Tag: girls’ basketball

by Mike Pavlichko

Despite different records, the similarities between Middlesex and No. 6 Colonia – who square off Tuesday night – are striking

Both programs had star players who set school scoring records. Both have had to deal with the graduation of those players, Matti Chiera and Taylor Derkack for Colonia, Jess Devine for Middlesex.

Both have relatively new coaches, and both are figuring out life after some of their program greats, even if Colonia is a little ahead in that ride, with the Patriots are two years removed from their stars, while Middlesex is in its first year since.

Jill Bachonski – a Hall of Famer at William Paterson, where Chiera now is a junior playing alongside ex-GMC standouts like Leilani Pinder of South Brunswick and Olivia Smart of Edison – took over the head job two years ago, when Matti Chiera’s mom, Sandi, stepped down.

They got through a 7-20 season last year, but that experience has turned into gold this year: a 9-0 start and the No. 6 ranking in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Middlesex is 6-4 after starting 0-3, then winning six straight before a 61-35 loss Monday night at Hightstown. But they’re figuring it out.

You can hear Tuesday evening’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame starting at 4:45, and tip-off at 5 pm. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action; click here to listen.

The first time around, when the two teams met five days before Christmas in Colonia, the Patriots jumped out to a 15-8 first quarter lead and were up eleven at the half.

But that was the third game of the 0-3 streak to start the season for the Blue Jays, and rookie head coach Zakiya Beckles – a 27-year-old Middlesex alum who was an assistant under previous coach Stew Lester – says that was still a period where her team was working some things out.

Beckles says it took a little longer with only eight players on the varsity squad, which makes it difficult to have live game-like action in practice.

Their top two scorers are sophomores. Avery Iskra is averaging just a shade under 14 points per game and 7.6 boards per contest, leading the team in both categories, along with 15 blocks and 32 steals, also team bests. Taylor Lawrence is averaging almost nine points a game. The Blue Jays’ scoring is more balanced this year.

The same can be said for Colonia, whose top scorer also is a sophomore. Ariana Sosa leads the team with 12.3 points per game, 16 treys, 23 steals, and 27 assists.

Middlesex has one senior, Alyssa Young, averaging 7.8 points a game, while Colonia has two, but only one in the starting five: Nashaleah Hooker, scoring at a 10.7 clip, with a team-best 13.4 rebounds per game, and five double-doubles.

Click below to hear preview interviews from both head coaches with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Colonia head coach Jill Bachonski
Middlesex head coach Zakiya Beckles

by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Hoops Roundup: No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s boys make case for No. 1 with win over No. 3 Rutgers Prep, Montgomery back to winning; Colonia, Bernards girls stay unbeaten

It’s official: we’re in the thick of high school basketball season.

And we’re nearly at the midpoint of the regular season, considering we’re about a month in for most teams, and in the CJSR coverage area, the county seedings are a little less than a month away.

Here’s a look at games of note from Saturday afternoon/evening:

Gill tops Prep; Will Knights be No. 1?

It was a weak of heavy-hitters going at it in Somerset County this week, starting with Rutgers Prep’s win over Montgomery on Tuesday, the second straight loss for the Cougars. Gill St. Bernard’s beat them on Thursday, leaving the race for the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament mostly between those two.

Bridgewater-Raritan might have been in the mix, heading into Thursday’s home game against Immaculata at 8-0, but the Panthers took their first loss of the season that night, and Rutgers Prep got upset by Pingry.

Still, the Argonauts had a shot with a head-to-head at Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday afternoon. It was a tight one, with the Knights even trailing with five minutes and change left. But in the end, a career high night of 33 points – and ten rebounds – from Prosper Highlander, the Knights triumphed, 90-84.

That should give the Knights the inside track at the top seed in the SCT. With the seeding meeting on Monday, January 26th, all eyes will be on Gill this week, as the No. 1 spot is basically theirs to lose. But they will have to deal with the Big Blue on Tuesday, a game the Knights will host at 7 pm.

Gill gets Bridgewater on the road Thursday at 5:30 (the Panthers host Rutgers Prep Tuesday) but won’t get Immaculata – which beat the Panthers – until Tuesday, the 27th, after the seeding meeting.

Montgomery boys back on the winning track…

The Cougars always play tough competition – in their own league and out of conference – but this week ran into quite the buzzsaw. After an 8-0 start, they lost by two to Linden in the Warrior Classic at Manasquan, a close game Kris Grundy said was just a great game anyone could have won.

He was not as happy against Rutgers Prep, saying in a pre-game interview for Thursday’s meeting with Gill St. Bernard’s that they got out of their game a bit against the Argonauts. And pretty much the same thing happened Thursday against the Knights.

So, it was good to be home on Saturday for their annual Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout, where they picked up a win against a solid, 8-2 Overbrook team out of the Tri-County Conference. Mike Simborsko scored 19 points, while Connor Benedict added 15 for the Cougars, who are now 9-3 on the season and get a bit of an easier week coming up, with Hillsborough – a solid 7-3, but not on a par with Linden, Prep or Gill – on Tuesday, and Phillipsburg (1-7) on Thursday.

Colonia girls are back on the map

The Colonia girls’ basketball team had some grand times when Taylor Derkack and Mattie Chiera were on the floor, after Chiera graduated in 2023 and Derkack in 2024, the Patriots struggled to a 7-20 year in 2024-25 under first-year head coach Jill Bachonski.

Well, that’s a distant memory now, as Colonia has already surpassed last year’s win total and is undefeated: 9-0 on the season. Some wins have been on the close side, like a 59-58 victory where they held off a late surge by Spotswood, and a six-point win over Montclair on the first day of the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament up at Kearney, which they won. They also have biggger-margin wins over Edison (twice), and even Old Bridge on Saturday, 62-38.

And while Derkack and Chiera were clearly the stars a few years ago, this team is balanced, and young, so they’ll be together a while.

Sophomore Ariana Sosa is the leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, with a team best 16 treys, and 7.3 rebounds per game. Nasaleah Hooker – the only senior and one of two holdovers from the Derkack-Chiera era – is next at 10.7 points and 13.4 boards per contest. Freshman Samantha Howell is averaging 9.8 per game, and junior Hailey Conklin – the other holdout with Hooker – is averaging almost nine points per game.

That’s balance.

We’ll get our first look at Colonia on Tuesday night this coming week, when the Patriots travel to Middlesex for a 5 pm Red National Division game.

Bernards girls also remain perfect…

There’s just one unbeaten team left in the Somerset County – in fact, in the entire Skyland Conference – and it’s not Rutgers Prep, nor Gill St. Bernard’s nor even Bound Brook.

It’s the Bernards Mountaineers. They’re 8-0 after a 53-32 cruise past non-conference foe Hanover Park at home on Saturday afternoon.

Bernards won the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metcuhen back in December. (Source: @Bernards_GBball on Twitter)

They’re a low-scoring team, averaging just 43.1 points per game, but they’re allowing a paltry 31.6 per game. So they’re winning by almost a dozen every time out and have been amazingly consistent: They won their opener by four, their most recent game by 21, but in between by 16, 14, 15, and then three straight games by eleven.

Senior and thousand-point scorer Aletha Reynolds (1,181 career points) is a four-year starter, and averaging 14.6 points per game this season, with three double-doubles already. Junior Jasmine Kelleher (9 ppg) and freshman Jane Freisen (8.2 ppg) have also been key.

Tuesday night will be a big matchup for the Mountaineers, their first meeting of the year – and only one before the SCT seeding – with Somerville (9-2), on the road, Tuesday night at 5:30.

by Mike Pavlichko

South Plainfield girls score in bunches, presses way to 61-37 home win, and sweep of JP Stevens

The first time these two girls’ basketball teams met, South Plainfield came away with a ten-point win in North Edison over JP Stevens, 43-33. They did it on the strength of a 14-2 first quarter.

Tuesday night in the back-end of the series, the Tigers went even further, using a 21-7 first quarter – 12 of those points coming from excellent sophomore Jiselle Lennon – en route to a 61-37 GMC White American Division win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio

Lennon finished with 24 points, a new career high, while MaKenzie Harris also had a career best, scoring 18. The Tigers (3-4) hit eight triples in the game, all coming in the first half.

For their part, while the South Plainfield offense was clicking, the defense was doing its thing, especially with its backcourt pressure. They forced the Hawks into several turnovers: basketballs smacked away, or thrown right into the hands of a Tiger.

JP Stevens (4-3) got 16 from junior Aliyah Manley, including a first quarter triple, but no one else got into double figures, and only three other players scored.

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield’s Jiselle Lennon and head coach Alex DeVivo with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Group 4 girls’ hoops champ Hillsborough leads early pack for a top seed in NJSIAA playoffs, along with a host of GMC, Somerset County squads

We know, we know, the cutoff date isn’t for another six weeks. But we’ve learned a lot about positioning for the playoffs in high school basketball, and a number of teams are in the running – or holding the top spots – in the power points chase in their respective sections.

There are some notable alterations to the system this year. While there weren’t many classification changes, the biggest one is that the merger of Jackson Liberty (Central Group 2) and Jackson Memorial (Central Group 3). That leaves the new Jackson Township in Central Jersey Group 4, along with a host of GMC and Somerset County schools.

Also, a tweak was made to the power points formula. Last season, every game counted toward a team’s average. Now, only the best 16 will be factored into the equation. The idea is mainly to avoid hurting teams who played any struggling opponents on their schedule, which they might have no control of based on divisional assignments by their conference.

That said, here’s a not-too-in-depth look at each section, and where the teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area stand, based on NJ.com’s official calculations as of 11:30 pm on January 2nd. The NJSIAA Cutoff Date is February 14th, with seeding on the 17th.

Central Jersey Group 4: The first eight teams here are from the GMC and Skyland Conferences, seven from the CJSR coverage area. Hillsborough (5-1) leads the pack, with just over 0.7 points separating them from second-place East Brunswick (6-0), and a little further back from them is Sayreville (5-1). After Hunterdon Central (4-2) in fourth, there’s New Brunswick (4-3) in fifth, then Montgomery (3-2), Franklin (2-4) and Old Bridge rounding out the top eight. That’s a packed group, and if it doesn’t change much, should make for one heck of a bracket. Monroe (3-2) is in 11th, but a big win or two could quickly move them up in the standings. One thing to remember is that once a team gets over 16 games, even a so-so win could cause teams to jump as any losses they have likely would fall out of the calculation.

Central Jersey Group 2: Mainstays Manasquan (6-0) and Rumson-Fair Haven (6-0) are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams here, with the highest area team being Piscataway Magnet, which is 7-0, but sitting in fifth due to its weaker schedule than the others. South River (6-1) checks in at No. 7, while Metuchen (3-2) is at 9. Both could end up on either side of that top-eight line, where a top eight finish guarantees at least one home playoff game. Spotswood – also 3-2 – is in 11th, while East Brunswick Magnet (3-3) checks in at No. 13. Either could make a run, but the Chargers – with their schedule – have a better chance of gaining ground and getting themselves in play for the top eight.

Central Jersey Group 1: New Providence (7-0) and Keansburg (4-0) are the first two teams here, and around three points or so back of both is Bound Brook (4-1). South Amboy (6-1) and Middlesex (3-3) are in sixth and eighth, but it’s a tight pack behind them to Manville (3-2) in 12th and even Perth Amboy Magnet (1-4) in 15th and Highland Park (3-4) at 16, so any of those could make a move with even a slight jump in points.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: This section is led by Westfield (6-0) and Bayonne (7-1), but Bridgewater-Raritan (3-2) sits close behind in third. It’s not far back to sixth, where a string of four CJSR-area teams sit: Watchung Hills (3-2), followed by Woodbridge (5-1), Ridge (3-2), and Piscataway (2-3) in ninth. All are legit top eight teams, if they keep winning. Perth Amboy (2-3) could get there, too, even sitting in 11th, while J.P. Stevens (2-2) doesn’t sit that far back in 18th place; they’re just 1.8 points or so back of Amboy, and with such a small sample size, they could make a move. They’re at South Plainfield (2-3) Tuesday at 5:30 as part of a doubleheader you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: It’s a GMC team followed by a Skyland team leading this section: Colonia (6-0) followed by Somerville (4-2). There’s a couple points distance there, but the Patriots have looked very good (we’ll see them January 13th at Middlesex on Central Jersey Sports Radio), and Somerville is a scrappy team, too, that made the sectional semifinals here last year, falling at home to Cranford. Carteret (5-2) checks in at five, the North Plainfield (2-3) is down at No. 9, but right in the mic for a top eight seed. South Plainfield (2-3) sits in 18th, but is less than a point from being in the field of 16. It’s early yet.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: The only are team in this section is Bernards, and the 5-0 Mountaineers lead the section by a hair over Voorhees (5-0), by just .021 power points. Let’s just say they’re in the thick of things here.

Non-Public North A: Pinrgy leads this section with a 4-2 record, but by less than half a power point over No. 2 DePaul (4-0). They’re the only CJSR-area team in this section.

Non-Public South A: Paul VI (4-0) leads this section, with Bishop Eustace (5-1) next, then a pair of 6-0 teams: Trinity Hall and Red Bank Catholic. That puts St. Thomas Aquinas (6-3) in fifth, but still within reach of most, if not all, of the teams ahead of them. Mount St. Mary (2-3) sits in 12th, and Immaculata is 15th in the 15 team field at 2-6. But a couple of significant wins could change that in a hurry.

Non-Public North B: Mary Help of Christians (who?) from North Haledon in Passaic County leads this pack at 3-0, with Villa Walsh behind them at 3-1. Then you have defending Somerset County Tournament champion Gill St. Bernard’s (4-3) at three, but they’re not too far behind the others that they can’t make a move to that top-spot. It might just be taking some time for the Knights to mesh. Mother Seton (3-2) sits in sixth.

Non-Public South B: The top spot belongs to Gloucester Catholic (4-1) here , followed by Stuart Day (3-0), and Wildwood Catholic (4-1) before we get to the No. 1 team in the girls’ Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. That’s Rutgers Prep (6-1), of course, their lone loss coming in the Kevin Williams Holiday Showcase down at Toms River North this week against Red Bank Catholic. Wardlaw-Hartridge (2-2) is down at 11, followed by Calvary Christian (1-3) in 12th and Timothy Christian (0-2) in 13th.

by Mike Pavlichko

East Brunswick girls enter 2026 on best season start in nearly two decades, but things will heat up quickly in the New Year

As we all get set to take down the 2025 calendars and hang 2026 up on the fridge, there are just three unbeaten girls’ basketball teams left in the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Piscataway Magnet is off to a good start in the Blue National, 7-0 overall. Colonia has been a pleasant surprise in the Red National in its second season under Jill Bachonski. (We’ll see them next Tuesday, January 6th, in a girls/boys doubleheader broadcast live on CJSR.)

At East Brunswick, the Lady Bears are 6-0 heading into the New Year, and not looking back.

Granted, things will pick up in league and divisional play. Head coach Travis Retzlaff, now in his seventh season leading the program, has the girls taking that “one game at a time” mentality, and so far the results have been excellent.

They kicked off the season snapping an eight-game skid against Monroe, its first win over the Falcons since an early January victory in 2022.

They followed that with wins over North Plainfield, South Brunswick and Mount St. Mary, then took a pair of games down at the Holmdel Holiday Showcase, beating Marlboro and the host Hornets Sunday and Tuesday to enter the 2026 portion of the schedule unbeaten, and ranked fifth in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week Three Top Ten.

On the stat sheet, Sophomore guard Ava Catanho leads the way with 21 points per game and 14 treys on the season, and the rest of the lineup is pretty balanced. Junior Sophia Tannura has hit a dozen times from beyond the arc, and is averaging 11.3 points per game, while senior forward Julianna DeLosSantos-Branson is scoring at a 9.7 point per game clip, leading with 5.7 rebounds per game, seven blocks and ten steals.

But the schedule gets tougher quickly. After a Saturday home game against Piscataway and a trip across the Outerbridge to the Coaches Choice NY/NJ Staten Island Challenge, they’ll go back-to-back on the road against St. Thomas Aquinas and Monroe. Both those teams met in the GMC finals last year, and the Trojans have won five straight league titles; they’re the one everyone is chasing.

They’ll meet a rejuvenated Colonia later in the year, and even have a non-conference visit to defending state Group 4 champion Hillsborough on January 22nd, which can be heard live on CJSR.

One day at a time.

Click below to hear East Brunswick girls’ basketball coach Travis Retzlaff talk about the Lady Bears’ 6-0 start to the season with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Tuesday Girls’ Holiday Tournament Roundup: Unbeaten Bernards takes Artie Flaherty title in Metuchen, unbeaten Colonia wins a trophy in Kearny, while East Brunswick wins, stays perfect

Nearly two dozen girls’ basketball teams were in action Tuesday, the last big day of holiday tournaments, with much of the action compressed into Sunday and the first two days of this week, due to the big winter storm that hit Friday and Saturday across the Garden State.

Here’s a look at Championship and Consolation games in the four tournaments that wrapped up Tuesdya, followed by other events with round robin-style action.

Bernards knocks off host Metuchen to win Artie Flaherty final…

The Mountaineers kept their record perfect at 5-0 with a 39-28 win over host Metuchen (3-2) in the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament Championship Game. Jane Freisen scored 15 to lead Bernards, while Aletha Reynolds was a basket shy of a double-double, finishing with eight points and ten rebounds. Bernards overcame a 12-7 deficit at the end of one, down by six at the half, but they took a one-point lead into the fourth and pulled away from there with an 11-5 fourth quarter.

The Consolation Game went to Brearley, which beat Governor Livingston, 48-44 in overtime.

Jonathan Dayton Holiday Tournament at Dayton HS, Springfield

South Plainfield (2-3) fell to host Dayton (1-2) Tuesday in the finals, 50-34, despite a double-double from MaKenzie Harries, who scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds. Dayton was led by sophomore Maggie Hildebrand, who had a career high 18 points, was 4-of-5 at the foul line, and hit two triples.

Millburn Holiday Tournament at Millburn HS

Old Bridge (2-3) won the Consolation Game, 54-43 over North Bergen (1-5), behind a balanced scoring effort where no one scored in double figures, but nine different players got in the scoring collumn, led by nine from Faith Green and eight from Jessica Lane.

Host Millburn beat Union, 46-42, in the Championship Game.

Pete Tierney Holiday Basketball Tournament at Summit HS

Bridgewater-Raritan needed overtime, but beat Morris Knolls (1-5) in the Tierney Tournament consolation game, 38-36 in overtime. Amanda Ciser scored 12 points to lead the Panthers, and also chipped in with eight rebounds. BR led 24-17 at the half, but Knolss chipped away in the second to send it to overtime tied at 33-all.

Johnson knocked off host Summit in the Championship Game, 46-30.

Middlesex/Shore Tournament at Henry Hudson HS, Highlands

Keansburg (4-0) got a game-high 25 points from Gabriella Flanzbaum to beat South Amboy 55-21 and take the Middlesex/Shore Tournament trophy. The Lady Guvs (6-1) took their first loss of the season, falling behind early, 20-4 after one quarter, and 31-7 at the half. They were led in defeat by Valerie Figueroa, who scored eight points.

Meanwhile, South River (5-1) won the consolation game, defeating Henry Hudson (0-5) 40-16. The Lady Rams allowed just six second half points, and were led by Gianna Castelhano, who scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Zofia Morely added 11; each had three treys in the game.

Ravens Winter Classic at Robbinsville HS

North Brunswick (0-7) got a team-best eight points from Chloe Hardy in defeat, as they fell to host Robbinsville in the consolation game, while Allentown got by Hamilton West 32-21 for the championship.

Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny HS

Colonia (6-0) got a season-high 22 points from sophomore Ariana Sosa – who’s scored 34 points in the last two games – en route to a 46-69 win over host Kearny (3-1). Sosa hit three treys, and was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with nine. Nasaleah Hooker did have a double-double, though, scoring 16 and adding 14 rebounds, as the Patriots won the battle on the glass, 45-26.

Passaic Tech beat Montclair in the consolation game, 41-26.

Roselle Holiday Hoopfest at Roselle Park HS

In the consolation game, Carteret (5-2) got 22 points from Anilah Diggs and a double-double from Nadia Momoh – 13 points and 1 rebounds – in a 48-40 win over rival Perth Amboy (2-3). The Ramblers actually trailed 14-9 after one, but on a strong second quarter, left 24-21 at the break, then pulled away in the fourth. Izabella Pardo led Amboy with 26.

The championship went to host Roselle Park, which beat Linden, 45-40.

KSA Events Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando
Pink Bracket
Pingry 65, Westminster Christian 37
Mendham 35, Madison Southern (KY) 18

Pingry will now face Mendham in the Pink Bracket semifinals at 10 am Wednesday on Court 1. The other semifinal – also at 10 am, on Court 3 – will feature two teams that sound like they’re from New Jersey: Chester (CA) and Timber Creek (FL).

OTHER TOURNAMENT SCORES

Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy HS
Immaculata 65, Paterson Kennedy 26
Franklin 58, Morristown 41
Gill St. Bernard’s 53, Immaculate Heart 46

Holmdel Holiday Invitational at Holmdel HS
Manasquan 46, Hudson Catholic 33
Piscataway 61, Marlboro 53
East Brunswick 58, Holmdel 40
Mount St. Mary 58, Ranney 45
Colts Neck 52, Somerville 40

Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison HS
North Plainfield 39, Edison 35
Woodbridge 70, Spotswood 67

Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery HS
Delaware Valley 55, Belvidere 43
Watchung Hills 52, Montgomery 47

West Windsor-Plainsboro South Holiday Tournament at WWPS HS
Northern Burlington 40, West Windsor-Plainsboro North 28
West Windsor-Plainsboro South 51, JFK 19

by Mike Pavlichko

Updated Tuesday Holiday Tournament Schedule for GMC, Somerset County boys’ and girls’ hoops

Here is the updated Tuesday schedule for holiday tournaments and showcases in both girls’ and boys’ high school basketball, where GMC and Somerset County schools are participating.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Butch Kowal Tournament at Rahway HS
Scotch Plains-Fanwood vs. Matawan, 1:30 pm
Carteret vs. Westfield, 3 pm
Perth Amboy vs. Roselle, 4:30 pm
Rahway vs. Rumson-Fair-Haven, 6 pm

Battle at the Bomb Shelter at Sayreville HS
Consolation Game: Union vs. New Dorp (NY), 11:30 am
Championship Game: Sayreville vs. Immaculata, 1 pm

Cougar Classic at Montgomery HS
Montgomery vs. North Hunterdon, 11:30 am
Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Princeton, 1 pm

Anthony J. Cotoia Tournament at South Plainfield HS
Championship Game: Edison vs South Plainfield, 3 pm

Freehold Classic at Freehold Boro HS (rescheduled from Saturday)
Spotswood vs. Holmdel, 11 am
Freehold Boro vs. East Brunswick Magnet, 1 pm

Albert E. Martin Buc Holiday Classic at Red Bank Regional HS
7th Place Game: Old Bridge vs. Long Branch, 12:30 pm
5th Place Game: Middletown South vs. Ranney, 2 pm
3rd Place Game: East Brunswick vs. Red Bank Regional, 3:30 pm
Championship: Howell vs. Marlboro, 5 pm

Peter Tierney Holiday Basketball Tournament at Summit HS (rescheduled from Monday)
Consolation: Summit vs. Governor Livingston, 2:30 pm
Championship: Watchung Hills vs, Millburn, 5:30 pm

Roselle Holiday Hoopfest at Roselle Park HS
Consolation Game: Middlesex vs. Keyport, 9:30 am
Championship Game: Piscataway Magnet vs. Roselle Park, 12:30 pm

Winter Showcase at Paul VI, Wayne
St. Joseph-Metuchen vs. Penn Charter

Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metuchen HS
Brearley vs. Franklin School (Jersey City), 10 am
Metuchen vs, Voorhees, 11:30 am

KSA Events Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando
Grey Bracket
Pingry vs. Chicago Christian, 10 am on Court 2
Bishop Eustace vs. First Baptist Academy, 10 am on Court 1

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy HS
Immaculata vs. Roselle Catholic, 1:10 pm
Franklin vs. Saddle River Day, 2:30 pm
Bayonne vs. Immaculate Heart, 3:50 pm
Gill St. Bernard’s vs. West Orange, 5:10 pm

Holmdel Holiday Invitational at Holmdel HS
Manasquan vs. Hudson Catholic, 10 am
Piscataway vs. Marlboro, 11:45 am
East Brunswick vs. Holmdel, 1:30 pm
Mount St. Mary vs. Ranney, 3:15 pm
Somerville vs. Colts Neck, 5 pm

Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison HS
Edison vs. North Plainfield, 10 am
Woodbridge vs. Spotswood, 11:30 am

Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery HS
Belvidere vs. Delaware Valley, 1 pm
Montgomery vs. Watchung Hills, 2:30 pm

Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metuchen HS
Consolation Game: Brearley vs. Governor Livingston, 12:30 pm
Championship Game: Metuchen vs. Bernards, 2 pm

Sayreville Holiday Showcase at Sayreville HS
Consolation Game: Rahway vs. Monmouth, 10 am
Championship Game: Sayreville vs. Freehold, 11:30 am

Jonathan Dayton Holiday Tournament, Springfield (rescheduled from Saturday)
Championship Game: South Plainfield vs. Dayton, 2:30 pm
No consolation Game

West Windsor-Plainsboro South Holiday Tournament at WWPS HS
West Windsor-Plainsboro North vs. Northern Burlington, 11 am
JFK vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 1:30 pm

Coaches’ Choice Holiday Classic at FDU-Madison (rescheduled from Saturday)
Holy Cross vs. Snyder, 1 pm
Plainfield vs. St. Mary’s-Manhasset (NY), 1:30 pm
St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Westfield, 3p

Millburn Holiday Tournament at Millburn HS
Consolation Game: Old Bridge vs. North Bergen, 10:30 am
Championship Game: Millburn vs. Union, noon

Pete Tierney Holiday Basketball Tournament at Summit HS
Consolation Game: Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Morris Knolls, 10 am
Championship Game: Summit vs. Johnson, 1 pm

Middlesex/Shore Tournament at Henry Hudson HS, Highlands
Consolation Game: South River vs. Henry Hudson, 10 am
Championship Game: South Amboy vs. Keansburg, 11:30 am

Ravens Winter Classic at Robbinsville HS
Consolation Game: North Brunswick vs. Robbinsville, 12 pm
Championship Game: Hamilton West vs. Allentown, 1:30 pm

Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny HS
Consolation Game: Montclair vs. Passaic Tech, 9 am
Championship Game: Colonia vs. Kearny, 1 pm

Roselle Holiday Hoopfest at Roselle Park HS
Consolation Game: Carteret vs. Perth Amboy, 11 am
Championship Game: Roselle Park vs. Linden, 2 pm

KSA Events Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando
Pink Bracket
Pingry vs. Westminster Christian, 1 pm on Court 4
Mendham vs. Madison Southern, 1 pm on Court 3

by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Bound Brook takes early game in Crusader Classic, Rutgers Prep remains undefeated ahead of clash with No. 1 Red Bank Catholic

A number of girls’ high school basketball holiday tournaments played on Saturday, though some were postponed, and some had altered schedules, moving some games later in the day depending on the severity of the snow and ice storm that fell across the state Friday night into Saturday.

The Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery – involving the host Cougar girls, as well as Watchung Hills, Delaware Valley and Belvidere – was moved to Monday. And Red Back Catholic’s Showcase Bracket game at the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic at RWJ Barnabas Arena at Toms River North was cancelled, though Rutgers Prep’s game at 6 pm against St. Rose was still on the docket Saturday afternoon.

Postponed:

  • Edison Holiday Tournament at Edison HS (rescheduled to Monday, same times)
  • Jonathan Dayton Holiday Tournament, Springfield (rescheduled to Tuesday)
  • Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery HS (rescheduled to Monday, same times)
  • Pete Tierney Holiday Basketball Tournament at Summit HS (rescheduled to Monday, same times)
  • Coaches’ Choice Holiday Classic at FDU-Madison (rescheduled to Tuesday, same times)

Mercer County Community College Holiday Showcase at MCCC, West Windsor
Monroe 61, Trenton, 38
Hillsborough 67, Thrive Charter 52

The Falcons (2-2) got a season-high 21 points from Kiera Longo and another 14 from Sophia Rivas as they evened up their record at .500. Hillsborough (4-1) won for the second straight year at the MCCC Holiday Showcase, beating Thrive Charter behind a new career-high 19 points and three treys from Kayla Cebedo and as season-best 16 from Isabella Ruh.

Crusader Classic at Bound Brook HS
Bound Brook 49, Columbia 46
Union Catholic 67, Oak Knoll 46

The Crusaders (4-0) stayed undefeated behind a double-double from from freshman sensation Peytan Pugh, with 15 points and ten rebounds. It was her second straight, as she also had 17 and 10 against Pope John last Saturday in a 51-36 win over Pope John in the Shore Games at The Fort Athletic Club in Oceanport. Bound Brook will play Union Catholic at 5 pm Monday in the Crusader Classic title game, while Columbia and Oak Knoll will play in the 1:00 Consolation Game.

Kevin Williams Christmas Classic at RWJ Barnabas Arena, Toms River North HS
Showcase Games
Red Bank Catholic vs. Teaneck, 4:15 pm (rescheduled to Tuesday at 3 pm)
Rutgers Prep 58, St. Rose 17

The Lady Argonauts (5-0) dominated the Purple Roses (0-4) to stay unbeaten, jumping out to a 13-5 first quarter lead, and taking a 31-10 lead going into halftime. Senior Ava LaMonica led the way with 16 points, including two treys, while Hannah Fraser and Sophia Georgiades each chipped in 11. With Rutgers Prep in the “Showcase Bracket,” they face a set opponent in the next round and will take on Red Bank Catholic (4-0) Monday at 6 pm. The Caseys are the No. 1 team in the latest statewide rankings, with Rutgers Prep No. 4.

Ridge Holiday Classic at Ridge HS, Basking Ridge
Ridge 45, South Brunswick 21

The Red Devils improved to 2-2 with the win, while South Brunswick drops to 0-4. Ridge will play North Hunterdon Monday at 10 am.

by Mike Pavlichko

VOTE! Back for a second year, it’s the Central Jersey Sports Radio Tournament of Champions; You choose your favorite, and we’ll count down the Top 5 title games of 2025 on New Year’s Eve!

With New Jersey no longer holding the Tournament of Champions – which the NJSIAA did away with for the 2022-23 season – we still miss it. And you probably do, too.

Well, we’re bringing it back. Again.

For the second year in a row, we’re holding our own Tournament of Champions. We’re letting you, the fans, vote in our Tournament of Champions poll.

That’s right, you get to pick your favorite from the 13 championship games we broadcast live this season! (These are only games we broadcast and that were won by a team from the CJSR coverage area.) We’ll announce the winners on Wednesday, December 30th, then air the top five in order, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back on New Year’s Even.

You can vote now through Tuesday, December 30th at noon!

Vote as often as you like – now through noon on Tuesday, December 30th! Just click on the game or games you want to hear below!

Here are the 2025 Championships to choose from!
Click the links to read the game stories, then scroll down to vote!

BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

FOOTBALL

  • NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 Final: Phillipsburg wins its second straight North 2, Group 4 title, beating Montgomery 41-21 to take its tenth NJSIAA sectional title in program history.
2025 CJSR Tournament of Champions

Sorry, voting is closed.

We’ll announce the top 5 championship games later today, and they will air tomorrow – New Year’s Eve – on Central Jersey Sports Radio!

by Mike Pavlichko

Mid-Week Girls’ Basketball Update: Several small schools off to good starts, while traditional powers keep things moving along

There’s not much you can say for the old standbys, and this is when they get particularly challenged.

Just barely a week into high school basketball season, Rutgers Prep is 2-0, Gill St. Bernard’s is 1-0, and heavy GMC favorite St. Thomas Aquinas is 2-1. They’ll all load up plenty more wins as the season goes on, and maybe even a few losses as they fan out to showcases on weekends, bookending their conference slates.

But what about some of the smaller schools, or those not always in the mix? A few have gotten off on the right foot.

Fewer schools in Somerset County have played multiple games yet; in fact, of the Skyland teams in our coverage area (Somerset County), everyone has played just one game besides Gill, Prep, and Hillsborough (1-1). So, we’ll be looking more at the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Smaller schools tearing it up…

The way the GMC has muddled their divisions – going away from Red, White, Blue, Gold (and sometimes Silver) to The Red, Blue and White American and National Divisions – there are no more “small school” or “big school” divisions. But two smaller schools in the White National are off to good starts, with Metuchen and Carteret both 2-0.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 21-5 season, but have won their first two games of the year for the first time in thee seasons. They topped Highland Park Monday in their opener, 49-30, before coming back Wednesday to beat JFK, 37-21.

Victoria Zaniecki was the top scorer in both games, respectively. She scored 30 and grabbed 11 rebounds against the Owls, then put in another 13 – and recorded four blocks – in the win over the Mustangs. She’s now just 81 points from cracking the thousand-point milestone.

Carteret, meanwhile, outscored its first two opponents 94-21, beating Kennedy 44-13, and Timothy Christian 50-8 with balanced scoring throughout. Five different players have already scored ten ore more points, led by seniors Anilah Diggs (9.5 ppg) and Samatha Woode (8.5 ppg), while the team has 27 steals already, and eight of the ten players on the varsity roster have more than one.

South River on the rebound…

After a 2-23 record last season in Year One under head coach Nicky Curran – a year in which they lost 21 straight until picking up mid-February wins against Keyport and Woodbridge Magnet – don’t look now, but the Rams are 2-0.

And, going back to last year, have won four of their last five games. They beat Mother Seton 22-20 Monday in their opener, then took a 41-24 decision from Wardlaw-Hartridge Wednesday. Sophomore Arianna Perez leads the team in scoring, pacing South River with 16 points in their most recent win.

The Rams host Calvary Christian (1-1) Saturday morning at 11.

First three-win team is over the bridge…

Maybe, they know how to schedule in South Amboy, but with three games under their belt, the girls are doing just as well as the boys: 3-0.

They opened with a 24-9 win over New Brunswick in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games Saturday, then beat Woodbridge Magnet 45-24 Monday, and Perth Amboy Magnet 36-19 the next day. Junior

Gabby Evanski has been having a field day, hitting six times already from beyond the arc, and scoring 46 points in three games, while grabbing 30 rebounds. She had 8 points and 11 boards against the Zebras, flipped it against Woodbridge Magnet with 21 and 8 – including four treys – then had a double-double against Perth Magnet, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds, including 7-of-11 from the foul line.

Freshman Valerie Figueroa has scored 26 of her first 31 varsity points in the last two games.

The Tech School Parade continues Friday, when East Brunswick Magnet (1-1) comes to town.

Piscataway Magnet also is off to a 2-0 start, picking up wins against their fellow tech schools: 54-12 over Perth Amboy Magnet Monday, and 44-21 over EB Magnet Wednesday. Freshman Alaina and Alivia Tucker and senior Eva Hernandez all have 24 points scored on the season.