five treys from Dorsett Mulcahy, plus 16 from Prosper Sonkoua and ten from Jahmal Dixon en route to a 58-49 win over Roselle Catholic in the Non-Public North B final, giving the Knights their first sectional championship since 2012.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from JFK High School in Paterson on March 9, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Record four Central Jersey Sports Radio-area basketball teams head to Rutgers for state finals

Talk about a banner year. In our sixth season of existence, a record four high school basketball teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area will be playing for state championships over the next few days at Rutgers University.

There are two publics and two non-publics in the bunch, with Colonia the lone Middlesex County team to make the state finals. Gill St. Bernard’s will send its boys’ and girls’ teams to Piscataway, while Montgomery heads back for a second year in a row giving Somerset County three teams playing for titles.

Here’s the schedule for area teams, and all games can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Bookmark this link to listen all weekend!

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Gill St. Bernard's celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B championship on March 9th, 2026 (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
Gill St. Bernard’s celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B championship on March 9th, 2026 (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
  • Non-Public Group B Girls’ Final: Gill St. Bernard’s (22-5, 1 seed, North) vs. Gloucester Catholic (25-4, 2 seed, South), 5 pm
  • Non-Public Group B Boys’ Final: Gill St. Bernard’s (27-2, 1 seed, North) vs. Holy Cross Prep, Delran (27-4, 2 seed, South), 7 pm
Gill St. Bernard's celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B title on March 9th, 2026
Gill St. Bernard’s celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B title on March 9th, 2026.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

  • Group 4 Boys’ Final: Montgomery (26-4, 3 seed, Central) vs. Plainfield (25-5, 4 seed, North 2), 2 pm
Montgomery won its third straight Central Jersey Group 4 championship with a 55-47 win at Hillsborough on March 6, 2026. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

  • Group 3 Boys’ Final: Colonia (21-10, 1 seed, North 2) vs. Ocean City (25-6, 3 seed, South), 2 pm
Colonia with its 2026 North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 trophy, after beating Chatham at home on March 7, 2026. (Photo: Nick Hart)
Gill St. Bernard's celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B championship on March 9th, 2026 (Photo: Alec Crouthamel).
by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s girls take control early, defeat Saddle River Day in North Non-Public B Final

It’s a Gill St. Bernard’s sweep in Paterson!

Hours after the boys won a sectional title of their own, the top-seeded Knights (23-5) on the girls side finished the job at JFK High School, with a 57-40 win over second-seeded Saddle River Day in the North Jersey Non-Public B final.

Gill took control early on, executing at a high level on both ends of the floor. The Knights took a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, comfortably taking the sectional title with a workmanlike effort on offense and defense.

Addy and Kaity Platt led the way for Gill, with 16 and 15 points, respectively. They both got to the basket, shot the ball, and defended at a high level, especially given the Rebels’ (19-10) ability to shoot the ball at a high level.

Point guard Melina Miller also scored in double figures with 10 points, with much of her scoring and passing production coming off drives. Junior Sadie Finn added eight points.

Emily Mattson and Grace Darling each scored 13 points to pace Saddle River Day in the loss, as Giada Celetti and Harper Cohn each scored six.

The Rebels were able to stay within arm’s reach throughout much of the first with some tough shotmaking, led by seven points in the opening frame from Darling.

The elder Platt matched that with seven of her own to open the game, as the Knights took a five-point lead.

That advantage grew incrementally throughout the second quarter, as Gill tightened up its defense and passing to operate like the well-oiled machine it’s turned into in March. It took its first double-digit lead of the night, and eventually took an eight-point lead at the half. Both Platts combined for 19 of the Knights’ 27 points, and matched the Rebels’ team total.

Gill kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter, fully taking control and pulling away with some more ball movement and drives to the rim. Miller converted on three baskets in the paint in the frame, the younger Platt added seven more points. Finn proved to be a major piece to the puzzle as well, as a switchable defender and connecting passer in both the Knights’ transition offense and half-court sets.

That all led to a 17-point lead after three quarters, and Gill cruised to the finish to win by that same number. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as Saddle River Day kept up the energy and cut into the lead with its pressure and pace. The Knights never faltered, though, and eventually forced some turnovers in the back half of the fourth quarter to fully bury the Rebels.

Gill St. Bernard’s will advance to the Non-Public B title game, where it will face South Jersey Non-Public B champion Gloucester Catholic, which beat Rutgers Prep 44-31 Monday night. This will be the second time the two teams face off this year, with the Rams winning 60-45 at the Shore Games in December.

Click below to hear postgame reactions with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp and guards Addy and Kaity Platt, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Gill St. Bernard's celebrates a North Jersey Non-Public B title on March 9th, 2026
by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s boys hang on, defeat Roselle Catholic for first North Non-Public B crown since 2012

Gill St. Bernard’s is back on the mountaintop.

Its been 14 years since their first – and only – sectional title, won all the way back in 2012.

The Knights (27-2) extended their winning streak to 23 games and won the Non-Public North B title 58-49 over Roselle Catholic in a rematch of last year’s sectional final.

