Tag: Hillsborough

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough renames court after late boys’ and girls’ basketball coach Ian Progin

The passing of Ian Progin last May second at the age of 47 did not come as a stunner in the immediate moment, as many of his close friends knew his cancer – first diagnosed in 2011 – had returned. He was living in hospice in his final days.

Nonetheless, it was indeed a stunner in the grand scheme of things. Here was a man who dedicated his life to his family, friends and his alma mater, who continued coaching not only high school basketball in Hillsborough, but also his son’s youth league, even while undergoing treatments.

Ian Progin seemed like he could beat anything. And for years, he did.

The longtime coach – who mentored the boys’ basketball team at Hillsborough for 12 years, and the girls for another four – was honored by the school Saturday afternoon, during a court naming ceremony in his honor between a girls’/boys’ doubleheader.

The ceremony was sandwiched in between a sweep Saturday for the Raiders, coming after the girls’ 72-33 win over Union. (Current head coach Courtney Tierney, now in her fifth season, was Progin’s successor.) And it preceded the boys’ 57-44 victory over Ewing, their fourth straight W.

PA announcer and head baseball coach Matt Mosko presided over the ceremony, after which a banner along the baseline padding was removed unveiling the words “IAN PROGIN COURT” in all caps, with Ian’s wife, Courtney, and son, Jeffery, sitting off to the left.

Progin was a 1996 graduate of Hillsborough High School, played college basketball at Widener, and later transferred to Rutgers as a walk-on. After his eligibility ran out, he joined the Sports department of campus radio station, WRSU 88.7 FM, where he was an analyst on basketball broadcasts. He graduated with a degree in Journalism and Mass Media.

He went back to Rutgers to become a teacher, and earned his Master’s from Rider, then came back to Hillsborough as a guidance counselor, also becoming the school’s head boys’ basketball coach. In his dozen seasons, the big highlights included an upset of top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s to win the 2014 Somerset County Tournament, then an amazing run to the Central Jersey Group 4 title in 2015.

Just one year later, he came back and coached the girls’ basketball team from 2016 to 2020, while also coaching gymnastics for three seasons.

Click below for video from Saturday’s ceremony, and scroll down further for additional links to coverage of Progin’s passing, including our original story and a tribute including fellow coaches and former players:

Former Hillsborough coach, Rutgers basketball walk-on Ian Progin passes away at age 47

More tributes pouring in for Hillsborough alum and former basketball coach Ian Progin; plus a one-on-one with Montgomery’s Kris Grundy, and a postgame chat after Raiders’ 2015 CJ4 title

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GIRLS: No. 6 Hillsborough 70, No. 4 East Brunswick 52

Fourth-ranked Hillsborough improved to 13-2 behind a career-high 29 points from Alexa Gaspar – including a 13-points second quarter and three treys – with a 70-52 win over No. 6 East Brunswick

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from Hillsborough High School on January 20, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 4 Hillsborough tops No. 6 East Brunswick, 70-52, as Lady Raiders take Skyland-GMC battle

It was the rematch of a sectional quarterfinal playoff game last year, one in which Hillsborough had cruised – winning by 34 over East Brunswick – en route to the Central Jersey Group 4 title and a state Group 4 championship, the first in program history.

That Bears team finished 13-14, but this year’s was much improved, coming into Thursday night’s GMC vs. Skyland Conference matchup at 12-3.

But this one also went to the Raiders.

In a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, No. 4 Hillsborough picked up a 70-52 win over visiting No. 6 East Brunswick, improving to 13-2 on the year, thanks in large part to a huge game from junior Alexa Gaspar, who finished with a career high 29 points.

That included 13 in the second quarter, in which the Raiders built a 19-point advantage, and led by 18 at the break.

East Brunswick would cut it to ten twice, with 2:45 left in the third, and 4:15 left in the game. But both times, Hillsborough countered with runs of their own, and never let the lead get back down to single digits.

Gaspar also had three triples in the game, while junior Victoria Leidl finished with 12, and Isabella Ruh had 11.

Sophomore Ava Catanho had 26 to lead East Brunswick (12-4), and was the only double-figure scorer in the game for the Bears.

The second quarter proved decisive, giving Hillsborough enough cushion to withstand a couple of second-half runs by East Brunswick.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough junior Alexa Gaspar and head coach Courtney Tierney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Huge Thursday night GMC-Skyland crossover has No. 6 East Brunswick at No. 4 Hillsborough in rematch of 2025 CJ4 quarterfinals

Last season – the only one in Travis Retzlaff’s first six seasons as head coach besides the COVID year to finish under .500 – the East Brunswick girls basketball team reached the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals.

Maybe they were a little early, but this year they seem right on schedule.

With their roster mostly in tact from last year – plus the return of a standout from injury – the Bears are now ranked No. 6 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, and Thursday night, they’ll make the return trip back to Hillsborough to face the No. 4 Raiders, who haven’t seemed to be affected by major graduation losses at all.

You can hear that game Thursday live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame set for 5:15 and tip-off at 5:30 pm as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the action. Click here to listen.

The Raiders are 12-2 on the season, winners of six straight, a stretch in which they have held five opponents under 40 points, and two under 30.

With the school’s all-time leading scorer Cesci Schiro now at Siena – after scoring 2,106 points, more than any boy or girl in ‘Boro history – and Mya Loniewski and Regan Bice gone, those waiting in the wings have stepped up to complement key returnees like Isabella Ruh, the team’s leading scorer (11.8 ppg) and rebounder (11.9), with 26 blocks.

Nevya Loniewski – Mya’s younger sister – returns, while Alexa Gaspar is chipping in 11 points per game, and Victoria Leidl another 10.1 and a team-best 32 treys.

But it’s Ruh – who killed East Brunswick (12-3) last year with 12 points, six rebounds, and a 4-of-6 night at the free throw line in last season’s Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinal meeting – who will be part of the key matchup to watch on the night, going up against the Bears’ Julianna DelosSantos-Branson.

“JDB,” as they call her, may give up two inches, but she’s the team’s best rebounder. She’d be a four-year varsity player except that she missed all but five minutes last season recovering from an ACL injury. She’d be rehabbing, and tried to get in an early season game, but it didn’t go well, and she missed the entire rest of the year.

Ava Catanho is the scoring star, a 5-10 sophomore averaging 17.8 points per game with a team-best 28 treys, but also ten blocks to lead the team, and 28 steals, third best among the bears.

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

Hillsborough head coach Courtney Tierney
East Brunswick head coach Travis Retzlaff
by Mike Pavlichko

Stability is the name of the game in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 6 Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

The boys have been all over the place.

The girls? Not so much.

It’s another week of few changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, starting at the top. Just two teams moved this week, as most teams just keep on winning. In fact, the top five teams are on a combined 38-game win streak.

That starts with Rutgers Prep (11-4) at No. 1, on a five-game winning streak. The Argonauts won a Skyland Conference game Monday, beating Phillipsburg at home, 62-13. Then, they won two at the Rose Super Jam at Nazareth High School in Brooklyn, beating a pair of teams from Massachusetts. On Friday, they were 65-50 winners over Dexter, then beat Newman 59-47 on Sunday.

St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3) remains No. 2, winners of eight straight. The Trojans beat North Plainfield 104-49 on Tuesday, then Monroe 80-31 on Thursday – both at home – before picking up a 76-54 road win at No. 5 East Brunswick on Saturday.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (10-3). The Knights pummeled Mount St. Mary on Tuesday, 52-10, then were 58-33 home winners over Phillipsburg on Thursday, their eighth straight victory.

Hillsborough (11-2) is holding steady at No. 4, having won five straight. Tuesday, they beat Hunterdon Central at home, 58-42. Then they won at Mount St. Mary, 49-30, on Thursday, and Saturday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 45-38.

Colonia (12-0) moved up to No. 5 this week, winning all three of its games: Tuesday, 46-37 at Middlesex – as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – Thursday at home against South Plainfield, 60-28, and Saturday at Spotswood, 67-44.

Switching places with the Patriots is East Brunswick (11-3) – now at No. 6 – after a 2-1 week. The Bears beat South Brunswick, 63-27, on Tuesday, then won 56-54 at Piscataway on Thursday. But they had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at home by No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 76-54.

Holding in seventh is Bernards (10-1), which took its first loss of the season on Saturday at home to Roselle Park, 67-52. Earlier in the week, they won 48-46 at No. 8 Somerville, then beat Immaculata at home on Thursday, 62-41.

Somerville (10-4) is still at No. 8, despite an 0-2 week. They lost Tuesday to Bernards, 48-46, then went on the road Thursday and took a 43-38 loss at Voorhees.

Bound Brook (12-2) is on an eight-game win streak after going 2-0 this past week. Tuesday, they beat South Plainfield, 62-33. Then on Friday, they beat Manville at home, 56-33.

And No. 10 Woodbridge (8-3) also held its place, losing the one game they played this week, Saturday at Elizabeth, 57-56, their second straight loss.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten goes 29-3, leaving little change in Week 5 rankings

What happens when the top ten barely loses a game? Not much apparently.

There were only three losses in 32 games played this past week by the Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball top ten, meaning very little change in the rankings.

It’s now five straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (8-2), which had two wins in a light week, 66-22 over Hunterdon Central on Monday, and 57-24 at Mount St. Mary on Thursday.

That’s followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (11-3) holding it down at No. 2, going 4-0 in the past week. They beat No. 5 East Brunswick 75-42 on Tuesday, then South Brunswick 68-23 on Thursday, and won 92-56 at Piscataway on Friday. Saturday, they beat St. Rose, 52-38, in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison.

Holding in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (8-3), which went 3-0 in the past week, beating Pingry 55-50 Tuesday, winning 65-33 at Hunterdon Central Thursday, then 70-39 at Thrive Charter on Saturday.

Hillsborough (8-2) held in fourth. The Raiders lost to Franklin, 72-44, on Tuesday, but came back to win two straight road games, 42-33 at Pingry on Thursday, and 55-17 at neighboring Montgomery on Friday.

East Brunswick (9-2) holds at No. 5. They also dropped their first game of the week – falling 75-42 to St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday – but rebounded with a 44-40 win at Monroe Thursday, and a 59-46 victory against North Plainfield on Saturday.

Up a spot to seventh is Colonia (9-0), which swept three games in the week gone by. They narrowly beat Spotswood – their closest win of the year – 59-57 on the road Tuesday, then came back with a 51-35 win at Edison Thursday, and a 62-38 win over Old Bridge on Saturday.

Bernards (8-0) continues to win as well, but flip-flopped with Colonia to seven. They were 2-0 last week, beating Voorhees 40-39 Thursday, then picking up a 53-32 win over Hanover Park on Saturday.

Somerville (10-2) holds at No. 8 after a monster 5-0 week. Monday, they beat Science Park out of Newark on the road, 53-18, then won two more road games: 57-28 at Warren Hills Tuesday, and 52-44 at Delaware Valley Thursday. Then, they won twice over the weekend, 50-27 Saturday against Hopewell Valley, then 66-14 over South Plainfield in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison on Sunday.

Bound Brook (10-1) remains at No. 9 after a 4-0 week. They won 632-26 at College Achieve Central Tuesday, then beat South Hunterdon 60-18 at home Thursday, and Lawrence on Saturday, 61-36.

Woodbridge (8-2) remains in tenth. After a 73-55 win over North Brunswick on Tuesday, and a 64-27 victory at JP Stevens Thursday, the Barrons lost 61-44 to Monroe on Saturday to complete a 2-1 week.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

Half the top ten remains undefeated on the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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