Tag: Gill St. Bernard’s

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s withstands first-half rally by No. 2 Montgomery, pulls away for 64-53 win

This week is a Murderer’s Row in Somerset County boys’ basketball for a number of teams.

Montgomery had Rutgers Prep Tuesday and Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday, with Gill also getting Rutgers Prep Saturday.

And don’t forget about Bridgewater-Raritan next week, hosting Rutgers Prep on Tuesday.

But Thursday night in Skillman belonged to Gill St. Bernard’s, which got 11 points from Jahmal Dixon in the first quarter to build a ten point lead against Montgomery, enough for the Knights to keep the Cougars at bay after a late first-half rally. Dixon finished with 22 in the game to lead all scorers

It was also a bittersweet night for Ethan Lin, who led Montgomery. The senior – a Penn commit – tied the Cougar boys’ scoring record in the second quarter, and broke it on a buzzer-beating three before the half that capped a rally to bring his team within 31-30 at the break.

But in the second half, the Knights’ defense became a bit more suffocating, and they used an 18-9 third quarter advantage to pull away, eventually winning 64-53, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Beyond Dixon, Prosper Highlander finished with 16 for the Knights (9-2, 4-0 Skyland Delaware).

Lin finished with 17 to lead Montgomery (8-3, 0-2 Skyland Delaware), which has dropped three straight to positively brutal competition, including to Linden by two over the weekend, and Rutgers Prep on Tuesday. He now has 1,355 points, breaking the mark of 1,344 held by Maurice Bahr, a record he set 50 years ago, in a 26-2 season in 1975-76.

A basketball player, Ethan Lin, stands on the court with family, holding a sign congratulating him for becoming the all-time leading scorer in Montgomery High School boys' basketball history.
Montgomery’s Ethan Lin at center court with his family after tying the Cougars’ boys’ basketball career scoring record in the second quarter at home against Gill St. Bernard’s on January 8, 2026. He broke the mark with a buzzer-beating three at the end of the half. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

For Gill, the win was a huge one heading into their one and only meeting with Rutgers Prep this year, Saturday at 3:30 at home.

Click below for postgame reaction from Gill St. Bernard’s junior Jahmal Dixon and head coach mergin Sina, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Montgomery looks to snap two-game skid when No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s comes to town

With a challenging schedule coming off back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 championships, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team aced its first eight games.

The last two have been a different story, still against top-flight competition.

Now 8-2, the top-ranked Cougars are coming off two tough losses, and their week doesn’t get any easier as Murderer’s Row continues Thursday when No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s – also 8-2 – visits Skillman for a Skyland Conference Delaware Division game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Tip-off is at 5:30 pm as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action, with pregame at 5:15; click here to listen.

The two losses are nothing to sneeze at.

First, it was a narrow, 53-51 loss to state-ranked No. 6 Linden, 53-51 in the Warrior Classic at Manasquan back on Sunday. The Cougars led by two at the half, and lost by two. That’s how tight it was, with Penn-bound senior point guard Ethan Lin leading the way with 21 points.

Then, Tuesday, it was a shootout in Somerset, one of those games that just takes on a life of its own. The Cougars – ranked No. 11 in the state, by the way – fell to state No. 9 (and CJSR/Bellamy & Son Paving No. 3) Rutgers Prep, 89-73, in a game that featured 27 combined three pointers. Lin finished with 29, and five from downtown, while the Argonauts’ Rocco Loomis and Julian Ceberio each finished with 21 and had six and seven triples, respectively. William Brunson led all scorers with 27.

Head coach Kris Grundy – now in his 21st season as Cougars’ head coach – knows the score. While they’d love to be 10-0, his teams don’t shy away from anyone. They’ll take a loss and learn from it, and get better the next time out.

Gill, for its part, is tenth in the state rankings, and Montgomery would certainly not like to come up empty in this nasty three-game stretch. They’ve also got a solid Hillsborough squad next week, and a weekend matchup with St. Thomas Aquinas, which led No. 4 St. Joseph-Metuchen at halftime Tuesday, but saw the Falcons pull away in the end.

This is what you get when you play a schedule like Montgomery does. But getting their first win of the New Year would be nice, too.

Click below to her Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about the Cougars with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery holds at No. 1 despite first loss, but there’s much shuffling elsewhere in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten for Week 4

Only three teams – Montgomery, Somerville and Immaculata – held their ground this week in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ basketball Top Ten, the first of the New Year.

Montgomery (8-1) holds at No. 1 after a 2-1 week. In their own Cougar Holiday Classic, they beat Princeton 70-33 on Monday, then North Hunterdon 71-47 on Tuesday. Monty took its first loss of the season Saturday, 53-51, falling to Linden in the Warrior Classic down at Manasquan.

Gill St. Bernard’s (7-2) used a 3-1 week to edge up to No. 2. After a Monday loss to Linden, 73-52, at the Jingle Bells Jubilee at Paterson STEAM Academy on Monday, they went back there Thursday for the New Year’s Jump Off and beat St. Mary-Rutherford, 76-56. Saturday, they beat Don Bosco Prep on the Ironmen’s home floor, 65-58 in the Big Jersey Basketball Showcase, before finishing out the week with an 85-61 win over Trenton in the New Year’s Jump Off II at Newark Collegiate.

Rutgers Prep (5-2) split a pair this week, and falls one spot to third. The Argonauts were 96-79 winners over Cardinal Spellman (NY) in the New Year’s Eve Jump Off at Paterson STEAM Academy, then lost in the Big Jersey Basketball Showcase at Don Bosco to St. Peter’s Prep, 78-72.

The fourth and fifth place teams flip-flopped this week as well, with St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-0) having beaten Piscataway on the road Saturday, 64-53 in overtime, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the year. The Falcons also beat Middle Township on Monday, 69-37, and St. Mary’s Ryken (DC) 69-48 on Tuesday in the Winter Showcase at Paul VI in Wayne.

Piscataway (9-1) – which falls to five – had been unbeaten before the Joe’s game, winning three times in the week gone by before that matchup. They beat Ferris 62-38 Monday, and Dickinson 72-52 Tuesday in the Joe Silver Holiday Tournament at Hillside. They also beat state-ranked No. 12 Teaneck in the BWB Resolution Bumble up at FDU-Madison on New Year’s Day.

Bridgewater-Raritan (7-0) – the only undefeated team remaining in the rankings – moves up two spots this week to No. 6. The Panthers were 2-0 over the break, beating North Hunterdon, 64-63 on Monday, then Princeton, 61-33, on Tuesday in the Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery.

Down a spot to seventh is East Brunswick (8-1). The Bears took their first loss of the season Monday in the championship bracket semifinals of the Albert E. Martin Buc Classic at red Bank Regional, but bounced back with a win over host Red Bank regional, 64-42, in the third-place game. Saturday, they came up with a gusty road win, a 72-70 overtime victory at Cranford.

Jumping in at No. 8 this week is South Plainfield (6-1). The Tigers were 2-0 in the week gone by, beating Edison 73-45 on Tuesday, followed by an 87-77 victory at previous No. 7 Sayreville. The Tigers will be on Central Jersey Sports Radio Tuesday night at 7 pm when they face Colonia (2-5) – click here to listen – as part of a doubleheader starting with the South Plainfield girls taking on JP Stevens at 5:30.

And the last two teams held their spots.

Somerville (6-1) stays at nine after a 2-1 week that began with a 62-47 loss to Woodbridge on Monday in the JP Stevens Holiday Tournament, followed by a 58-23 win Tuesday over Perth Amboy Magnet, and a 59-21 win over Dunellen on Saturday.

And Immaculata (4-1) holds in tenth after a 2-0 week, winning the Battle at the Bomb Shelter at Sayreville with a 48-47 victory over Union Monday, and a 71-61 win over the host Bombers Tuesday.

Sayreville dropped out from No. 7 after a 1-2 week, which began in fine fashion with a 66-57 win over New Dorp (NY) in their Battle at the Bomb Shelter tournament Monday. But after the Immaculata loss in the final, they also fell 81-77 to South Plainfield on Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Four:

Image of the Bellamy & Son Paving basketball Top Ten rankings for boys' basketball, Week 4, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.
by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as first six all hold court

Despite the top two teams in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten going 1-2 last week, Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas held their ground in Week Four, with the top six remaining unchanged, but one new team joining the rankings.

For a fourth straight week, it’s Rutgers Prep (6-2) at No. 1. The Lady Argonauts lost to Red Bank Catholic Monday in the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic Showcase at Toms River North’s RWJBarnabas Health Arena, 59-42, then bounced back Friday with a win over South Bronx Preparatory (NY) 62-41 in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic. But they also lost Sunday down at Jefferson University in Philadelphia to Cardinal O’Hara, 52-42.

Holding in second is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-3), which also went 1-2 in the week gone by. They dropped their first two: Monday to St. Mary-Manhassett (NY), 63-50, and to unbeaten Westfield, 52-48, on Tuesday in the Coaches Choice Holiday Classic at FDU-Madison. But the Trojans rebounded Saturday with a division win at Monroe, 70-23.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (5-3), which went 3-0 in the past week. At the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, they closed out with two wins: Sunday over Roselle Catholic, 50-20, and Tuesday over Immaculate Heart, 53-46. They wrapped the week with a 49-42 win Saturday over Hudson Catholic in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic.

Hillsborough (6-1) only played one game last week, and won it, Saturday at Linden, a 72-37 victory. The Raiders held in fourth.

At No. 5 again this week is East Brunswick (7-1). The Lady Bears won their final game at the Holmdel Holiday Showcase over their hosts, 58-40, on Tuesday, then beat Piscataway 71-43 Saturday before falling to St. Joseph by the Sea (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Holding at six is Bernards (6-0), the highest-ranked undefeated team in the Top Ten. The Mountaineers won three games this past week, winning the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metuchen with a 49-34 win over Brearley Monday, and a 39-28 victory over the host Bulldogs on Tuesday. They also beat Verona at home Saturday, 42-31.

Up a spot to seven is Colonia (6-0), which is having a great bounceback year after going 7-20 a year ago. The Patriots swept two games to win the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny. They beat Montclair 52-46 Monday, then the host Cardinals 69-46 on Tuesday.

Down a spot to eight – flipping with Colonia – is Somerville (5-2). the Pioneers lost Tuesday in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase to Colts Neck, 52-40, on Tuesday, but bounced back Saturday with a resounding 70-37 win at Koinonia.

Staying at nine is Bound Brook (6-1). After taking their first loss of the season Monday to Union Catholic, 62-53, in their own Crusader Classic championship game, they came back with a Saturday win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 60-50, then beat Staten Island Academy (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Spotswood drops out from its position at No. 10 after a 1-3 week left them 3-4 overall. They beat North Plainfield Monday at Edison in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic, but then lost three straight. The first was to Woodbridge on Tuesday in their final game in the showcase, 70-67. Then the Chargers lost at Middlesex, 51-41 on Saturday, and 60-43 Sunday to Tottenville (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

That puts Woodbridge (6-1) in the top ten on the strength of a three-win week. They beat Edison Monday, 70-54, in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison, then topped Spotswood, and wrapped it up with a 70-42 blowout of South Plainfield on Saturday.

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

Graphic showing the Week 4 rankings for the 2025-26 Girls' Basketball season presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

First Saturday of New Year adds some wrinkles in GMC, Somerset County boys’ hoops

Saturday was blustery cold in Central Jersey, but boys’ high school basketball is clearly heating up.

In the Greater Middlesex Conference, there was the first big clash between 2025 GMC Tourney runner-up Piscataway and the new-look St. Joe’s, South Plainfield and Sayreville tussled in a critical Red National Division game, and Metuchen put its perfect record on the line.

Over in Somerset County, unbeaten Bridgewater-Raritan was idle, while Montgomery put its perfect record on the line, and Rutgers Prep faced some top-flight competition.

So, let’s take a look at how it all shook out…

SOMERSET COUNTY

Cougars take first loss down the Shore…

Two-time defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Montgomery took a perfect 8-0 record into the New Year, but that went away Saturday with a slim two-point loss.

In their first eight games, the Cougars – now 8-1 – had been averaging almost 71 points of game, winning by an average of 28.4 points. But the closest game of the year for the fifth-ranked team in the state (No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten) turned out to be a two-point loss to the state’s No. 9 team, Linden.

Monty fell behind 14-9 after one, played a solid two middle quarters – rallying to go into the break up 24-22 – but got outscored by six in the fourth to fall 53-51 to the Tigers. Penn-bound senior Ethan Lin led all scorers with 20. It shouldn’t have too much of an impact in the race for a top-seed in CJ4, with Montgomery in first heading into the weekend.

Rutgers Prep falls, too…

The No. 2 team in the Bellamy Top Ten – the Argonauts – also suffered a close loss Saturday, this one to St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City. Rutgers Prep was tenth in the state this week, the Marauders third. And the boys from Somerset did more than hang in there.

In fact, they led 23-15 after one, but that lead shrunk to one by halftime, and the third quarter was the decisive one, as the Argos got outscored by eight, and wound up losing 78-72 to fall to 5-2 on the season. Five players scored in double figures, led by William Brunson with 18, and Rocco Loomis with 16.

The game was a good test for Prep, which is in Non-Public Group B and wouldn’t play St. Peter’s in the states, and the loss shouldn’t hurt them much as they look to improve their standing in the South B section, where they made the sectional finals last year, falling to St. Rose of Belmar

But Gill St. Bernard’s wins again…

After the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic win and two league victories, the Knights have played all showcase games, including a fifth straight Saturday, then a sixth on Sunday when they play Trenton (4-2) up at Newark Collegiate in the New Year’s Jump Off. Saturday, they beat Don Bosco Prep in the Big Jersey Basketball Showcase II, getting 22 points from Dorsett Mulcahy.

The Ironmen are just 2-5 on the season, but interestingly, three of their losses have come to the Skyland Conference Delaware Division’s top three teams: Montgomery in the Tip-Off Classic opening weekend, Rutgers Prep on December 20th, and now Gill, which improved to 6-2 on the season.

Big Week Ahead in the Delaware Division…

The week of the 12th, Bridgewater-Raritan (currently 7-0, and idle this weekend) will get its turn against the best in Somerset County, but this coming week will be a big one with major implications for Somerset County Tournament seeding, which takes place January 26th, three weeks from Monday.

First, on Tuesday night, Montgomery travels to Rutgers Prep for a 7 pm game. Thursday night, Gill travels down to Skillman to take on the Cougars in a 5:30 tilt you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Bookmark this link to listen on gameday.

Bridgewater-Raritan, meanwhile, visits Watchung Hills Tuesday, then has home games with Immaculata and Hillside Thursday and Saturday before getting their crack at the non-publics: at Rutgers Prep on Tuesday, the 13th, and hosting Gill at 5:30 Thursday, the 16th.

Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan won’t play until February 5th, after the SCT is already seeded.

GREATER MIDDLESEX CONFERENCE

St. Joe’s lands a big punch in race for GMC Tourney top-seed…

Despite a 6-16 record a year ago, once St. Joseph-Metuchen brought back Mark Taylor – and he began bringing in some new pieces to the puzzle – expectations shot through the roof. It was hard to tell what they would look like after a season-opening rout of Wesley College out of Australia on December 8th, which they won 103-36.

They won at Old Bridge by 19, then looked good, but not great, in a 58-40 home win over Colonia. Next was the Winter Showcase at Paul VI up in Wayne, where they beat Middle Township 69-37 and St. Mary’s Ryken (MD) by 21. All of those still weren’t great measuring sticks.

Saturday, they traveled to Piscataway for a battle of unbeatens against the 2025 GMC Tournament runner-up. And we got a much better idea of how the Falcons fit in the conversation this winter.

A high school basketball game in action, featuring players from St. Joseph's and Piscataway. The player in the foreground dribbles the ball while teammates and an audience watch in the background.
Alijah Murphy of St. Joseph-Metuchen controls the ball in a GMC Red American game at Piscataway on January 3, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Though the Chiefs led by 18 at the half on stifling defense, forcing turnovers seemingly every other possession, St. Joseph turned the table as first-year (of his second stint) head coach Mark Taylor whipped out some zone defense, a 1-3-1, and it befuddled Piscataway. More than the execution was the height advantage, and extra long wingspan of guys like junior Andrew Kretkowski (6′ 7″) and sophomore Joel Patrick (6′ 10″), the second of whom was a monster on the boards, and had 12 rebounds to go along with eight points, while blocking six shots.

No amount of excellent Piscataway defense – and they are very good – can combat that length when the tallest player on the floor is Donald Nwaigwe at 6′ 4″. It all led to a 64-53 overtime win for St. Joe’s, keeping them unbeaten at 6-0, while the Chiefs drop to 9-1.

So, where does this leave things in the GMC?

Piscataway took Colonia out before the holidays in double overtime for its first win over the Patriots in 13 years, but now has its first loss, and it’s in the Red American Division. With no guaranteed seeds, the seeding will be all about head-to-head. St. Joe’s won’t get any easier to deal with when 6-7 transfer Aiden Carter becomes eligible this weekend, and they’ve really fired the first salvo. The rematch is less than two weeks away, when the Chiefs visit the Falcons on January 15th.

With the Red split into American and National divisions, but mandatory crossovers (ideally for better comparisons at the seeding meeting) on the schedule, watch out for East Brunswick. The Bears host St. Joseph on Thursday, January 22, and while they don’t have a lot of height either, they can knock down the three – something the Chiefs couldn’t do Saturday.

The Bears have beaten the two teams right behind them in the division on their first pass-through – Sayreville on December 18th and South Plainfield on the 20th, both by five points – and will rematch with them in the same order next Saturday at 1 and on the 13th at 7, both on the road. They also

Right now, the Falcons seem to have the early inside track on the top-seed in the county tournament. A second win over Piscataway could really lock it in, unless East Brunswick can knock them off. The Bears also visit Piscataway Tuesday, January 27th, a week before the seeding.

Assuming no head-scratching losses, Piscataway would likely have to beat the bears and split with St. Joseph to have a shot, while East Brunswick would likely have to win out by sweeping Sayreville and South Plainfield, and beating both St. Joe’s and Piscataway.

And the only other unbeaten team left in the GMC is…

Metuchen! The Bulldogs beat Carteret on the road Saturday, 53-43, to improve to 6-0 on the season, and haven’t won a game by fewer than seven points, as happened against Voorhees back on Tuesday, a 59-42 win that gave them the championship of their own Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament.

Cameron Hayes-Durina – also an excellent football player, and a Borden’s Baller – scored 14 to lead all scorers in Saturday’s victory. He’s averaging 22.7 points per game this season and nearly nine rebounds; the 14 was his lowest output all year, and the first time under 20, but the Bulldogs won anyway, and led by nine at the half.

The Bulldogs go back on the road for two more this week – Monday at North Plainfield and Thursday at Middlesex, before returning home for JFK Saturday afternoon.

by Mike Pavlichko

Unbeaten Montgomery retains No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten, Rutgers Prep, Bridgewater edge up, Somerville joins

The combination of the winter break – and a winter storm that blew through the area Friday into Saturday this past weekend – meant a light schedule for many of the boy’s basketball teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

As a result, there was very little movement in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Montgomery (6-0) held on to the top spot, winning its only game of the week, 75-27 over Hamilton West. The Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery was moved from Saturday to Monday due to the storm.

Rutgers Prep (4-1) moved up a spot on the strength of a win over defending South Jersey, Group 2 champion Camden Sunday at the Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic at Widener University outside of Philly. That dropped Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) down one to third, as they were idle this week.

The next four teams all held court. The first of the bunch is No. 4 Piscataway (6-0), which won on Monday at Colonia, 75-73 in double overtime, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a win over previously unbeaten Perth Amboy on Tuesday, 80-52.

St. Joseph-Metuchen held in fifth, but we’ve updated the Falcons’ record to 3-0 after their December 8th opener against Wesley College of Australia – a 101-37 win – was posted.

East Brunswick (6-0) holds at six after a 2-0 week, with a 75-71 win over Franklin on Tuesday, and a 78-69 victory over Ranney Saturday in the Alfred E. Martin Buc Classic at Red Bank Regional, which puts them into Monday’s semifinals.

And holding at No. 7 is Sayreville (4-1), which was a 68-47 winner over Monroe on Monday in their only game of the week.

Bridgewater-Raritan (5-0) moves up a spot to No. 8, though they did not play, as previous No. 8 Colonia (2-4) drops out. The Patriots lost to Piscataway Monday in double-OT at home, 75-73, then fell to Friendship Tech Saturday in the Governor’s Challenge showcase event down in Salisbury, MD.

Somerville (4-0) joins the rankings at No. 9 , after a 1-0 week in which they beat Manville, 48-23, on the road.

And Immaculata (2-1) – idle last week – holds at No. 10.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Three:

A digital ranking table displaying the Week 3 standings for the 2025-26 boys' basketball season, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. The table includes team names, records, and previous rankings, with highlighted spots for the top ten teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep holds No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten ahead of matchup with state No. 1 Red Bank Catholic; Aquinas, East Brunswick make moves

Make it three weeks in a row for undefeated Rutgers Prep at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, with St. Thomas Aquinas and East Brunswick making upward moves in the latest rankings.

Half the top ten remains undefeated on the season.

Rutgers Prep (5-0) was 2-0 last week, beating Princeton Monday, 72-26, then topping St. Rose of Belmar Saturday in the Kevin Williams Classic at the RWJBarnabas Arena at Toms River North in the “Showcase Bracket.” Monday at 6 pm, the Lady Argonauts – ranked No. 4 in New Jersey – will take on state No. 1 Red Bank Catholic in a huge early season clash.

St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1) moves up a spot this week to No. 2. The Trojans won their only game in the past week, beating St. Joseph Hill (NY) on Tuesday, 72-69.

Dropping one place to No. 3 is Gill St. Bernard’s (3-3). The Knights lost Friday to last year’s Group 4 state runner-up West Orange, 47-45, in the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Catholic, but got a win Sunday as the round robin event continued, 50-20 over Roselle Catholic.

Holding at No. 4 is Hillsborough (5-1). The Lady Raiders picked up a pair of wins in the Mercer County Community College Holiday Showcase at MCCC in West Windsor, beating Thrive Charter 67-52 on Saturday, and following it up with a 57-38 win over Ewing on Sunday.

East Brunswick (5-0) is off to its best start since a 7-1 run to begin 2021, picking up two wins in the week gone by. Monday, they beat Somerset County foe Mount St. Mary, 62-38, then topped Marlboro in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase on Sunday, 67-46.

The Bears’ move puts Bernards at No. 6, followed by Somerville in seventh. The Mountaineers beat Delaware Valley on the road Tuesday, 36-22, in their only game of the week gone by. The Pioneers played two and split, picking up a 43-30 victory at North Hunterdon Tuesday, but falling 66-25 to Manasquan (NJ No. 13) Sunday in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase.

The last three teams remain the same, starting with No. 8 Colonia (4-0). The Patriots won their only game of the past week, Friday against Montville, 60-40. They’re back in action Monday in the Charloe Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearney against Montclair.

At No. 9 is Bound Brook (4-0), which beat Columbia Saturday in the Crusader Classic, 49-26.

And holding at ten is Spotswood (2-1), which did not play last week after a Sunday loss to Cheltenham (PA), 56-54, in the Shore games, which had not been reported in time to be included in last week’s record.

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

A table displaying the rankings of girls' basketball teams for Week 3 of the 2025-26 season, including team names, records, and previous rankings, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

by Mike Pavlichko

With a 3-0 week, Rutgers Prep holds on to No. 1 in Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten; Colonia, Bound Brook join latest rankings

A week after regaining the top position in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, Rutgers Prep remains at the top, while two new teams join the rankings: unbeatens Colonia and Bound Brook.

Overall, the top six teams remain in the same place as a week ago.

Rutgers Prep (3-0) had a light week, but won both games. First, they beat then-No., 7 Franklin on Monday, 82-62, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as Sophia Georgiades scored her 1,000th career point. Then, with five days off in between, they topped Sidwell Friends (DC) in the Shore Games at Colts Neck High School on Sunday, 54-46.

Holding at two is Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1), which went 2-1 this past week, with two over Bellamy-ranked ranked squads. They beat No. 4 Hillsborough 68-47 at home Tuesday, then were 64-53 winners at then-No. 7 Franklin Thursday, before falling 60-45 to Gloucester Catholic at the Shore Games at Colts Neck on Sunday.

Still in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (5-1). The Trojans won all four games this week, including 78-32 at South Brunswick Tuesday, 63-36 at home against Piscataway on Thursday, Saturday 86-42 at North Plainfield, and 77-60 over Thrive Charter in the Shore Games at St. Rose-Belmar Sunday afternoon.

Holding at four is Hillsborough (3-1), which went 2-1 this week. Following a Tuesday loss at No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s, 68-47, they bounced back with a 77-56 home win over Watchung Hills Thursday, and a 62-20 win at Trenton on Saturday.

At five again is Bernards (2-0), which won its first two games of the season, 40-36 at North Hunterdon on Tuesday, and 47-31 at Warren Hills on Thursday.

Somerville (3-0) holds in sixth, winning its first three games this week. Tuesday, they won at College Achieve Central in North Plainfield, 43-26. Thursday, they beat in-town rival Immaculata 52-44, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Then, Saturday, they topped Lawrence at home, 50-36.

At No. 7 is East Brunswick (3-0), which climbed three spots this week. The Bears were 71-43 winners Tuesday at home over 2025 GMCT runner-up Monroe, then won 69-38 at North Plainfield Thursday, and 53-33 victors at South Brunswick on Saturday.

Joining the ranks at No. 8 is Colonia (3-0), which did not make the rankings at all last season after being in every week during the prior season, 2023-24. The Patriots opened with a 49-13 win over Edison on Tuesday, a 50-33 win at Old Bridge Thursday, and a 54-39 win over Middlesex on Saturday.

No. 9 also features a new team: Bound Brook (3-0), snapping an 18-week streak not in the Top Ten. The Crusaders cruised past Manville in their opener Tuesday, 55-26 on the road. They then crushed Belvidere, 53-30 in their home opener Thursday, before coming up with a 51-36 win over Pope John Saturday in the Shore Games at The Fort Athletic Club in Oceanport.

Dropping out were No. 7 Franklin and No. 8 Monroe. The Warriors (0-3) lost Monday at Rutgers Prep, 82-62, Thursday to Gill St. Bernard’s 64-53, and Sunday to Demarest, 53-41, in the Shore Games. The Falcons bookended a Thursday 54-41 win over South Brunswick with a 71-43 loss Tuesday at then-No. 9 East Brunswick, and a 52-41 loss at Piscataway on Saturday.

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

2025-26 Girls' Basketball Week 2 rankings by Bellamy & Son Paving, listing teams, their records, and previous positions.

by Mike Pavlichko

A New No. 1, and two new teams join the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

The first full week of play in high school basketball didn’t have anything in the way of seismic upsets, but there is a new No. 1 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving rankings – with a very fine line and little room for error among the top five teams, which are a combined 17-2 following this weekend’s action – as well as two new teams joining the bottom half of the rankings.

None have necessarily come up with any stunning or signature wins, but are playing very good basketball at the moment.

We start, of course, at the top, where 5-0 Montgomery takes the top spot by a nose, with an unblemished record. The Cougars won four games this week, starting off their league slate with an 81-55 win at Watchung Hills on Tuesday. Thursday, they beat Immaculata, 72-62 at home, then won twice over the weekend. Saturday, it was a 60-36 win over Haddonfield at the Jimmy V Classic down at Cherokee High School, then a 72-33 rout of Paramus Catholic in The Battle at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth.

Monty’s move leaves Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) in the second spot. After a Tuesday win over Hillsborough, 51-49, then a 66-36 rout at Phillipsburg, Gill fell to unbeaten St. Peter’s Prep, 59-43, at the Big Jersey Showcase down at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.

Holding in third is Rutgers Prep (3-1). The Argonauts bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 64-51 win over Phillipsburg Tuesday, a 62-60 win at Ridge Thursday, and a 70-60 win at Don Bosco Prep on Saturday.

Piscataway (4-0) is in fourth for a third straight week. The Chiefs beat West Orange Wednesday – as head coach Bob Turco picked up his 400th career win – then topped his old school, St. Thomas Aquinas, 90-66 on Thursday, before beating Old Bridge Saturday, 82-58.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0) edges up one notch to five, after winning its opening two games (their December 8th game has not been officially recorded as a regular season win, so we’re not considering it here). The Falcons won 89-70 at Old Bridge Tuesday, and got by then-No. 5 Colonia at home, 58-40, Saturday afternoon.

Joining the Top Ten for the first time this season, at No. 6, is East Brunswick (4-0). The Bears won three games this week to stay perfect, starting with a 63-35 road win over Monroe. On Thursday, they topped No. 7 Sayreville, 58-53, then beat South Plainfield at home Saturday, 77-72.

That leaves Sayreville (3-1) in seventh, with a Tuesday win at St. John Vianney, 54-42, and a Saturday 81-58 win at Woodbridge sandwiched around the previously-mentioned loss to the Bears.

At No. 8, it’s Colonia (2-2), down three spots. The Patriots were 2-1 this week, starting with a pair of wins: 59-49 over St. Thomas Aquinas, and 71-60 over Old Bridge. Saturday, the Patriots took their second loss of the season, falling 58-40 at St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Checking in at No. 9 is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-0), also making its debut. The Panthers were 3-0 in the week gone by, starting with a 70-63 win at Franklin on Tuesday, followed by a 51-40 win over Hunterdon Central on Thursday, and a 64-19 win over College Achieve Central.

And still in the ten-spot is Immaculata (2-1). The Spartans beat Ridge Tuesday, 68-53, at home, then lost 72-62 at Montgomery Thursday, before bouncing back with a 61-53 win over Delaware Valley on Saturday.

Two teams dropped out to make room for East Brunswick and Bridgewater-Raritan. Ridge (0-4) fell out from No. 8 after an 0-3 week, with losses at Immaculata, 68-53 on Tuesday, Rutgers Prep 62-60 on Thursday, and against Delbarton in the Rose City Classic at FDU-Madison on Sunday, 50-47. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-3) fell out from No. 9 after a 1-2 week, including a 59-49 loss to Colonia Tuesday, and a 90-66 loss at Piscataway Thursday. They rebounded with a 49-35 win over 0-4 St. Joseph-Montvale Saturday in the Dr. Gerald Glisson Classic at Paterson Eastside. It’s the first time in the history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten (dating to the COVID-shortened 2020 season) that the Trojans are not in the rankings, snapping a 50-week streak.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Two:

Image of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings for high school boys' basketball for the 2025-26 season, displaying the current standings, records, and previous rankings of the teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

A win and a loss flip Nos. 1 and 2 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Week 1 Top Ten

No doubt defending Non-Public B State Champion Morris Catholic took a heavy graduation hit when twins Mia and Mya Pauldo got their diplomas last spring, but Rutgers Prep’s win over the Crusaders Sunday in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic – handing them their first loss to a New Jersey school since 2023 – has put the Lady Argonauts back to the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week One.

Rutgers Prep didn’t graduate a single player from last year’s team, but got a double-double from Hailey Benbow – 16 points and 16 rebounds – as well as 15 points and three steals from Ava LaMonica in a 52-40 win over Morris Catholic at home Sunday afternoon. They have a quick turnaround to Monday night, when they open Skyland Conference Delaware Division play against No. 7 Franklin.

The Argonauts’ move to No. 1 also dovetails with the preseason No. 1, Gill St. Bernard’s, taking a 49-42 loss to Westfield in the same NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge at Rutgers Prep. Seniors Kaity and Addy Platt led the Knights with 14 and 13 points, respectively, in defeat, as Gill drops to No. 2.

St. Thomas Aquinas holds in third, after splitting a pair of games at the Electric City Madness event up in Scranton. The Trojans lost to Crestwood (PA) Saturday in the opener, 62-54, but came back to beat Scranton (PA), 64-46, Sunday afternoon behind a double-double of 24 points and eleven rebounds from Jordan Barnes, and 13 points – including three treys – from Kayla Navarro.

Hillsborough remains at No. 4, opening its season Saturday at Princeton Day with a 55-33 victory. the defending Group 4 champion Raiders got 16 points – including four treys – from Victoria Liedl, as well as 15 points and ten rebounds from Alexa Gaspar, and eleven points and five steals from Isabella Ruh.

On a light opening weekend, mainly at showcase events, the rest of the Top Ten didn’t play, so everyone else from five through ten remain in the same positions, including Bernards at No. 5, followed by Somerville, Franklin, Monroe, East Brunswick, and Spotswood.

Bernards will open its season Tuesday at North Hunterdon, while Somerville visits College Achieve Central in North Plainfield. Franklin travels across town to No. 1 Rutgers Prep for a 5:30 tip of a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling all the action. Click here to listen.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 1:

High school girls' basketball ranking chart for 2025-26, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Lists teams, their records, and previous rankings, featuring Rutgers Prep at No. 1.