It took a heroic closing effort, as the Lions (22-7) never went away, but Gill came up with just enough stops to come away victorious.

The upperclassmen trio of Dorsett Mulcahy, Prosper Sonkoua, and Jahmal Dixon led the way in a veteran-like effort. Mulcahy paced the game in scoring with 19 points — 14 coming in the first half — while Sonkoua found his scoring touch late and defended all over the floor, finishing with 15 points.

Similarly, Dixon wreaked havoc as a roving defender, coming up with three steals and eight points in the third quarter alone. He finished with ten. Sophomore guard Connor Junker hit some big-time free throws late to seal the win as part of a seven-point performance.

Gill took the early edge, led by two three-pointers from Mulcahy for a 14-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Roselle Catholic continued to battle, drawing back even with some tough shotmaking and effort from senior Caleb Jones, usually the team’s third or fourth option. He tied senior Trevon Lewis for the team lead with 15 points each, and Jones hounded the glass, resulting in easy looks at the rim, taking advantage of his 6-foot-7 frame. They were the only two Lions in double figures, though freshman Holland Johnson knocked down a trio of threes off the bench for nine points, thrice his season average per game.

By the time the dust settled in the first half, both teams went into the locker room looking to need a breather after a physical, intense 16 minutes of play. The Knights eked ahead 28-27 at the half.

Then in the third quarter, Gill finally put its foot down and took control. Dixon proved why he’s one of the top all-around glue-guy point guards in the area, running the half-court offense and hunkering down on the defensive end. He scored eight of the Knights’ 15 points in the quarter, with Sonkoua also knocking down a three-pointer to help keep Gill ahead. It held onto a four-point lead after three quarters.

Roselle Catholic threw its final haymakers in the fourth, as the game ground to a halt of half-court offense. The Knights tried — and succeeded — to slow the game down with their lead barely intact. Lewis came alive with eight points in the fourth, and brought the Lions back to within a possession in the final minutes.

With the game in the balance, Mulcahy knocked down a layup, then Gill worked a tough shot that Lewis missed, and it was smooth sailing from there. The Knights made their free throws and came away with their first sectional title in 14 years.

Gill will play in one last game, the State Non-Public B Championship Game, on Thursday at 7 pm at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers University in Piscataway against the South B champion, Holy Cross Prep, which beat Bishop Eustace Monday night, 55-42.

Click below to hear postgame reactions with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina and guards Dorsett Mulcahy and Jahmal Dixon, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s girls peaking at the right time for Non-Public North B title bout against Saddle River Day

Gill St. Bernard’s had plenty of re-tooling to do.

That’s to be expected when losing a senior class with as much talent and accolades as that previous class. But the Knights (21-5) trusted the development of their younger players ready to shine, and the trust was reciprocated as those same players stuck around, even in a reduced role, with the hope of starring on the floor in the near future.

The future has arrived.

Top-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s heads into the Non-Public North B final against second-seeded Saddle River Day with a versatile and dangerous group that’s also finding its stride right when it needs to. You can hear the game on Monday at 7 pm, with pregame coverage starting at roughly 6:45, as Alec Crouthamel will call the action. Click here to listen.

Addy and Kaity Platt get the primary attention — as they should, as two of the team’s top options on both ends of the floor — but it’s been a full team effort for the Knights all year long.

Other contributors, such as junior point guard Melina Miller — who paces the team with nearly six assists per game — and junior wing Sadie Finn had to wait their turn and work behind the scenes. What the rest of the public didn’t see, Gill St. Bernard’s coaching staff did. They knew they had depth waiting in the wings and it has paid off at the right time.

The Knights are playing some of their best basketball of late, working through their first two games of the sectional tournament with ease in dominant wins over Pioneer Academy and Villa Walsh.

The Rebels (19-9) present a new challenge in the sectional title. While not the deepest team, Saddle River Day does have the top-end talent to compete. 88 percent of the Rebels’ scoring comes from their top four options, and they all have stepped up to the task as a dangerous team rebounding the ball and shooting it from the perimeter.

This won’t be the first time they’re featured on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as they fell to St. Thomas Aquinas on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, but their go-to stars have only gotten more dangerous. Point guard Harper Cohn has fully re-acclimated to action after missing the early weeks of the season due to injury, and sophomore guard Grace Darling has turned up the heat scoring the basketball.

Both teams come into the matchup with plenty of tradition and history — Saddle River Day as one of Bergen County’s top programs, and Gill St. Bernard’s the same in Somerset County recently — but only one will come out victorious.

The Knights look for their first sectional title in 12 years, without now-closed Montclair Immaculate in the fold, who had defeated Gill in three of the last four years.

The bracket’s top two seeds have met the task all year long, and each have one more with a sectional title on the line.

Click below to hear a preview interview with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Alec Crouthamel

Gill St. Bernard’s boys take long win streak into rematch with Roselle Catholic in Non-Public North B final

It’s hard to be much better than near-perfect.

Gill St. Bernard’s will put that to the test in the sectional final.

The top-seeded Knights (26-2) bring a 22-game winning streak into the Non-Public North B title game against second-seeded Roselle Catholic, a rematch of last year’s final. The Lions (22-6) return a good piece of their core from that team, while Gill St. Bernard’s has seen a mix of returning talent and players stepping up into new roles.

Last year’s game was a true grinder, won by Roselle Catholic 43-35, though six of those points came in one trip to the foul line amid a wild finish, where the Lions attempted to let the ball stay on the ground with the clock running after a late basket by the Knights. Head coach Mergin Sina, irate with the precious seconds coming off the clock, picked up two technical fouls and was ejected.

This year’s iteration features two increasingly-explosive offenses from last year, and hopefully without the fireworks this time around. You can hear the game on Monday at 5 pm from John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, with pregame coverage starting at 4:45, as Alec Crouthamel will call the action. Click here to listen.

Gill St. Bernard’s brings a balanced and multifaceted offense that can beat you in several different ways.

There’s senior guard Dorsett Mulcahy, a veteran who looks and plays similarly to his older brother Paul, but with his own skillset brought to the table. He can shoot over defenders, or post them up to set up passes to the outside. Many of those passes have gone to sophomore Connor Junker, a sniper from the outside who is beginning to fully round out his game on both ends.

Then there’s senior forward Prosper Sonkoua, a true two-way force. He has taken a step forward in nearly every part of his game, with a blossoming off-the-dribble driving game, a pull-up threat from the outside, and a strong passer while slashing. And that’s not even mentioning his ability to guard — and stop — any position, point guard to center. Senior Jahmal Dixon has also taken a step forward as a true Swiss Army Knife, with the ability to create for himself and set up others, while growing into a pesky defender.

To sum it all up, Gill can beat an opponent in so many different ways, and it’ll have to do so in a highly-anticipated matchup against the Lions.

Top scorers Trevon Lewis (15.8 points per game), Tyrease Hunter (13.2 points per game), and Kahlik Thomas (12.7 points per game) all played in this matchup last year and made their own impacts. Hunter and Lewis combined for 33 of Roselle Catholic’s 43 points in the game, while Thomas grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds as a force on the interior.

All three have improved their respective games as seniors, with Lewis even dropping a quadruple-double on Westfield earlier in the year.

Third-year head coach Todd Decker has done plenty of winning in his career, with prior stints at St. Peter’s Prep and the Patrick School, and has another crew ready to defend its Non-Public B title from last year.

But one year after a grind-it-out style game last season, both teams have the offensive horses to reach or even surpass those numbers.

By halftime.

It’ll be a hotly-contested matchup in Paterson between several veteran stars.

Click below to hear a preview interview with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Somerset County Tournament Boys’ Final: (1) Gill St. Bernard’s 84, (2) Rutgers Prep 73

Junior Jahmal Dixon had a game- and career-high 25 points, while Connor Junker added 20 and Dorsett Mulcahy 18 to lead top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s to an 84-73 victory over second-seed Rutgers Prep to claim its tenth Somerset County Tournament title, tying Bridgewater-Raritan’s record for all-time tourney wins.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the play-by-play from Montgomery Township High School inn Skillman on February 21, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s wins 10th Somerset County championship, ties Bridgewater-Raritan’s mark, with 84-73 victory over Rutgers Prep

The Bridgewater-Raritan boys’ basketball team has held the record for most Somerset County titles for more than a quarter century, all by themselves. Their fourth title came in 1998, putting them ahead of Franklin, and then won six more through 2007.

But as of Saturday afternoon, they have some company.

Gill St. Bernard’s won its 10th Somerset County Tournament championship Saturday at Montgomery Twp. High School in Skillman, as the top-seeded Knights powered past second-seed Rutgers Prep, 84-73, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with high intensity and end-to-end action from the opening tip until just about the final horn. There were three lead changes in the first half, seven overall, but the last two were the most consequential.

Rutgers Prep’s Will Brunson hit an and-one with 1:43 to go in the third, and though he didn’t make the free throw, he gave his team a 49-48 lead. But that seemed to inspire Gill (24-2), which followed it up with a 9-2 tun to close the quarter with a 57-51 advantage.

They never looked back.

Jahmal Dixon led the way for the Knights, tied for game-high honors with 25. Connor Junker added 20, including three treys, while senior point guard Dorsett Mulcahy added 18.

Rutgers Prep (16-9) was led by Nicolas Nsenkyire; the senior shared game-high honors with Gill’s Dixon, scoring 25, including one three.

The Argonauts – who led the state with 252 threes coming into the game, tops in the state, and a 10.5 per game average – only hit four in the game, three in the second half, with a couple in the fourth quarter from Dixon, as Prep tried to rally, but fell short.

It’s the eighth title in eleven years for Gill St. Bernard’s, which has now won two straight, swept three games from Rutgers Prep this year, and has now won six straight against their biggest rival in Somerset County.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina, as well as sophomore Connor Junker and senior Dorsett Mulcahy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: