Tag: girls basketball

February 11, 2026February 12, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

It’s all chalk for girls’ basketball teams in GMC Tournament’s first round, as top eight seeds advance

They may have been their first games in this year’s GMC Tournament – as the teams with the double byes do – but all eight won their “First Round” games in the round of 16 Wednesday, with very few of them actually close.

In fact, only 8th-seed Middlesex won by single digits, just edging out nine-seed Old Bridge at home, 36-35. Otherwise, the closest margins of victory weren’t even close to single digits. That includes third-seed Piscataway winning by 17 and seventh-seed Monroe winning by 18.

One other game was decided by 20, three others by 30, capped by top-seed and six-time defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas winning by 44 over 16th-seed Sayreville.

With the first round down, the girls’ tournament moves to the quarterfinals on Saturday, which are no longer being held at a neutral site as in the past. Those games will be hosted by the higher seeds.

Scroll down for recaps of all eight Wednesday night first round girls’ GMC Tournament games, followed by Saturday’s matchups and time, if known. (Some teams may be waiting to see how their boys’ teams do, as that could affect start times if both are hosting.)

(1) St. Thomas Aquinas 83, (16) Sayreville 39: This one was over early, as the Trojans (19-5) hit the gas from the opening tip and had a 40-7 lead after one quarter over the Bombers (17-5). The second half was played with a running clock, as it started with Aquinas up 35 at the break, 63-28. Balanced scoring was the name of the game for six-time defending champion STA, as Lauryn Downing – back in the lineup after sitting out for a couple of weeks with a tricky ankle – and Kayla Navarro each had 16, while Trista Whitney and Jordan Barnes each had 14, and Liana Lopena added 11. Natalia Glazewski of Sayreville was the game’s leading scorer with 22 and 12 rebounds, her 13th double-double of the season, and sixth straight.

(8) Middlesex 36, (9) Old Bridge 35: The Blue Jays led 25-17 at the half, and found their lead cut to two after a low-scoring fourth that went 8-2 in the Knights’ favor, but they could never quite get over the hump. Middlesex (14-8) got 16 points from Kaylee Devine, who hit four of her team’s eight threes in the game, while Taylor Lawrence chipped in with 15 rebounds, just one shy of tying a career high she’s hit on three other occasions, and twice this year; it was her ninth double-figure rebound on the season. Kaira Panjabi was the leading scorer for Old Bridge (9-13), scoring nine, including a pair of treys.

(5) Spotswood 58, (12) South Plainfield 25: The Chargers (14-9) held the Tigers (8-17) to just four first quarter points, and only six more in the second period, to take a commanding 34-10 lead into the second half, as they more than doubled up South Plainfield. Kayla Lewandowski led Spotswood with 19, while Gabrielle Hill added 16, in her first full game as a member of the thousand-point club. Jiselle Lennon was high scorer for the Tigers, leading with 12 in the losing effort.

(4) Colonia 67, (13) JP Stevens 34: Three players scored in double figures for the Patriots (18-2), as they push to get back to the GMC final for the first time in two seasons, having made back-to-back appearances in 2023 and 2024. Ivana Gidado led with 17, while Ariana Sosa added 12 and Hailey Conklin scored 11; Nashaelah Hooker grabbed 14 rebounds, her 19th double-figure rebound game out of 20 played. Colonia led 53-34 heading into the fourth, then went for the jugular, keeping the Hawks entirely off the scoreboard in the final eight minutes. Aliyah Manley led JP Stevens (9-12) with 14 points and eight rebounds.

(3) Piscataway 69, (19) Metuchen 52: The Chiefs (13-7) got a double-double from Alyssa Iduh – 14 points and 15 rebounds, her 14th double-double of the season – in a game they controlled mostly from start to finish. Victoria Zaniecki had an all-around game to keep the Bulldogs (10-11) in it, going for a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds, plus three assists and five steals to lead Metuchen. Piscataway led by eleven at the half, and the game never got much closer. Caelyn Cook also had 14 for Piscataway.

(6) Woodbridge 67, (11) Edison 47: The Barrons (16-6) got a monster double-double from Angel Smith, who scored 17 points, but had an eye-popping 23 rebounds, a new career high for the four-year varsity player, and her first time topping 20 in a game. Laila Stanford also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Edison’s Angelisa Kearns was the game’s top scorer, putting in 22, 18 of them coming on six buckets from beyond the arc.

(7) Monroe 61, (10) North Plainfield 43: The Falcons (9-10) took the lead for good in the second quarter, buoyed by back-to-back crowd-pleasing threes from Vynavi Mokkala, then put the game out of reach in the third with a 19-3 third quarter. Kiera Longo led Monroe with 22, while Mia Marabuto added 14, including a 45-foot triple from just shy of half court at the buzzer to end the third. Layla Gutierrez scored 20 – including five triples – for North Plainfield (5-16) two nights after dropping 50 in a preliminary round win against New Brunswick. Click here for a full game story, complete with postgame reaction from Longo and head coach Brian Hinz, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

(2) East Brunswick 68, (18) North Brunswick 30: The Bears (19-4) got 17 points from Ava Catanho and ten each from Zoey Alexio and Sophia Tannura as they got out to a hot start, holding the Raiders to just two first quarter points, and led 31-2 just eight minutes in, and 49-8 at the half, in another game played with a running clock the entire second half. Ava Krzywdinski added ten assists, while 12 of the 13 East Brunswick players that got in the game scored. North Brunswick dropped to 5-19 with the loss.

GIRLS’ GMC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS – SATURDAY, FEB. 14

(8) Middlesex at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas, noon
(5) Spotswood at (4) Colonia, noon
(6) Woodbridge at (3) Piscataway, 11:30 am
(7) Monroe at (2) East Brunswick, 2 pm

February 10, 2026February 10, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Updated GMC Tournament schedule for Tuesday’s boys’ Preliminary Round, Wednesday’s girls’ first round

The Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament is in full swing for basketball, with the boys’ preliminary round set for Tuesday, and the girls’ first round – where the top eight seeds begin play – scheduled for Wednesday.

The boys’ first round takes place Monday, where those top eight seeds begin play against Tuesday’s winners, and both the boys and girls will move on the the quarterfinals on Saturday, with game to be played at higher seeds, after years of having neutral site games either at Middlesex College or other high school venues in the league.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live coverage of next week’s semifinals and finals, all to be played at Monroe Township High School. The girls are next Tuesday, Feb. 17th, at 5 and 7 pm, while the boys play Wednesday at the same times. Friday’s Championship Games shift later, to 6 and 8 pm, with the girls followed by the boys.

Here’s the definitive schedule for the next two days in the GMC Tournament, with team records and times, and projected next round matchups for the boys.

BOYS’ GMC TOURNAMENT – PRELIMINARY ROUND on TUESDAY, FEB. 10
(First Round will be played on Thursday, Feb. 12)

(21) JP Stevens at (12) Piscataway Magnet (17-4), 4:15 pm, winner at (5) St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 pm
(20) JFK (11-12) at (13) Middlesex (15-7), 5 pm, winner at (4) East Brunswick, 6 pm
(17) Carteret (9-13) at (14) South Brunswick (12-8), 5:30 pm, winner at (3) Colonia, 6 pm
(23) North Brunswick (6-16) at (10) Perth Amboy (20-4), 5:30 pm, winner at (7) Sayreville, 7 pm
(17) Monroe (5-16) at (16) South Amboy (15-5), 6 pm, winner at (1) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 6 pm
(24) Timothy Christian (4-17) at (9) Metuchen (19-2), 6 pm, winner at (8) Old Bridge, 5:30 pm
(22) Edison (10-11) at (11) Woodbridge (5-14), 6 pm, winner at (6) South Plainfield, 5:30 pm
(18) North Plainfield (12-11) at (15) Spotswood (13-9), 6 pm, winner at (2) Piscataway, 6 pm

GIRLS’ GMC TOURNAMENT – FIRST ROUND on WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

(10) North Plainfield (5-15) at (7) Monroe (8-10), 3:45 pm
(9) Old Bridge (9-12) at (8) Middlesex (13-8), 4 pm
(19) Metuchen (10-10) at (3) Piscataway (12-7), 4 pm
(11) Edison (7-15) at (6) Woodbridge (15-6), 4 pm
(16) Sayreveille (17-4) at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5), 5 pm
(12) South Plainfield (8-16) at (5) Spotswood (13-9), 6 pm
(13) JP Stevens (9-11) at (4) Colonia (17-2), 6 pm
(18) North Brunswick (5-18) at (2) East Brunswick (18-4), 6 pm

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

North Brunswick, Metuchen girls pull upsets in GMC Tournament’s preliminary round, as six of eight higher seeds advance; Gutierrez drops 50 for North Plainfield

There were two upsets in the GMC Tournament preliminary round Monday night, as the North Brunswick and Metuchen girls’ basketball teams advanced along with six other higher seeds.

Here’s a rundown of Monday’s eight games, followed by the schedule and matchups for Wednesday’s first round, the round of 16, where the top eight seeds begin play after receiving double-byes in the tournament.

(18) North Brunswick 46, (15) Carteret 31: Shiloh Connage scored a career high 22 points – including two of three at the line – en route to the Raiders (5-18) pulling off the upset. It was Connage’s second 20-plus point game this season. North Brunswick led much of the game, finishing the first quarter with a 13-8 lead, then locked it down in the final eight minutes, winning the period 12-3 to pull away. But that second half took a little longer than usual. Korbid Thompson of the King James Radio Network was broadcasting the game live, and tells Central Jersey Sports Radio there was an incident between fans that forced police to clear the gym, including his broadcast. It happened late in the third quarter. After the a long delay, the gym was cleared, and play continued with no spectators or media. The win also avenged a 50-43 loss to Carteret on January 30th.

(19) Metuchen 47, (14) South Brunswick 41: The Bulldogs (10-10) built a 27-14 halftime lead, but had to survive a late run by South Brunswick to advance to the GMC Tournament’s first round. After three, Metuchen was up 42-25, but the Vikings mounted a furious comeback, outscoring Metuchen 16-5, just falling short by six.

(16) Sayreville 49, (17) Perth Amboy 46: The Bombers (17-4) led 24-17 at the half, but had to survive a late run to escape the Panthers, surviving and advancing with a three-point win. Weronika Glazewski was the game’s high scorer, with 25 points, and finished with a double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds. She also went 5-of-6 from the line. Her twin sister Natalia also logged a double-double, with 12 points and 16 boards. It was their third straight win over Perth Amboy, all coming this year, along with two regular season meetings.

(9) Old Bridge 47, (25) South Amboy 12: The Knights (9-12) cruised in this one, holding the Governors to single digits in the first and fourth quarters – with five points apiece – and just two in the second quarter before shutting out South Amboy in the third. Marilyn Togun led Old Bridge in a balanced attack, finishing two rebounds shy of a double-double with 10 points and eight boards. Amira Farag added nine points and five rebounds for the Knights.

(12) South Plainfield 49, (21) South River 36: Jiselle Lennon scored 16 points, hit two treys and went 8-of-9 nine at the foul line in a well-rounded effort, as the Tigers (8-16) overcame a 25-23 halftime deficit to win going away. The tables turned quickly in the third quarter; South Plainfield outscored the Rams 14-6 to take a six-point lead, then pulled away in the fourth. Samantha Moench added 12 points and four treys in the victory.

(13) JP Stevens 63, (20) Highland Park 55: Aliyah Manley logged a double-double of 26 points and ten rebounds, going 11-of-16 from the foul line, and hitting three from downtown in helping the Hawks (9-11) advance to the round of 16. It was her tenth-game this season scoring at least 20 points. Aniya Maniar added 13 and a trey, while Siddhangana Nelluri added 11 and a trey. In an odd schedule quirk, it was the second win for Stevens over Highland Park in as many games, as they met back on Thursday, with the Hawks winning 59-38 before the Owls advanced out of the play-in round Saturday with a 56-25 win over East Brunswick Magnet.

(11) Edison 60, (22) JFK 26: The Eagles (7-15) cruised past the Mustangs behind 17 points from Kayley Smith, while Tahjanae James added ten, and Susan Oshinski scored nine, all on a trio of three-pointers.

(10) North Plainfield 79, (26) New Brunswick 38: Layla Gutierrez dropped a career high 50 points for the Canucks (5-15), as they built an early 23-8 lead after one and never looked back against the Zebras. Gutierrez knocked down eight treys for almost half her 50 points and had 12 two-point field goals, also going 2-of-3 at the line, and dishing out eight assists. Click here to read our separate story and hear our exclusive interview with Layla Gutierrez!

FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

(16) Sayreville at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas
(9) Old Bridge at (8) Middlesex
(12) South Plainfield at (5) Spotswood
(13) JP Stevens at (4) Colonia
(19) Metuchen at (3) Piscataway
(11) Edison at (6) Woodbridge
(10) North Plainfield at (7) Monroe
(18) North Brunswick at (2) East Brunswick

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Recap: No big upsets in GMC Tournament’s play-in round, as 8 boys’ teams, 7 girls’ squads advance

The 2026 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament for basketball tipped off on Saturday, a day after the seeding meeting, with 15 teams advancing to next week’s preliminary rounds, which will be held on Monday for the girls, and Tuesday for the boys, all at higher seeds.

Scroll through for scores and recaps, as well as a look at the schedule in the next round, and who each winner will face. Not all times for the preliminary round have been announced, as they are set by the host schools.

2026 GIRLS’ GMCT PLAY-IN ROUND:

(25) South Amboy 32, (24) Piscataway Magnet 30: The Governors (15-5) built an early lead and led 21-10 at the half, then held off the Raiders the rest of the way. Valerie Figueroa led South Amboy with 11, including three treys.
(21) South River 54, (28) Wardlaw-Hartridge 23: The Rams (18-5) cruised to a 28-10 halftime lead and never looked back, led by 20 points from Gianna Castellano, and a double-double of 14 points and ten rebounds from Arianna Perez.
(20) Highland Park 56, (29) East Brunswick Magnet 25: Valentina Kambitsis led all scorers with 19 for the Owls (7-15), who controlled from start to finish, and held the Tigers to single-digit scoring in each quarter. Dallas Kimball added 14 rebounds for Highland Park.
(19) Metuchen 47, (30) Dunellen 30: The Bulldogs (9-10) got a game-high 19 points from Grace Vanleeuwen and 11 steals from Lucie Pallota in a solid defensive effort.
(22) JFK 53, (27) Calvary Christian 37: Sanai Trotman had a game-high 22 points for JFK (6-18), which pulled the upset over Calvary Christian, while Kayra Bilgili added 12, all from downtown.
(26) New Brunswick 34, (23) Mother Seton 33: In a low-scoring first-half, the Zebras (11-9) trailed 17-8 at halftime, but roared back on the strength on an 11-3 third quarter, and outscored the Setters by two in the final period for the one-point victory.
(18) North Brunswick 69, (31) Woodbridge Magnet 8: The Raiders (4-18) never allowed more than four points in a quarter, and shutout Woodbridge Magnet in the final eight minutes for the running-clock win.Amani Carty scored 25 points in the win, while Milan Bourne added ten.

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE – MONDAY, FEB. 9

(17) Perth Amboy (10-7) at (16) Sayreville (16-4), winner at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas
(25) South Amboy (15-5) at (9) Old Bridge (8-12), winner at (8) Middlesex
(21) South River (18-5) at (12) South Plainfield (7-16), winner at (5) Spotswood
(20) Highland Park (7-15) at (13) JP Stevens (8-11), winner at (4) Colonia
(19) Metuchen (9-10) at (14) South Brunswick (2-19), winner at (3) Piscataway
(22) JFK (6-18) at (11) Edison (6-15), 5 pm, winner at (6) Woodbridge
(26) New Brunswick (11-9) at (10) North Plainfield (4-15), winner at (7) Monroe
(18) North Brunswick (18) at (15) Carteret (13-8), winner at (2) East Brunswick

2026 BOYS’ GMCT PLAY-IN ROUND:

(17) Monroe 72, (32) Wardlaw-Hartridge 40: The Falcons (5-16) controlled nearly from start to finish, up 10-9 after one and 26-15 at the half, pulling away in the second half.
(24) Timothy Christian 74, (25) Dunellen 47: The Tigers (3-17) had two 20-plus point scorers, while Nathanael Sleman hitting for a quasi triple-double: 22 points, 14 from the foul line, and 11 rebounds; he was 14-of-22 at the line. Julian Piniero added 24, including seven three-pointers.
(21) JP Stevens 53, (28) Perth Amboy Magnet 21: Pratyush Udupa had 17 to lead all scorers in the game as the Hawks (10-12) played solid defense throughout, holding the Patriots to single digits in three of the four quarters in the game. Rupert Yu and Toshwan Biswas added eight each in the win.
(20) JFK 68, (29) East Brunswick Magnet 56: The Mustangs had to rally in this one; down six after one, they cut it to four by the half, but trailed by seven in the third before a outscoring the Tigers 21-2 in the final eight minutes for a 12-point win. Kennedy (11-12) got a game-high 26 points from Grant Lorentzen, who went 6-of-8 from the foul line, while Omari Hill added 14 and went 5-of-6 at the stripe.
(19) Carteret 76, (30) South River 21: The Ramblers (9-13) ran away early, leading 46-14 at the half, holding the Rams to just seven points in each of the first two quarters, shutting them out entirely in the third. Qorey Carter led the way with 22 points and three treys, while Aaron Price added ten and six rebounds.
(22) Edison 76, (27) New Brunswick 48: The Eagles (10-11) led by three after one but a strong two middle quarters – outscoring the Zebras 43-23 – were the difference. Vibert Reynolds scored 20 for Edison to lead all scorers, while Ray Tavarez added 17 and Dheeraj Samparaboyina added 16.
(26) Highland Park 53, (23) North Brunswick, 38: The Raiders (6-16) got 14 points from Angel Rodriguez as they led nearly wire-to-wire. They held the Owls to just four fourth-quarter points.
(18) North Plainfield 70, (31) Calvary Christian 59: The Canucks improved to 12-11 and over .500 for just the second time this season with the win.

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE – TUESDAY, FEB. 10

(17) Monroe (5-16) at (16) South Amboy (14-5), winner at (1) St. Joseph-Metuchen
(24) Timothy Christian (3-17) at (9) Metuchen (19-2), winner at (8) Old Bridge
(21) JP Stevens (10-12) at (12) Piscataway Magnet (17-4), winner at (5) St. Thomas Aquinas
(20) JFK (11-12) at (13) Middlesex (14-7), winner at (4) East Brunswick
(19) Carteret (9-13) at (14) South Brunswick (12-8), winner at (3) Colonia
(22) Edison (10-11) at (11) Woodbridge (5-14), winner at (6) South Plainfield
(26) Highland Park (6-16) at (10) Perth Amboy (20-4), winner at (7) Sayreville
(18) North Plainfield (12-11) at (15) Spotswood (13-9), winner at (2) Piscataway

February 6, 2026February 5, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Somerset County Tournament moves into quarterfinal round this weekend as top four boys’ and girls’ seeds join the fray

Somerset County Tournament play resumes this weekend, with eight games – four girls’, four boys’ – all taking place in the late morning and early afternoon, with a couple of doubleheaders on tap.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have live play-by-play coverage on Saturday afternoon at 1:00, when the 5th-seeded Immaculata boys visit 4th-seed Pingry. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action with pregame at 12:45; click here to listen.

Scroll through for a look at the full slate, with notes on each game.

SCT BOYS’ QUARTERFINALS:

(8) Ridge (10-10) at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s (19-2), 1 pm: The Red Devils draw the top-seed here in the Knights, who beat Rutgers Prep 73-68 Thursday night for their 15th straight win. And Gill hasn’t lost to a public school in nearly two years, their last defeat coming at the hands of Montgomery on Valentine’s Day 2024 against Montgomery in the very same quarterfinal round of the Somerset County Tournament. Ridge, meanwhile, lost four straight in the middle of the month, but has won four straight since, including a three-point victory at Hunterdon Central Thursday night, 46-43. These two played back on January 6th, with Gill coming away with a 79-46 win behind 19 points from Prosper Highlander, with three others in double-figures. Gabe Kielb led Ridge with 14 in defeat. The Red Devils were 4-58 winners at home over 9-seed Franklin last Saturday in the first round.

(5) Immaculata (15-5) at (4) Pingry (11-6), 1 pm (LIVE on CJSR): The two met on January 6th, with The Big Blue coming away with a 64-59 win in Somerville that snapped a five-game skid against the Spartans dating back to 2022. Immaculata will want to come out hot in this one to avoid a repeat of a disastrous first quarter in that first matchup that had them playing from behind all game. They trailed 28-10 after one, yet managed to get to within one in the fourth before losing by five. Pingry had balanced scoring, led by Daniel Hall’s 14 points. Riley Gorman led Immaculata with 18. This might be the best game of the day on the boys’ side, as their first meeting was the closest of any of this weekend’s quarterfinal matchups. Immaculata beat 12-seed Bernards, 74-49, last Saturday in the first round. Mike Pavlichko has the call on this one, with pregame starting at 12:45. Click the link above to listen to the game live. READ A FULL PREVIEW WITH HEAD COACH INTERVIEWS HERE.

(6) Hillsborough (15-5) at (3) Montgomery (18-3), 1 pm: These two teams have split their last four meetings, including a 53-37 win by the Cougars in their first matchup this season, back on January 13th. Mike Simborski was the only one in double figures for Montgomery, but had a monster game: 26 points, and 6-of-6 at the foul line. Aaron Feath was the lone double-digit scorer for the Raiders, scoring 15 while grabbing seven rebounds. Monty had a tough three-game stretch to start 2026, losing to Linden, Rutgers Prep and Linden in rapid succession, but they’ve won ten in a row since, including the Hillsborough win. The Radiers have won four straight and 12 of their last 14. They beat 11-seed Watchung Hills 60-50 in last Saturday’s first round.

(7) Bridgewater-Raritan (13-6) at (2) Rutgers Prep (14-7), 1 pm: The Panthers have lost seven straight games against the Argonauts going back to 2017, their last win coming in their first meeting that season, 61-55. Only one of those losses was by fewer than ten-points, a 53-52 Rutgers Prep squeaker in January of 2018. This year’s lone meeting came on January 13th, a 72-56 Rutgers Prep win that saw William Brunson lead the way to victory with 27 points, including 4-of-6 at the line, with three treys. Richie Gardner led the Panthers with 14, going 6-of-6 at the stripe. Bridgewater started the season 8-0 before taking their first loss, coming to Immaculata, and is coming off a 49-42 loss Thursday night to Montgomery, while Prep also lost Thursday night, a 73-68 home loss to Gill St. Bernard’s. BR beat 10-seed Somerville last Saturday in the first round, 71-43.

SCT GIRLS’ QUARTERFINALS:

(9) Watchung Hills (8-10) at (1) Rutgers Prep (17-2), 11 am: A look at their season results, and the Argonauts have been as dominant as usual, but coach Mary Klinger is still looking for more from her squad, especially consistency on the defensive side. But this is a tall order for the Warriors, who have had an up-and-down season, but have never won or lost more than two straight all year. Prep has not lost to a public school all year. These two did not meet this year, nor did they play last year. The Argonauts won their most recent meeting in January 2024, 84-42, and they’ve won seen straight dating back to 2016. Watchung Hills’ last win in the series also came in SCT play, 60-37 in the 2013 county quarterfinals. Sophomore Hailey Benbow and four-year starter Ava LaMonica are the top two scorers for Prep, with LaMonica a gritty defensive player who grabs steals and rebounds with reckless abandon. Watchung Hills is led by senior Eleni Esposito, averaging 10.9 points per game. Both teams get a ton of steals. Hills crushed Somerville in last Saturday’s first round, 69-33, the largest margin of any of the four games last weekend.

(5) Bound Brook (19-1) at (4) Hillsborough (15-4), 11 am: This might be one of the more intriguing games of the day on the girls’ side, with the Crusaders led by freshman sensation Payton Pugh. She’s averaging 17.8 points per game, and has 137 assists and 181 steals, all leading the team by wide margins, and a big reason why The Brook has won 15 straight games since their lone loss, a 62-53 defeat at the hands of Union Catholic on December 29th in the Crusader Classic final over the holidays. The Raiders, of course, are the defending state Group 4 champs, and two-time defending sectional champs, winning North 2, Group 4 in 2024 and Central Group 4 last season en route to the state title. But they’ve also lost two straight, those defeats coming a week apart: 57-55 in overtime at Bernards last Thursday, January 29th, and 72-30 to Rutgers Prep this past Thursday. Junior Alexa Gaspar (12.1 ppg) and senior Isabella Ruh (11.9 ppg) are neck-and-neck as the team’s top two scorers. The two haven’t played since 2023, an 82-69 Hillsborough win and their last meeting before that was in 2017, a 55-34 victory for the Crusaders. Bound Brook beat 13-seed Montgomery, 55-20, last Saturday in the first round.

(6) Pingry (11-7) at (3) Franklin (12-7), noon: The Warriors have won the last four in this series, with Pingry last winning in 2024. In their only meeting this year, Franklin won 57-40 on January 13th, with a balanced scoring attack that saw four players finish in double-figures, led by Alivia Stewart’s 12, and six rebounds, while Kayla Duncan hit three times from downtown. Val Triana led Pingry with 17 in defeat. Franklin has won five of its last six, while Pingry has won three straight coming in. The Big Blue beat 11-seed Mount St. Mary in the first round last Saturday, 44-35.

(7) Bernards (17-2) at (2) Gill St. Bernard’s (16-4), 11 am: It’s been a long time since the Mountaineers and Knights last met – eight years ago – with Gill coming away with a 60-33 win in February of 2018. The Mountaineers started the year 10-0 before a non-conference loss to Roselle Park on January 27th, 67-52, then lost their first league game of the year Thursday, 50-37 out at Voorhees. Aletha Reynolds finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Gill has won two straight and 14 of their last 15 dating back to a post-Christmas win over Roselle Catholic in the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, a 50-20 victory. Bernards beat 10-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, 64-38, in last Saturday’s first round.

February 6, 2026February 7, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

As expected, St. Joseph-Metuchen earns top seed in boys’ GMC Tournament

For the second time in three seasons, St. Joseph-Metuchen has claimed the top seed in the GMC Tournament.

The Falcons are 20-1, their lone loss coming at South Plainfield, 55-54, on January 27th. The Tigers got the sixth-seed in the tournament. St. Joseph is the GMC Red American Division champ, going 7-0 in the division. On the boys’ side, the two Red, White and Blue Divisions only play once through the schedule with mandatory crossovers with the same “color” divisions

The top eight seeds all get double-byes to the first round with 32 teams in the tournament, after Somerset Tech opted out. After St. Joseph, 2025 runner-up Piscataway earned the second seed, followed by two-time defending champion Colonia, and East Brunswick rounding out the top four. Five through eight went to St. Thomas Aquinas, South Plainfield, Sayreville and Old Bridge.

Those games will be played on Tuesday, February 10th, at higher seeds, with times TBD.

The next eight teams get single byes to the preliminary round, with Metuchen at nine followed by Perth Amboy, Woodbridge and Piscataway Magnet. Teams 13 through 16 are Middlesex, South Brunswick, Spotswood and South Amboy. Those teams open play on Tuesday, February 10th.

Saturday’s play-in round will be played at higher seeds, with times TBD. The matchups are:

(32) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (17) Monroe
(25) Dunellen at (24) Timothy Christian
(28) Perth Amboy Magnet at (21) JP Stevens
(29) East Brunswick Magnet at (20) JFK
(30) South River at (19) Carteret
(27) New Brunswick at (22) Edison
(26) Highland Park at (23) North Brunswick
(31) Calvary Christian at (18) North Plainfield

Here’s the full 2026 Boys’ Basketball GMC Tournament Bracket:

February 6, 2026February 6, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

No big surprises in GMC Tournament seeding as St. Thomas Aquinas girls earn No. 1 seed

Winners of six straight GMC Tournaments, the St. Thomas Aquinas girls’ basketball team was awarded the No. 1 seed in this year’s event at the seeding meeting at Spotswood High School Friday morning.

St. Thomas has won those half-dozen titles under three different coaches, Brittney Griffin in 2019 and 2020, Joe Whalen in 2022 and 2023, and current mentor Tim Corrigan each of the last two seasons.

The Trojans are 17-4, and won the GMC Red American title, going undefeated in league play.The tournament seeding was a little different this year with six divisions and more crossovers, and no seeds were guaranteed. Previously, when the GMC had four divisions, each division winner was guaranteed at least a top eight seed.

After Aquinas, the rest of the top eight seeds went to East Brunswick at two, followed by Piscataway and Colonia, then Spotswood at the five, followed by Woodbridge, Monroe and Middlesex. The top eight seeds get byes into the first round, which will be played next Wednesday at higher seeds.

With only 31 teams in the tournament due to Somerset Tech, Timothy Christian and Perth Amboy Magnet opting out, teams 10 through 17 got byes in Saturday’s play-in round, and will play preliminary round games next Monday. Those teams include Old Bridge ninth, followed by North Plainfield at ten, then Edison, South Plainfield, JP Stevens, and South Brunswick at 14. Seeds 15 through 17 were Carteret, Sayreville and Perth Amboy.

Saturday’s play-in round will be played at higher seeds, with times TBD. The matchups are:

(25) South Amboy at (24) Piscataway Magnet
(28) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (21) South River
(29) East Brunswick Magnet at (20) Highland Park
(30) Dunellen at (19) Metuchen
(27) Calvary Christian at (22) JFK
(26) New Brunswick at (23) Mother Seton
(31) Woodbridge Magnet at (18) North Brunswick

Here’s the full 2026 Girls’ Basketball GMC Tournament Bracket:

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

How would a shot clock in New Jersey high school basketball really affect play? We watched four random games to find out.

With the NJSIAA’s full membership set to vote in May whether to introduce a shot clock in high school basketball, the debate has intensified among players, coaches, fans, even administrators.

While many coaches believe it would be better for the game – eliminating long periods where teams with a lead, or looking for the last shot of the game or quarter, simply hold the ball – those opposed often cite the cost of both the equipment and personnel, as well as the logistics.

How many times have you seen an issue with just the standard game clock, the score, or even fouls?

But we decided to take a look at this story from a different angle. Just how much will it change the game?

Everyone has seen viral videos on social media of teams with a big lead holding the ball for a full minute, or maybe two, or even more? Those seem to be the exception to the rule.

Nonetheless, we broke down a few random games. Three of them we saw live in person, with live broadcasts on Central Jersey Sports Radio. All games were completed in regulation – no overtime – and there were no running clocks, with the final margins ranging from eight to 24 points, a good spread that includes close games where one team is trying to come back and a blowout where the backups played the final few minutes.

With the proposed shot clock being 35 seconds, we took a look at any possession that got close to that 35-second range for any potential violations. Keep in mind that a) without a shot clock currently, teams aren’t focused on beating the clock, and b) the review of games was conducted through game video available publicly online. Since the shot clock on a made basket doesn’t start until the ball is touched by a player on the inbound – while the game clock still runs – it’s not always easy to tell with 100% accuracy when the shot clock would start, as digital panning by cameras like Hudl (the most widely used system) follow movement on the court, and the inbound in the back court isn’t always visible in the frame.

January 17, 2026 – Boys’ Basketball: No. 6 East Brunswick 73, Woodbridge 49

*East Brunswick visits Woodbridge on January 17, 2026. (Source: Hudl)*

The Bears had a big lead early in this one, which could have led to some stalling by the Barrons to stem the tide. And when reserves came in for both teams midway through the fourth quarter, there could have easily been some long possessions. This was the one game Central Jersey Sports Radio did not see in person.

1st Quarter: Woodbridge gets the ball with 59.6 seconds left on the clock down 20-6. A long shot is an airball with about 35 seconds remaining, but the Barrons get the rebound and hold for one final shot, a three at the buzzer that hits front iron as time runs out. That would have been a violation, giving the ball back to East Brunswick with the shot clock off with 24 seconds remaining in the period.
2nd Quarter: Woodbridge gets a rebound off a missed East Brunswick free throw with the clock stopped at 43.1 seconds. Down the other end, Jayden Cummings gets called for an offensive foul on a drive to the basket, and the clock stops at 7.3, which would have made that a 35.8 second possession. In slow-mo, the whistle blows at 7.3, but the shot clock buzzer would have gone off at 8.1. If the officials had replay, they’d see contact right about at 8.1 Without it, they’d have to decide which happened first, the foul/whistle or the horn. We’ll call it a violation, which would have bailed out Cummings on the foul
3rd Quarter: none
4th Quarter: none

Summary: There’s at least one clear violation here, maybe a second. Either way, what’s most notable here that in a blowout win by 24, even with backups in, there were no second-half shot clock violations. Both teams were working their offense.

January 22, 2026 – Girls’ Basketball: No. 4 Hillsborough 70, No. 6 East Brunswick 52

The Raiders led this one by 18 at the half, and won by the same margin, though the Bears cut it to ten on two different occasions in the fourth quarter. Hillsborough simply pulled away at the end.

1st Quarter: none
2nd Quarter: East Brunswick holds the ball for 61 seconds, from the 1:34 mark until a miss with 23 seconds left on the clock, with Hillsborough getting the rebounds, clearly a shot clock violation.
3rd Quarter: Hillsborough has the ball starting from the 7:15 mark, and runs it to about 6:34, when the ball is knocked out of bounds by the Bears, with the Raiders maintaining possession, scoring four seconds later on a layup by Morgan Bice. That inbound would have never happened, as the shot clock would have expired at the 6:40 mark. Another ‘Boro possession starting at around 4:48 on the clock ended with an Isabelle Ruh layup that would have been very close to a violation, but too difficult to tell without the actual clock.
4th Quarter: Hillsborough has the ball from around the 7:04 mark (off an East Brunswick made basket) to 6:45, when head coach Courtney Tierney calls a timeout. They eventually draw an East Brunswick foul at the 6:25 mark, which would reset the clock. That possession lasted 39 seconds, and would have been whistled dead before the foul.

Summary: At least three, potentially four violations – one on East Brunswick, three on Hillsborough.

January 22, 2026 – Boys’ Basketball: Sayreville 57, Colonia 49

This was a tight one throughout, and also the game where Sam Jones became the school’s all-time leading scorer, boys’ or girls’, passing Rhonda Rompola less than a week after breaking Steve Makwinski’s boys’ record.

1st Quarter: There was one close one here, as Colonia clearly held the ball for the last shot of the period. They got the ball with around 38 seconds left, and drew a foul on the baseline with about a second to go as the Patriots scrambled for a buzzer-beater. This might have drawn a shot clock violation, depending on the exact time the ball was touched by the receiving Colonia player on the inbound.
2nd Quarter: none
3rd Quarter: Colonia inbounds off a stopped clock at the 1:05 mark, and is called for a travel at the 29.4-second mark. This likely would have been a shot clock violation – assuming the shot clock and game clock operator were in exact sync – though with the travel call, it would have been a turnover regardless.
4th Quarter: none

Summary: Two possible Colonia violations, but too close to say definitively.

February 3, 2026 – Girls’ Basketball: No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s 67, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 62

*Senior Addy Platt of Gill St. Bernard’s puts up a trey against St. Thomas Aquinas on February 3, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

The lead in this one went back and forth in the first half, with five lead changes, and the Trojans led 28-24 at the half.

1st Quarter: none
2nd Quarter: St. Thomas inbounds the ball after a Gill made basket, and the shot clock would start once the ball is possessed on the inbound, at 37.2 seconds remaining in the half. At 3.9 a shot hits the rim; close, but not a violation, as the shot clock would have reset 33.3 seconds into the possession. The Trojans beat the clock by under two seconds.
3rd Quarter: none
4th Quarter none

Summary: Not a single violation.

OVERALL: In four basketball games, 128 minutes of regulation basketball, we saw four clear-cut violations in all: three in one game, one in another, and none in the other two. There were four additional “too close to call” violations, including one that would have resulted in a turnover on an offensive foul.

Ultimately, there may be other games between lesser teams – or maybe teams that play a different defense – that are low scoring and see a lot of long possessions. We looked at some higher-level games, with three of them featuring at least one team ranked at the time, and the fourth featuring teams that had been or are currently ranked. We don’t think it would have made much of a difference, especially since there isn’t currently a shot clock, and teams generally aren’t paying attention to the length of the possessions.

That could mean these games would have featured fewer shot clock violations than there actually were. But on the other hand, having a shot clock could lead to defenses forcing the issue more, harassing the team with the ball, or even some teams feeling the pressure of time ticking down. That could lead to more violations, or even more turnovers if the play gets frantic late in the shot clock.

But ultimately, coaches will adjust to that, and we believe the overall play will be better in the long-term as a result.

February 4, 2026February 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GIRLS: No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s 67, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 62

Third-ranked Gill St. Bernard’s got a career high 31 points from senior guard Addy Platt – all but three of which came in the second half, 14 each in the third and fourth quarters – to beat No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, in a GMC-Skyland Conference crossover game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the play-by-play from Gill St. Bernard’s in Peapack-Gladstone on February 3, 2026.

February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Addy Platt’s career game boosts No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s past No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, in GMC-Skyland crossover

In some ways, it was a tale of two halves.

While the lead bounced back and forth between No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone Tuesday night, it was the Trojans leading most of the way in the first 16 minutes of a GMC-Skyland Conference crossover.

That, despite the fact the game saw five first half lead changes.

One more came in the third quarter, and Gill never looked back, en route to a 67-62 win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Knights (15-4) – who had a 12-game win streak snapped back on Tuesday at No. 1 Rutgers Prep, got the lead back in the game for good on a team effort and an individual effort: the team getting the ball to senior Addy Platt, and Platt putting it through the net nearly every time she touched it.

The elder Platt finished with a new career high of 31 points. Held to just three first quarter points – all in the first quarter – she scored 14 in the third quarter, including a trey, and added 14 more in the fourth.

If big players make big plays in big games, Addy Platt is a big-time player.

Her younger sister, Kaity, a junior, added nine, while Nadia Mikalainis came off the bench to score 12, including a pair of treys.

St. Thomas (17-4) – which will get the No. 1 seed in the GMC Tournament when it’s seeded Friday morning – was led by Jordan Barnes with 15, and Trista Whitney with 14.

Gill will begin Somerset County Tournament play – and defense of its 2025 crown – Saturday at home at 11 am when the second-seeded Knights host 7th-seed Bernards at 11 am.

Click below for postgame reaction from Gill St. Bernard’s senior Addy Platt and head coach Mark Gnapp, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: