Tag: Gill St. Bernard’s

December 15, 2025December 14, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernards, Montgomery remain Nos. 1, 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten after light schedule on Opening Weekend

There weren’t a lot of games on Opening Weekend across high school basketball, even though teams could have begun play as early as Monday, as St. Joseph-Metuchen did.

The upshot was there was little movement in the Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as the first five teams stayed in the very same spots, with just three of them in action.

Gill St. Bernard’s won its opening game in Montgomery, topping Madison in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge. The defending Somerset County Tournament champions won without point guard Dorsett Mulcahy – who assistant coach Jaren Sina says is banged up, but should be back soon – and with Jaren, himself, leading the team. Head coach Mergin Sina is out for the first two games after getting ejected from the Knights’ last game of last year, a 43-25 loss to Roselle Catholic – with a controversial ending – in the Non-Public North B Final.

Montgomery remains at No. 2 after a huge win over Don Bosco Prep at home, 66-47, in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge. The two had been ranked ninth and seventh in the statewide preseason rankings entering the game. Sophomores Connor Benedict and Mike Simborski had 21 and 23 points respectively in the win for the defending Central Jersey Group 4 champs.

Rutgers Prep dropped its opener Saturday, 70-61, to Linden in the NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge at Montgomery. The Argonauts got 19 points and nine rebounds from William Brunson, and another 11 from Nicholas Nsenkyire in defeat.

Staying in fourth is Piscataway, which rolled to a season-opening 76-20 win over McKee/Staten Island Tech in the Outerbridge Crossing Challenge, played at Edison High School, and heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Senior Isaiah Fowler scored a career-high 14 points, eleven of which came in the opening quarter as the Chiefs got out of the gate early to a 28-2 lead in the first eight minutes.

Colonia – which stays at No. 5 – dropped its opener, 62-35 to St. Peter’s Prep in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery. The Marauders are the No. 4 team in the state. The Patriots were led by sophomore Jayce Rodriguez, who hit three triples in the game and finished with 17 points.

St. Joseph-Metuchen moves up a spot to sixth after a season-opening loss by Ridge and a 101-37 rout at home Monday over Wesley College of Melbourne, Australia.

Sayreville – which won 75-64 Saturday in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games at South Amboy High School – moved up a spot as well, to seventh, after beating Oratory behind two monster nights. Sam Jones led the way with 33 points and three treys, while Chidi Chukwura had a double-double of 29 points and 20 rebounds.

Ridge falls to No. 8 after a season-opening 50-42 loss to Ewing. Gabe Kielb scored 10 points, while Dan Rafanello grabbed ten rebounds in defeat.

Holding in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans sow coach Tim Weiler’s debut spoiled by Franklin, 64-54 in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games at South Amboy High School. Joshua Anane had a double-double – 16 points, 14 rebounds – in defeat, while Sean Duncan had a big game for Franklin: 27 points including five treys.

And in tenth, it’s Immaculata. The Spartans open up Tuesday in Somerville against No. 8 Ridge, in an early season top ten Skyland Conference matchup.

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

Graphic displaying the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for high school boys' basketball for Week 1 of the 2025-26 season, including team names, records, and previous rankings.

December 12, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

“It’s their time”: All is not lost for Gill St. Bernard’s girls, as Knights look to counter graduation losses with returning, new talent

The last time the Gill St. Bernard’s girls’ basketball team won the Somerset County Tournament before last year’s title was in 2014. But winning it again in 2026 will be quite the challenge.

Every year, it’s a challenge, of course. But this year in particular, considering the losses The Knights have endured to graduation.

First, there’s Central Jersey Sports Radio Player of the Year Gandy Maloou-Mamel, who’s now up at UConn. Then there’s Maya Abramson, Ressa Lozner, Sidney Quinn and Cassidy Moore, all moved on to bigger and better things in college.

And it was not just the pure talent that core had, but the fact that they all played together for four years, with the exception of Malou-Mamel, who spent three years at the Gladstone school.

So who will take the baton and run with it? The athletic and coachable Addy Platt (10.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 15 treys) is back for her senior season, and then it’s a “strong returning” group of juniors, of whom Knapp says “it’s their time to shine.”

Skilled, talented – and there’s that word again, “coachable” – about the next crop of future Gill stars

The point guard will be junior Melina Miller, who Knapp says is “really good at everything.” Addy’s sister Kaity Platt may have been “their best player this summer” and led the team in scoring in the off-season. He also likes junior Sadie Finn, a guard who can “defend, shoot, rebound, finish.”

Sophomore Nadia Mikalainis also is expected to contribute, as well as 5-9 incoming freshman Naima Morales Solivan.

Click below to hear Gill St. Bernard’s girls’ basketball coach Mark Gnapp preview the upcoming season with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Gill opens its season Sunday against Westfield at noon, and will appear on Central Jersey Sports Radio on Thursday, January 29 at 7 pm when they visit Rutgers Prep.

December 7, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s, Montgomery boys lead stacked preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

Coming up with a preseason Top Ten is never an easy proposition, but one thing seems pretty certain – or maybe it isn’t: the first rankings of 2025-26 very likely will look nothing like the final one.

The group includes a team that won just six games a year ago – St. Joseph-Metuchen, which brings back alum and former coach Mark Taylor – but will have to prove itself early and either soar up the rankings if they win as many expect, or quite possibly fall out if they don’t jell in December.

At the top is Gill St. Bernard’s, which finished 22-7 last season, won the Somerset County Tournament, and made the sectional finals in the state tournament’s Non-Public North B section. They return a solid core, including senior guard Dorsett Mulcahy (9.6 ppg, 30 treys), senior Jakub Malecki (6.3 ppg), and sophomore Connor Junker (9.25 ppg), who played out of his mind in the SCT final against Rutgers Prep – scoring 15 points, including four triples – and hit a team-best 49 treys last season.

Montgomery at No. 2 has the talent, but with some key losses, may be a little less proven. The Cougars didn’t lose to a public school all last season until the Group 4 state final at Rutgers, where they faced Plainfield. And even the year before, they only Lost to Lenape – in the regular season and in the Group 4 semifinals. Gone to graduation are big Bohdan Biekietov and guard Christian Hill – the team’s second and third leading scorers – but back is point guard Ethan Lin for his senior season. At 19.7 points per game last year, he had an amazing bounceback after breaking is leg the season before and missing the entire postseason run.

In third is Rutgers Prep. The Argonauts also made a sectional final last year – in Non-Public South B – and also went to the Somerset County Tournament final, falling to Gill. A mostly young team in 2024-25, third-leading scorer and post player Andrew Kretkowski (15.3 ppg, 34 blocks) transferred over the summer to St. Joseph-Metuchen, and senior Myles Parker (14.8 ppg) graduated. But Jacob Canton, the team’s leading scorer at 15.3 ppg and with a team-best 47 treys returns, along with senior Logan Franz and junior Rocco Loomis.

At four and five, respectively, are the two GMC Tournament finalists from a year ago, runner-up Piscataway and champion Colonia. Both teams lose significant parts from last season.

The Chiefs graduated top-scorer Nate Davis (14.5 ppg, team-best 53 treys) and swing Vaughn Turner (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg), but other key pieces like junior Landon Pernell (7.9 ppg) and seniors Donald Nwaigwe (11.7 ppg) and Josh Lima (10.3 ppg, 40 treys) return.

Colonia was dealt a double-blow, first when Aiden Derkack (24.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg) left to play his senior year at Spire Academy in Ohio, then last week when R.J. Wortman (12.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) signed with Greg Schiano, getting a football scholarship at Rutgers, where he will enroll in January. Zach Smith graduates, too, but Dylan Chiera is back for his senior season, along with Julien Jones. Both are top-notch athletes, and will see increases scoring roles, along with the coach’s son, Jayce Rodriguez, who had a fantastic freshman season, scoring 7.7 points per game, and led the team from beyond the arc with 58 triples.

At No. 6 is Ridge, which was 22-7 last season. Seniors Luke Kreitz (16.2 ppg, 74 treys) and Quinn Dashefsky (11.9 ppg) have graduated, but Gabe Kielb and Sidd Narayanabhatia were also key contributors last season as juniors.

St. Joseph-Metuchen makes its debut at No. 7. After a difficult year finishing 6-16 under Karl Towns, Sr. – the father of Falcon great Karl-Anthony Towns, currently of the New York Knicks – the school hired 1983 alum and former coach Mark Taylor back to Metuchen, and he’s made progress before the team even steps on the floor, bringing in a number of transfers to shore up the ranks. Word around the league is they will be the team to beat. The question is: will they mesh right off the bat, or take some time to find their footing?

The final three teams all fell one spot from the final rankings last year to make room for St. Joe’s.

2024-25 GMC White Division champion Sayreville is eighth, coming off a 22-7 season. The Bombers’ top two scorers return, including seniors Chidi Chukwurah (18.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Sam Jones (16.6 ppg, team-best 61 threes).

St. Thomas Aquinas starts the year at nine, after a 15-12 campaign, but they also have a new coach, and a bunch coming back. Dan Jennings is the top-returning scorer at 11.1 ppg, and he’ll be back for his senior season after spending his first two up the road at St. Joe’s; he also was one shy of the team lead in treys with 43; graduated senior Aiden Ur had 44. Albion Ahmetaj (7.8 ppg) also should be a big part of things under new head coach Tom Weiler, a mentee of former Aquinas coach Bob Turco, who’s now at Piscataway.

And in tenth is Immaculata. The Spartans were 20-8 last season, and will return top scorer Riley Gorman (18.1 ppg, team-best 72 treys), along with junior Nick Swartwood (7.2 ppg), the team’s top rebounder at 7.5 per game.

Below is the complete preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten:

A table displaying the preseason rankings for the 2025-26 boys' basketball top ten teams, including team names, records, previous rankings, and notes about their achievements.

December 7, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Somerset County champ Gill St. Bernard’s leads Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten preseason rankings

For the first time since Central Jersey Sports Radio’s initial season of high school basketball coverage in the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign, there’s someone else besides Rutgers Prep beginning the year at No. 1: Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Knights won the Somerset County Tournament in 2025, their first county title since 2014, which also was the last time Rutgers Prep missed the county final before last season, when they were knocked out in the semifinals by Hillsborough.

All that considered, Gill St. Bernard’s earned the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Gill finsihed 23-5 last year, sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with Rutgers Prep, having split their two games. The Knights also reached the Non-Public North B Finals.

However, they’ll look to reload as they graduated several key players, including leading scorer and rebounder Gandy Malou-Mamel, who’s now playing at UConn. Fellow seniors Tessa Lozner, Maya Abramson, Sidney Quinn and Cassidy Moore all graduate, while the top returning scorer is senior Addy Platt, who contributed 10.1 points per game last year, and led the team with 61 steals.

Rutgers Prep is second in the rankings, after finishing last season 20-7. The Argonauts reached the Non-Public South B final, but unlike Gill, return all five starters. Among them is senior and 2024-25 leading scorer Ava LaMonica, with 13.4 points per game, and a team-best 65 steals and 81 assists. Ava Frith (9.1 ppg) and Sophia Georgiades (11.6 ppg, 60 steals) also return for their senior seasons.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished 23-7 last year, steamrolling its way through the GMC Red Division by more than 40 points per game. They Trojans won the GMC Tournament again – their sixth straight title going back to 2019 – and will graduate some key seniors like Gianna Chuffo (9.8 ppg), Leah Crosby (15.7 ppg), and Adrianna Summersett (6.1 ppg), but also bring back a good deal of talent. Trista Whitney (12.9 ppg, 6 rpg, 121 assists) is back for her senior year, as is post Jordan Barnes (10.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), as well as juniors Lauryn Downing and Leah Kearney, all of whom played significant minutes last season.

Hillsborough makes won its first-ever sectional championship, then went all the way and won the state Group 4 championship at Rutgers, finishing 26-6 on the season. They also knocked off Rutgers Prep in the SCT semifinals and reached the county title game for the first time since 2006. The Lady Raiders lose a ton, however, including all-time leading scorer – girls’ or boys’ – Francesca Schiro (21.1 ppg), who’s now at Siena and leading the team in scoring as a rookie. Mya Loniewski (11.6 ppg) and Reghan Bice (5.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) also graduated, with sophomore center Isabella Ruh the most significant returnee, having scored 9.8 points per game last season, and grabbing 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Checking in at No. 5 is Bernards, which won the Skyland Conference Mountain Division, followed by Somerville at No. 6, which won the Skyland Valley Division. Both finished 23-6 and went to sectional semifinals, the Mountaineers in North 2, Group 2, the Pioneers in North 2, Group 3. Bernards returns top scorer and rebounder Aletha Reynolds (16.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) for her senior year, along with second-leading scorer Jasmine Kelleher (82. ppg) for her junior season. Somerville returns senior Kaylee Lauber, who led the team with 16.4 points per game, but No. 2 Charlotte Taylor (11.5 ppg, team-best 5 apg) is gone to graduation.

In seventh is Franklin, which has been previously unranked before making it into the final rankings last season at 11-16, a tough out which plays in the tough Skyland Delaware with Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and Hillsborough. A young Aleah Sunkins scored 16 points per game and grabbed 9.3 boards per contest in her sophomore year, and with more experience, the Warriors could make moves. Their lone senior to graduate was Precious Wheeler (6 ppg, 5.9 rpg).

2025 GMC Tournament runner-up Monroe checks in at eight. The Falcons finished 20-10 last season and not only reached the GMC title game, but also the Central Jersey Group 4 final, where they ran into juggernaut Hillsborough. They lose one of the program’s greats in Evangelina Francisco (20.7 ppg) to graduation. The GMC is Aquinas and everyone else, but the Falcons should be high among the “everyone else” category.

Making its debut in the rankings at No. 9 is East Brunswick, which was 13-14 last season. But they were young and are expected to be one of the better GMC teams in the higher divisions this season, having talked to a few coaches around the league. Ava Catanho (17.3 ppg) led the Lady Bears in scoring last year as a freshman, and other key contributors also return.

And Spotswood rounds out the group in tenth. The Chargers finished second in the GMC White last season at 18-8, but champion Middlesex lost its two best players to graduation, including all-time leading scorer Jess Devine and Mallory Gianchilia, so the Blue Jays fall out of the final rankings from last season. As for Spotswood, they return Gabrielle Hill, a junior who was a starter a year ago, and led the team with 15.4 points per game. The downside is they also lose senior Lizzie Calandruccio (14.6 ppg) to graduation.

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

A table displaying the 2025-26 preseason rankings for high school girls' basketball teams, including team names, records, previous rankings, and notes on achievements.

June 18, 2025June 11, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Gill St. Bernard’s knocked out of state tourney, Pingry and others postponed due to rain

It was already a limited schedule for the NJSIAA state baseball tournament, with Wednesday dedicated to non-public schools, and many already had byes.

Of the two Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams to be scheduled to play, only one did, as Gill St. Bernard’s got eliminated by Hawthorne Christian, while Pingry’s game against Union Catholic – along with one other in that section – was postponed, and moved to Thursday at 3 pm.

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B FIRST ROUND

(10) Hawthorne Christian 3, (7) Gill St. Bernard’s 2: The Knights (12-12) fell into a 3-0 hole in this one and couldn’t recover, with a seventh-inning rally falling short. Gill gave up a run in the first and two in the third to the Defenders,, then got one back in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out RBI single by Owen Ehrenkranz, who was stranded after two fly ball outs followed. In the seventh, Joey Fava led off with a single to center, then took second on a passed ball, moved to third on a groundout by Trip Hegarty, then scored on a comebacker to the mound. But that left the bases empty, and Hawthorne starter Matt Altomare got the final out for a complete-game, five-hit win. The Defenders will visit two-seed Morristown-Beard Friday.

In the only other game in the section, 8th-seed Newark Academy routed nine-seed Morris Catholic, 11-1, and will visit top-seed Montclair-Kimberley Academy on Friday.

In Non-Public South A, nine-seed St. John Vianney was scheduled to meet 8th-seed Paul VI Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm. We’ll have a score on that game once it’s final and reported.

UPCOMING STATE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY

Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) Hillsborough at (1) Hunterdon Central, 4 pm (pp’d to 3 pm Friday)
(12) Montgomery at (4) Hightstown, 4:30 pm
(11) Franklin at (3) Edison, 4 pm
(10) Manalapan at (2) Old Bridge, 5 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) Bridgewater-Raritan at (1) Ridge, 4 pm (at Diamond Nation, Flemington)
(5) Phillipsburg at (4) Elizabeth, 1 pm
(11) Ferris at (3) Westfield, 4 pm
(7) Columbia at (2) Woodbridge, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Quarterfinals
(8) Middletown North at (1) Colonia, 4 pm
(12) Carteret at (4) North Hunterdon, 4 pm (at Diamond Nation, Flemington)
(6) Cranford at (3) South Plainfield, 2 pm
(7) Somerville at (2) Millburn, 4 pm

Central Jersey Group 2 Quarterfinals
(9) South River at (1) Governor Livingston, 4:30 pm (at Snyder Ave Park, Berkeley Heights)
(13) Cinnaminson at (5) Raritan, 4 pm
(14) Bordentown at (11) Allentown, 4 pm
(10) Rumson-Fair Haven at (2) Robbinsville, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 Quarterfinals
(8) Lyndhurst at (1) West Essex, 3 pm
(5) Rutherford at (4) West Morris, 4 pm
(11) Mendham at (3) Passaic Valley, 4:15 pm
(10) Bernards at (2) Madison, 3:15 pm

Central Jersey Group 1 Quarterfinals
(9) South Hunterdon at (1) Middlesex, 4 pm
(5) Florence at (4) Shore, 4 pm
(6) Delaware Valley at (3) Metuchen, 4 pm
(7) South Amboy at (2) Pt. Pleasant Beach, 3 pm

Non-Public South A First Round
(11) Pingry at (6) Union Catholic, 3 pm
(10) Donovan Catholic at (7) Notre Dame, 3 pm

FRIDAY

Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
(9) Hillsborough at (1) Hunterdon Central, 3 pm

Non-Public South A Quarterfinals
(9) St. John Vianney/(8) Paul VI winner at (1) Christian Brothers
(5) Immaculata at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen
(11) Pingry/(6) Union Catholic winner at (3) St. Augustine
(10) Donovan Catholic/(7) Notre Dame winner at (2) Red Bank Catholic

Non-Public North B Quarterfinals
(8) Newark Academy at (1) Montclair-Kimberley
(5) Rutgers Prep at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 pm
(6) Pope John at (3) St. Mary-Rutherford, 4 pm
(10) Hawthorne Christian at (2) Morristown-Beard

May 4, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Power Points Analysis: Immaculata, Rutgers Prep eying top 4 finishes in South A, North B

We’re just two weeks from the NJSIAA cutoff for the state playoffs – coming up on May 17th – and teams across the area continue to jockey for position in the standings.

In the non-public sections, Immaculata and Rutgers Prep are looking at top four finishes in their respective sections. Of the four non-public sections in New Jersey, our local teams only occupy two of them: North B and South A.

Here’s a closer look beyond the numbers at where teams stand and what their chances are, based on NJ.com’s official standings as of games played on May 4th. For a full explanation of the new power point formula, click here.

Non-Public South A: This one is a tough section, with the top three teams all state-ranked. Christian Brothers (14-1, 30.573, #9 in NJ) has a good lead over second-place St. Augustine (13-3, 27.131, #10 in NJ), which in turn has a decent lead over Red Bank Catholic (12-4, 25.503, #20 in NJ). Then, in fourth, is Immaculata (9-4, 23.939). They have a decent beat on a top four seed, 3.654 points ahead of fourth-place Union Catholic. St. Joseph-Metuchen checks in at No. 6 with an 8-6 mark and 20.141 points, right at the midway point of what now is a 12-team field. That could change if anyone opts out, and there are some struggling teams here including Camden Catholic (3-11), Donovan Catholic (1-11) and Pingry, which is just 2-13 with 10.589 points. Everyone who wants to make it here will do so, it’s just a question of how many.

Non-Public North B: There’s a good amount of spacing behind the top couple of teams for now, starting with Montclair-Kimberley (11-2, 24.058) at No. 1 and St. Mary-Rutherford (12-5, 22.182) in second. Not too far back in third is Rutgers Prep (10-4, 20.752), but the Argonauts are bunched in with two other teams that We thing will be battling for the last two spots in the top four, which would guarantee home field advantage through at least the first two rounds. Those two others are Morristown-Beard (9-5, 20.498) in fourth, and St. Thomas Aquinas (12-5, 19.704) in fifth. And while Gill St. Bernard’s (8-7, 15.896) is in sixth, they’re realistically about five power points away from the top four and that might be too much a hill to climb in the next two weeks. Even a deep run in the Somerset County Tournament might not help, as the upset wins that would help them would come after the cutoff. Timothy Christian (0-10, 6.18) sits last, in 12th, if they don’t opt out.

April 8, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Only a week into the season, critical early games could heavily influence SCT seeding

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division has a reputation of being one of the toughest in the state, and the way things have gone so far, some very early matchups could have a profound influence on the seeding of the Somerset County Tournament.

Seeding day will be here before you know it: on Monday, May 5th, with the first round opening up two days later.

But just in the Skyland Delaware alone, there are two huge series this week being played on back-to-back days. Weather and field conditions forced Tuesday games to be played Wednesday.

Right off the bat, Immaculata and Ridge will be doing battle Wednesday and Thursday, with the opener of that series in Flemington on Wednesday, then in Basking Ridge the following day. The Red Devils were initially scheduled to host Tuesday.

The Spartans and Ridge are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 this week in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Both are 3-0 overall, with ‘Lata ascending to the top spot after sweeping defending division and SCT champ Bridgewater-Raritan last week, 2-1 in 13 innings on Opening Day, then 5-0 a couple of days later. Ridge rose three places after sweeping North Hunterdon, 8-2 and 3-2, Tuesday and Thursday last week.

Immaculata may have its best team in years, just as they move up from the Raritan Division, which means they get to play and make their case on the field against teams likely to compete for a top-seed, rather than, say, argue for what they might have done if they played the likes of the Panthers and Red Devils.

If the Spartans can pull off a sweep this week, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played, but they’d likely have the inside track to the top seed if they continue that level of play. On the other hand, a couple of wins for Ridge puts them squarely in the mix there, too.

Despite the 0-2 start, Bridgewater-Raritan can inject itself back into that conversation pretty quickly with at least a split against a Hillsborough team that has started the year hot at 3-1, 1-1 in the Delaware after earning a split themselves with Hunterdon Central, another tough foe, just not in play for the Somerset County Tournament. For the Raiders, it’s a chance for them to make their mark in their first games of the year against a county opponent.

While the Panthers have been bugged by some early-season nagging injuries, a couple of losses here surely wouldn’t derail the season, though it might make it tough to get that No. 1 seed in the SCT. But don’t forget that Rutgers Prep won the tournament as a 12-seed in 2023, having started the season just 1-6.

Also unbeaten early in the season is Gill St. Bernard’s, the only Somerset squad besides Ridge and Immaculata without a loss yet. They swept two games from Pingry last week, 5-2 and 7-0, sandwiched in between a 12-0 rout of Morris Catholic and a 9-4 win over Montclair-Kimberley. Three of the four games were on the road; the Pingry win on Thursday was at home.

Meanwhile, back in the Delaware, Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan will meet next week, and Hillsborough will play the Red Devils on April 22 and 23. Immaculata and the Raiders will meet April 29 and May 1.

Yes, even after this week, there’s a lot of baseball yet to be played.

March 22, 2025March 23, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio Somerset County Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year: Gill’s Gandy Malou-Mamel has stellar year, heads to UConn

All across the state of New Jersey, every year, dozens upon dozens of players will graduate and play at the college level. But only a handful get to go play for a major college program that has won multiple national championships.

But that’s the future for Gandy Malou-Mamel, the Gill St. Bernard’s senior who is the 2025 Central Jersey Sports Radio Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.

Malou-Mamel didn’t start playing basketball in earnest until she was 12, and in her native Ireland. But playing for the Huskies and the legendary Geno Auriemma was her dream. Now that her career at Gill is over, that’s her reality.

She earned the chance to play in Storrs over the span of three seasons, in which she averaged almost 14 points per game in her career – 1,144 total – and a career-best 17 points a game this season, her senior year. She had double-doubles in 18 of her 28 games this season, and averaged a double-double, at 10.2 boards a game this season. She also recorded almost 200 career blocks (60 this year) and 40 steals.

At 6′ 6″, she was dominant much of her career, and especially this season, leading Gill St. Bernard’s to its first Somerset County Tournament title since 2014, as well as the Non-Public North B finals, where they lost to Immaculate Conception of Montclair, which is closing at the end of the school year.

Unfortunately – for us, not her! – Gill is on Spring Break this week and next, and Malou-Mamel is back home in her native Ireland, where coach Mark Gnapp says she often disconnects and recharges. So we had Gnapp speak on her behalf to talk about her season and career at Gill.

Click below to hear Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp talk about Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Somerset County Girls’ Player of the Year Gandy Malou-Mamel:

Here are our Honorable Mentions for Somerset County Girls’ Player of the Year:

Aleah Sunkins, Franklin: Sunkins had an impressive freshman campaign, and there was no hint of a sophomore slump in 2024-25. While Precious Wheeler is a tenacious defender, Sunkins averaged 15.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds in her second season as a varsity starter, and eight double-doubles this season for a squad that may have gone 11-16 this year, but they also played in perhaps the toughest girls’ basketball division in the state, losing three times to Gill St. Bernard’s and twice to Rutgers Prep – both state sectional finalists – as well as twice to Hillsborough, the state Group 4 champs and No. 4 team in the final statewide rankings. That’s seven losses – almost half their overall total – to state-ranked teams just in their division alone.
Francesca Schiro, Hillbsorough: A talented all-around team, the Raiders don’t do what they did without “Cesci.” With back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 titles, and this year the state Group 4 title – Hillsborough’s first ever – Schiro was instrumental in it all. This Siena-bound senior averaged 21.1 points per game this season, 6.3 rebounds, and led the tea, in assists (156) and steals (120). She was the undisputed leader of the team, and had big buckets down the stretch of the state finals against West Orange, along with fellow senior Mya Loniewski.
Taylor Francis, Pingry: The all-time leading scorer in school history, she finishes with 1,793 points before heading off to Georgetown to play softball. She averaged 27.3 points per game this year, with 66 treys, on a team that went 19-8 this season, and won the Skyland Conference Raritan Division by running the table to a 10-0 record.
Ava LaMonica, Rutgers Prep: Just a junior, it just seems like LaMonica has been an Argonaut for the last five years. A fierce competitor not afraid to hit the deck if she’s fouled hard or diving for a loose ball, she led a young, inexperienced group with 65 steals this season while averaging 13.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. And if the band stays together – last year’s team lost three starters to graduation, while another moved to Florida – next year’s group, with another year under its belt – could be primed for something big.
Charlotte Taylor, Somerville: While junior Kaylee Lauber also had a fantastic season, and was the team’s leading scorer, Taylor gets the nod here as a senior who’s been consistent her entire career. Averaging 11.5 points, four rebounds, and five asissts per game, Taylor played the senior leader role to a tee on a 23-6 team that went to the North 2, Group 3 semifinals.

March 19, 2025March 18, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Another stellar year and CJ4 trophy for Montgomery makes Cougars No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten

They went further than any other Montgomery team ever did, and further than any other boys’ basketball team from the area in the 2024-25 season. And that makes the Cougars No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving boys’ basketball rankings this year.

Montgomery achieved two of the three goals they set every year: win their division, win the county, win a sectional title. They went 10-0 to win the Skyland Conference Raritan Division, and while they didn’t win the county tournament, they did win Central Jersey Group 4 for the second straight year, and made it all the way to the NJSIAA State Group 4 title game, where they fell to the No. 1-ranked team in New Jersey, Plainfield.

It was their only loss to a public school all season, as the Cougars finished 25-6, the biggest win total of any Somerset County school.

Check back later to hear our interview with CJSR’s Boys’ Basketball Team of the Year, the Montgomery Cougars, as we talk to seniors Christian Hill, Bohdan Biekietov, Braden Ginsberg and Kyryl Streltsov, as well as junior Ethan Lin and head coach Kris Grundy.

In second was Somerset County Tournament champion Gill St. Bernard’s. The Knights were 22-7, and though they’re in the same conference, didn’t play Montgomery this year. After winning the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 10-0, they beat Rutgers Prep in the county final, and went to the Non-Public North B title game where they lost to Roselle Catholic.

Colonia finished third at 27-5, with the most wins in the area, and they were the only team in the CJSR coverage area, girls or boys, to win both a county and sectional title. They won the GMC Red Division, the GMC Tournament over resurgent Piscataway, and took the North 2, Group 3 title for the fourth straight year, topping Mendham in an incredible home atmosphere. They fell in the Group 3 semifinals to Ramapo.

Fourth is Rutgers Prep at 20-10. The Argonauts made the finals of the Somerset County Tournament, losing to Gill St. Bernard’s, then reached the Non-Public South B finals – albeit shorthanded, without 6′ 7″ Andrew Kretkowski and 6′ 11″ Logan Franz – falling to St. Rose of Belmar.

Piscataway finished at No. 5, checking in at 24-6. They finished second to Colonia in the GMC Red under first-year head coach Bob Turco, and made it to the GMC Tournament finals, where they lost to the Patriots.

Ridge (22-7) comes in at No. 6, while GMC White Division Champion Sayreville (18-12) finished seventh.

St. Thomas Aquinaa (15-12) finished eighth, followed by two Somerset County schools: Immaculata (20-8) joins the rankings at No. 9, while Somerville (16-6) rounds out the list at No. 10.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Final Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for 2024-25: