Tag: Hillsborough

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough girls knock off East Brunswick, 60-49 in CJ4 semis, earn chance to three-peat as sectional champions

Tuesday night’s Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal for the Hillsborough girls’ basketball team was a roller coaster, and from the start they were a little out of sorts.

But by the second half, the Raiders figured things out, and the rest of the game was like coasting to the ride’s finish line on a straightaway.

It all amounted to a 60-49 win for second-seeded Hillsborough at third-seed East Brunswick, sending the Raiders to a third straight sectional final, after they won North 2, Group 4 in 2024, and Central Jersey Group 4 last season, along with the overall state Group 4 Championship.

Isabelle Ruh notched her 18th double-double of the season in 27 games – and second straight in the state tournament – with a 17-point, 15-rebound night, while Morgan Bice added 13 and Kayla Cebedo added 15.

Head coach Courtney Tierney said with Gaspar out, some players had to slip into different roles, and it took a little while to get accustomed to that. But once they did, the Raiders (21-6) looked like the championship team they’ve been the last two seasons.

But they will have a stiff test Thursday night in the final at top-seed Franklin. To begin with, the game was moved one day earlier to accommodate a state wrestling event Franklin is hosting on Friday. Tip-off will be 6 pm.

That also means they’ll have one less day to prepare for the Warriors (21-8), who beat them in their only regular season meeting this year, 72-44, back on January 6th in Hillsborough.

East Brunswick’s season ended at 23-6. Sophomore Ava Catanho finished with 17 points – tying Ruh for game-high honors – and added nine rebounds.

Click below to hear postgame comments from Hillsborough girls’ basketball coach Courtney Tierney with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

In tale of two halves, Hillsborough boys pull away from Jackson Twp. in third quarter, clinches first sectional final berth in 11 years with 73-44 win in CJ4 semifinals

If you watched the first half of top-seed Hillsborough’s Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal against fifth-seed Jackson Township Tuesday night, then left and looked at the final score later, you might wonder what in the world happened.

Or think it was a typo.

Well, it wasn’t. In fact, for the Raiders, it was picture perfect and nearly flawless.

The first half saw seven ties, at two, six, eight, ten, 12, 14, then – after Jackson took a six point lead and threatened to pull away – at 28-28 late in the half. Hillsborough led by two at the break, 30-28.

In the second half, things just changed. The Raiders hit more shots, clamped down on defense, and – when Jackson did get to the basket – made them miss, and scooped up rebounds, then got in transition and scored. That all fueled a 19-6 third quarter for ‘Boro, and ultimately a 73-44 win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bigger than a win, it got the Raiders back to a sectional final for the first time since they pulled off a miraculous run in 2015, when they were 11-12 heading into the state tourney, but won the Central Jersey Group 4 title, stunning Freehold Township on the road, 66-58, with a team led by late head coach Ian Progin.

Sophomores Aaron Feath and Layne Pawlowski each had game-highs of 15 points in the win, with Feath coring ten after the break, and Pawlowski 13. Aaron also hit a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third to give his team a 49-34 advantage, it’s biggest of the game at that point. They led by 27 later, in the fourth.

Another tenth-grader, point guard Jack Toth, ran the offense like a well-oiled machine, and finished with 13, all in the first half.

The win puts top-seed Hillsborough (22-7) in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game Friday night at home against third-seed Montgomery (24-4), which beat second-seed Marlboro on the road Tuesday night, 61-49.

The Cougars are the two-time defending champions in the section, and beat Hillsborough twice this year: 53-37 on January 13th in the regular season, and 53-38 on February 7th in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough sophomore Aaron Feath and head coach Tim Palek, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Newly state-ranked Hillsborough seeks first sectional finals berth when top-seeded Raiders host Jackson Twp. in CJ4 semis

The 2013-14 Hillsborough boys’ basketball team will be remembered as one of the greats in school history, going 22-3 and beating Gill St. Bernard’s to win the Somerset County Tournament championship.

But the 2014-15 team was a pleasant surprise.

While they didn’t get close to winning the SCT that year, they made an improbably run in the state tournament, stunning Freehold Township on the road in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game. Their record at the time was 15-12, and they were knocked out in the state semifinals a few nights later by Cherry Hill East.

Tuesday night, the Raiders – the top seed in Central 4 this season – will look to get back to a title game for the first time since 2015 when they play fifth-seed Jackson Township out of the Shore Conference. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with tip-off set for 5:30 and pregame starting around 5:15. Click here to listen.

Hillsborough (21-7) picked up its first state ranking in years last week, checking in at No. 20, and this week is up to 19. They have a signature win over Rutgers Prep, which came late in the season, on February 10th, right after losing at Montgomery in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.

That’s a Montgomery team they could face again in the finals, but one game at a time.

The Raiders are led by sophomore Aaron Feath, who’s averaging nearly 19 points per game, while his older brother Derek, a senior, keeps adding to a school record for three-pointers in a single season, now at 77 and counting.

Meanwhile, Jackson Twp. (18-6) began the season in a unique situation, with the talents of the district’s two former schools, Jackson Liberty and Jackson Memorial coming together. Declining enrollment led the announcement last spring the two schools would merge this year, and use the Jackson Liberty campus.

That left Jackson Memorial coach Randy Holmes taking on some Liberty players, as well as head coach Don Connor, who’s an assistant. But the starting five is essentially Memorial’s starting five from last year. The Jaguars are led by senior George Boley – a two-time transfer who started out at Roselle Catholic, then followed Dave Boff to College Achieve before coming back home last year for his junior season. – who’s averaging 17.8 points per game. Senior Jimmy Pappalardo is second in scoring at ten a game, with a team-best 45 treys.

The winner moves on to Friday night’s championship game against either third-seed Montgomery or second-seed Marlboro.

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

Hillsborough head coach Tim Palek
Jackson Twp. head coach Randy Holmes

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of upheaval in Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ top ten, while Rutgers Prep on 12-game win streak stays No. 1

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten before the end of the year, Gill St. Bernard’s has edged up to No. 2, while Colonia and Bound Brook also rose.

Still at No. 1 is Rutgers Prep (18-2). Winners of 12 straight the Argonauts went 2-0 in the week gone by, picking up a Thursday win at then-No. 6 Hillsborough, 72-30, then taking their opening game in the Somerset County Tournament, beating Watchung Hills 73-30 at home Saturday in the quarterfinals. Prep, the top-seed, will take on fourth-seed Bound Brook this Saturday at noon at Franklin High School in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Moving up a spot to second is Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4), by virtue of their head-to-head win over previously No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, back on Tuesday, a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a 66-40 won over Watchung Hills on Thursday, then a 67-46 win over Bernards Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Second-seeded Gill will play third-seed Franklin in this weekend’s semifinals at 2 pm on the Warriors’ home court.

The loss to the Knights sent St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) down one spot to third, coming off a rare 0-2 week. Their second loss cam Saturday at home to George (PA) 75-69.

Moving up one spot to four is Franklin (13-7). The Warriors lost Wednesday at Morris Catholic 63-51, but bounced back with a 70-50 win over Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, and a 54-33 victory over Pingry in the SCT quarterfinals. The third-seeded Warriors will play at home Saturday in the semifinals against second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s.

Bernards (17-3) dropped a spot to fifth after a 1-2 week. The Mountaineers started the week with a 55-11 win over North Plainfield, but followed it up with a 50-37 loss at Voorhees on Thursday night. Bernards was knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament by Gill St. Bernard’s on Saturday, falling 67-46.

East Brunswick (18-4) had a 3-0 week, and moves up a spot to six after winning five straight since a road loss at Hillsborough. The Bears won 78-47 Monday at Woodbridge, picked up a 73-59 win over Spotswood Tuesday, then were 37-22 winners at Middlesex on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 7 is Colonia (16-2), also up one spot, following a 1-1 week. They beat Monroe Tuesday, 48-45, but lost Wednesday at Piscataway, 60-54.

Bound Brook is also up one spot, to No. 8, after a big SCT win on Saturday. First, though, they beat Old Bridge, 57-24, on Tuesday, then routed North Plainfield 67-29 on Thursday before winning at Hillsborough, 54-47, in the county quarterfinals. The Fourth-seeded Crusaders will play top-seed Rutgers Prep at noon this Saturday in the semifinals at Franklin High School, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Hillsborough (15-5) falls down to ten after two losses this week, and three straight overall. Granted, all three have been against top ten teams, with the most recent a 72-30 loss to No. 1 Rutgers Prep Thursday, and Saturday’s loss in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, 54-47 to Bound Brook.

And holding in tenth is Woodbridge (15-6). The Barrons lost Monday to East Brunswick, 78-47, then came back and beat Sayreville on Wednesday, 62-57, and won Friday at Carteret, 66-55.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 9:

by Mike Pavlichko

Last Bellamy & Son Paving Boys Top Ten before season’s end sees first four hold, but rest shuffle as Piscataway, Colonia rise

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten before the end of the season, The top four teams remained the same, while most of the rest got shuffled around, with Piscataway and Colonia trending upward.

Gill St. Bernard’s (20-2) remains No. 1, having won 16 straight, including two games last week. The Knight edged No. 3 Rutgers Prep Thursday in Somerset in a potential Somerset County Tournament final preview, 73-68. Then, Saturday, they beat Ridge in the SCT quarterfinals, 71-53. Gill will play Immaculata at 4 pm this Saturday in the SCT semis at Franklin High School.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Joseph-Metuchen (21-1). The Falcons swept their two games last week over a pair of GMC opponents: Sayreville on Tuesday, 66-55, and at St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday, 76-38.

Holding in third is Rutgers Prep (15-7), which went 2-1 in the week gone by. Monday, they beat Watchung Hills at home, 93-54, then lost to No. 1 Gill St. Bernards, 83-68, at home Thursday night. The Knights bounced back Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, rolling past Bridgewater-Raritan, 85-58. Their semifinal will be Saturday against Montgomery at 10 am at Franklin High School, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

On a 3-0 week, Montgomery (19-3) holds in fourth, winners of eleven straight. After opening with a non-conference win at St. Joe’s of Montvale on Wednesday, the Cougars topped Bridgewater-Raritan on the road, 49-42. Saturday, they beat rival Hillsborough, 53-38, in the SCT quarterfinals, setting up a date with Rutgers Prep this coming Saturday at Franklin High School, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Moving up two spots to fifth is Piscataway (17-6). The Chiefs had a perfect week, starting with an 84-47 win Tuesday at Woodbridge. They came back home for a Friday non-league win over Franklin, 71-69, then won Saturday at Columbia, 59-51.

Immaculata (16-5) holds in sixth. The Spartans opened the week Tuesday with an 85-50 win over Pioneer Academy, but then lost to No. 8 Hillsborough Thursday night, 78-64. But they bounced back strong, rallying in the second half for a 72-28 win at Pingry in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Immaculata will play defending champion Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday at Franklin High School at 4 pm in the semifinals.

Checking in at seven is Colonia (14-8), rising three spots this week. The Patriots had a rough start adjusting to graduation and other losses, but have won eight straight, including four last week. After a 55-47 win over Bayonne on Monday, Colonia won 56-51 at Newark Collegiate Wednesday, 64-52 at Old Bridge Thursday, and capped it with a mammoth win at Wall, the No. 17 team in New Jersey, 52-46.

Hillsborough (15-6) holds at No. 8 on the strength of a 2-1 week. The Raiders beat Watchung Hills, 66-53, on Tuesday, then won at No. 6 Immaculata Thursday, 78-64, before falling 53-38 at Montgomery Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.

Down four spots to nine is Pingry (11-7), which lost twice last week. Wednesday, they fell at Franklin, 63-59. On Saturday, they got knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament in the quarterfinal round, with a 72-68 loss to Immaculata.

And dropping one spot to tenth is South Plainfield (13-9), which split a pair of games last week. After a 74-72 win at Old Bridge Tuesday, they lost a non-conference game to a solid Chatham team, 59-57.

Click below for the full Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 9:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of chaos in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten as Colonia, South Plainfield rejoin

Some big wins and tournament losses this week threw a wrench into the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings, with the list pared down to ten this week, while three teams dropped out, and two new ones took their place, rejoining the Top Ten after bowing out earlier this season.

Holding on at the No. 1 spot – and on a 14-game winning streak – Gill St. Bernard’s (18-2) went 3-0 this week. They beat Immaculata at home Tuesday, 89-68, then won a pair of games down at the Metro Classic at Stockton University. They beat Paramus Catholic 65-46 on Friday, then got a 67-53 win over Spire Academy’s (OH) International team.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (19-1) stays in second, mainly on its overall body of work, despite taking its first loss of the season at previously-unranked South Plainfield, 55-54 in overtime. The Falcons rebounded with a 56-30 win at Monroe on Thursday, a 58-52 win over Crestwood Prep (Canada) Friday at the Metro Classic, and a 67-43 win over New York Military (NY) at home Sunday afternoon.

Moving up a spot to third is Rutgers Prep (13-6). The Argonauts were 2-0 last week, beating Franklin 83-65 on Tuesday, then Salem, 67-55, on Thursday.

Also up a spot this week is Montgomery (16-3), which has won eight straight, including a pair in the week gone by. The Cougars topped then-No. 3 Pingry Wednesday, 68-54, then beat Central Jersey College Charter, 72-32 on Friday.

Down two spots to fifth is Pingry (11-5), which lost its only game this week, 68-54 to Montgomery.

Up one spot to six is Immaculata (14-4). The Spartans lost at No. 1 Gill St. Bernard’s on Tuesday, but came back with a 74-54 home win over North Hunterdon Thursday, then beat Bernards 74-49 on Saturday afternoon in the Somerset County Tournament second round. The fifth-seeded Spartans will travel to four-seed Pingry this Saturday in the quarterfinals.

At seven – up two spots – is Piscataway. The Chiefs beat then-No. 6 East Brunswick 81-74 on Tuesday, then South Plainfield 70-49 on Thursday, before falling 72-62 to Ewing in the Mary Walker Classic in Hackensack on Sunday.

Hillsborough (13-5) holds steady at NO. 8 after a 1-2 week. It began with a 54-52 loss Tuesday at Montclair, but the Raiders came back with a GMC crossover win over Sayreville on Thursday, 89-74, then beat Watchung Hills at home Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament’s second round, 60-50. Sixth-seeded Hillsborough will visit neighbor and third-seed Montgomery this Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Then, there are two “new” teams.

South Plainfield (12-8) rejoins the rankings at No. 9, starting the week off by knocking off the top -ranked GMC team, St. Joseph-Metuchen, ending its 16-game win streak to start the season, 55-54 in overtime. After a 70-49 loss Thursday to Piscataway, the Tigers rebounded with a 77-62 home win over Notre Dame.

And back in at No. 10 is Colonia (10-8), which has been improving all season long. After a 65-29 win at Monroe Tuesday, the Patriots beat then-No. 6 East Brunswick at home, 56-44, and completed a 3-0 week when they beat Roselle Saturday, 62-51.

The Bears dropped out to make room for the two new teams after a 1-2 week, also losing to Piscataway, but also beating St. Thomas Aquinas.

And the two teams tied for tenth dropped out, as well. Briddgewater-Raritan (12-5) beat Somerville Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament, but lost to Ridge on Tuesday. Somerville (12-7) went 1-2 as well, falling to Warren Hills along with Bridgewater-Raritan in the SCT, while beating College Achieve in the preliminary round on Tuesday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

Finally, some movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as Franklin joins the mix, Bernards and East Brunswick rise

It couldn’t go on like this forever.

For three weeks, the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten essentially remained the same, but that’s not the case this week. A number of top ten teams played each other, necessitating a shuffle, with a win by Franklin propelling them into the Top Ten and forcing a reset of sorts.

The Warriors had beaten Hillsborough earlier in the season, but at the time, were just 5-4, albeit with two of those losses coming to Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s, with the others coming to very good schools out of conference. But now, they have won nine of their last eleven, and we consider them worthy of the rankings.

Still, the top three remained the same, including Rutgers Prep (16-2) at No. 1. The Argonauts only had one game on a school day this past week, beating Gill St. Bernard’s 51-44 at home in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio to clinch the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. They finished off a 2-0 week with a win Sunday over Trinity Hall, 63-53, in the Coaches Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel, the Argonauts’ tenth straight win.

That same showcase was the site of St. Thomas Aquinas’ (17-3) only game this week, and they beat Rumson-Fair Haven 49-37 Sunday, for their eleventh straight win. They’ll be back at it Tuesday at 5:30 at No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s (14-4), in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, our final regular season broadcast of the season. The Knights played twice in the past week, beating Bridgewater-Raritan 76-45 Tuesday before the loss to Prep.

From thee to eight is where things shift around. Bernards (16-1) moves up three places to four, after beating then 57-55 back on Thursday. That was sandwiched between a Tuesday home win over Delaware Valley, 58-35, and a Saturday home win over Bridgewater-Raritan, 64-38, in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The 7th-seeded Mountaineers visit two-seed Gill St. Bernards in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Franklin (10-6) makes its debut at No. 5. The Warriors didn’t play this week, but beat Hillsborough earlier this year. Just 5-4 at the time, they’ve won nine of eleven and are 8-2 in the New Year, and make the rankings after Somerville dropped out.

Hillsborough (15-3) falls two spots to No. 6 after the loss to Bernards Thursday, 57-55, which followed a Tuesday home win over Ridge, 60-37.

East Brunswick (15-4) actually falls to seven, mainly due to Franklin’s debut and Bernards rising, but the Bears were 2-0 this past week. And their first win was huge, knocking off previously-undefeated Colonia 59-48 on Thursday. They also cruised past Edison 53-35 on Saturday.

Colonia (15-1) drops to No. 8 off a 1-1 week. After the East Brunswick loss, the Patriots rebounded with a 63-35 win over South Brunswick on Saturday afternoon.

Bound Brook (17-1) stays put at No. 9 on the strength of a 2-0- week. They beat South Hunterdon 71-19 on Tuesday, then beat Montgomery 55-20 in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The fifth-seeded Crusaders will visit four-seed Hillsborough Saturday in the quarterfinals.

And Woodbridge (13-5) also stays put, holding in tenth, on busy week. The Barrons went 3-1, with wins Tuesday at Highland Park, 66-53, and Wednesday at Metuchen, 58-43, before taking a loss at Piscataway, 51-43, on Friday. But they came back home Saturday and beat Perth Amboy, 64-41.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another solid week (25-2) for Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten again leaves no changes in Week 7 rankings

Maybe we’re just that good at picking them?

For the second week in a row, there was no change in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, with the combined records of last week’s ranked squads 25-2. The only losses were by No. 6 East Brunswick to No. 4 Hillsborough, and No. 10 Woodbridge to unranked Montgomery.

That means eight of the Top Ten teams went unbeaten in the week gone by.

That means it’s now seven straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (14-2). The Argonauts have won eight straight and were 3-0 in the week gone by. They were 70-17 winners over Ridge Tuesday, 66-27 victors over Bridgewater-Raritan Thursday, then beat Executive Education Charter (PA) at the More Than A Highlight Showcase at Franklin on Saturday, 65-35.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (16-3), which hasn’t lost yet in 2026 and is one a ten-game win streak. The Trojans beat Saddle River Day Monday, 61-51, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then picked up a Saturday win at Columbia, 83-45.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-3) remains in third, on an eleven-game win streak, and also unbeaten in its nine games in the New Year. Tuesday, they picked up a 56-11 win over Montgomery, then won 75-30 at Ridge on Thursday, before beating Virginia Academy (VA) Saturday at Franklin in the More Than Just A Highlight Showcase.

Hillsborough (14-2) holds in fourth, winners of eight straight. They routed Phillipsburg at home Tuesday, 66-23, then won a Top Ten clash with No. 6 East Brunswick Thursday, 70-52, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they crushed Union, 72-33 at home.

Holding at No. 5 is Colonia (14-0), the lone remaining team in the CJSR coverage area to be undefeated (and one of six remaining statewide on the girls’ side). The Patriots beat Passaic Tech Monday, 48-44, at the Jarel Lowery Showcase at Paterson Eastside, then came back Saturday with a 71-59 win over North Plainfield.

East Brunswick (13-4) remains at six, even after the 70-52 loss at No. 4 Hillsborough on Thursday. That defeat was bookended by a 57-16 win at South Plainfield Tuesday, and a bounce-back win at Old Bridge on Saturday, 59-41.

Bernards (13-1) remains in seventh, after a 3-0 week. The Mountaineers beat North Hunterdon at home Tuesday, 44-36, then won at Warren Hills Thursday, 55-29, and closed the week with a 29-26 home win over Mountain Lakes.

Holding at eight is Somerville (12-4). The Pioneers were 2-0 in the week gone by, beating in-town rival Immaculata at home Thursday, 50-40, then edging Princeton Day at home Saturday, 44-36.

Bound Brook holds tight at No. 9, sweeping three games last week. They won at Belvidere, 46-23, on Tuesday, then got a home win Thursday over College Achieve Central, 65-42, before picking up a 55-36 road win at Hunterdon Central on Saturday.

And standing pat at ten is Woodbridge (10-4), which opened the week Wednesday with a three-point loss at Montgomery, 55-52. But they bounced back with a 63-34 win at South Brunswick on Thursday, and a 68-32 home win over in-town rival JFK Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Few changes in Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, but Hillsborough joins the pack

Once again,m there were few changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7, as Gill St. Bernard’s and St. Joseph-Metuchen remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Hillsborough joins the back having won eight of its last nine games. No one dropped out this week, with two teams tied for tenth.

At No. 1 is Gill St. Bernard’s (15-2), winners of eleven straight. The Knights went 3-0 in the week gone by, with an 88-63 win over Hunterdon Central Tuesday, a 79-41 victory at Watchung Hills Thursday, then another win over CBA, 64-52, at the Big Jersey Showcase at Caldwell University Saturday.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (16-0) holds in the No. 2 spot. The Falcons won a pair of GMC games during the week – 81-25 at Woodbridge Tuesday and 59-45 at No. 6 East Brunswick Thursday – then followed it up with a 39-35 win over Coatesville (PA) in a showcase Saturday at Paterson STEAM

Holding in third is Pingry (11-4), also with a 3-0 week. The Big Blue were 46-44 winners at Phillipsburg Tuesday, then 71-53 home winners over Ridge on Thursday, before winning a non-conference matchup Saturday against South Plainfield, 54-50. Tuesday at 5:30, they have a meeting at No. 5 Montgomery.

Rutgers Prep (11-6) checks in at No. 4, after a 2-1 week. They won a GMC crossover at East Brunswick Tuesday night, 77-63, then won at Immaculata Thursday back in Skyland Conference play, 93-87, before falling Saturday, 74-52, to Roselle Catholic in the Big Jersey Showcase at Caldwell University, snapping a five-game winning streak.

Montgomery (14-3) has won six straight and holds in fifth after going 2-0 this past week. They won Tuesday at Ridge, 44-37, then beat Franklin at home, 70-44.

Holding at six is East Brunswick (15-3), despite a 1-2 week, but those two losses were to teams above them in the rankings. Tuesday, they lost 77-63 to fourth-ranked Rutgers Prep, then Thursday, lost to undefeated No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 59-45. The Bears got back on the winning side of things Saturday with an 88-55 blowout of Old Bridge.

Still in seventh is Immaculata (12-3), after a 2-1 week. They had a Tuesday 60-55 win at Franklin and a Saturday 82-71 win at Irvington sandwiched around an 93-87 loss Thursday to No. 4 Rutgers Prep.

Jumping into the top ten this week is Hillsborough (11-4), which has won four straight.They beat rival and then-No. 8 Bridgewater-Raritan handily on Tuesday, 53-35, then got a 67-41 win Thursday at Hunterdon Central before beating Ewing at home, 57-44, Saturday afternoon.

Piscataway (12-5) holds steady at No. 8, after a 2-0 week, with a big one coming up this Tuesday. Last week, they beat St. Thomas Aquinas 61-58 in Edison on Thursday, then won 82-46 Saturday at Monroe. The Chiefs are back in action with a big one Tuesday at No. 6 East Brunswick.

And Hillsborough’s debut this week bumps Bridgewater-Raritan (11-4) down into a tenth-place tie with Somerville (11-5). The Panthers lost Tuesday at Hillsborough, 53-35, then bounced back with a Thursday home win over Phillipsburg, 50-36. The Pioneers, meanwhile, lost at North Hunterdon Tuesday, 60-41, then rebounded with a 62-59 win Thursday at Delaware Valley. And the two will meet later this season, on February 12th in Bridgewater.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Raiders take fourth straight, as Hillsborough tops visiting Ewing 57-44, behind 22-point day from Aaron Feath

Four ties, six lead changes.

That’s some good, back-and-forth basketball.

All of that came in the first half, though, as this Hillsborough boys’ basketball team clamped down on defense in the second half and got 22 points from sophomore Aaron Feath – ten of which came in the fourth quarter – en route to a 57-44 win over visiting Ewing Saturday afternoon.

The game followed a ceremony dedicating Ian Progin Court, named after the former longtime boys’ and girls’ basketball coach who passed away last spring after a battle with cancer.

Feath scored 12 in the first half, helping his team take the lead back just before halftime as the Raiders used a 9-2 run to take a 32-28 lead into the locker room.

After an 8-7 third quarter – in which ‘Boro held the Blue Devils without a field goal for nearly the first six minutes – the Raiders eventually built up a 12-point lead with under two minutes to go, helping to keep Ewing at bay.

Junior Kow Quagraine finished with 16 for Hillsborough, including two spectacular second half baskets, one where he made a nifty move on the baseline, and another where he took a no-look, behind the back bounce pass from just a foot away after a rebound for the finish.

The win was the fourth straight for the Raiders (11-4), who have no won eight of their last nine heading into Monday night’s Somerset County seeding meeting.

Though they’re just 2-2 in conference, those two losses came by a combined seven points, back-to-back in mid-December: a 51-49 loss at Gill St. Bernard’s, and a 62-57 loss to Franklin two nights later.

Ewing falls to 11-4 with the loss, but for the Raiders, it’s a big power point pickup of around 39 points (not factoring in OOWP) for the state playoffs.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with Hillsborough sophomore Aaron Feath and head coach Tim Palek, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: