Maya Abramson – Central Jersey Sports Radio

With four-time defending champion Rutgers Prep getting knocked out in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals last week, the one thing we all knew was there would be a new champion this year.

Would it be top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s, seeking its first title in eleven years? Or third-seed Hillsborough, which hadn’t won it since 2006, it’s last trip tot he title game?

Gill had beaten the Raiders twice this regular season, by 33 and 34 points. But they led those games by 13 and 14 at the half. So when Saturday’s title game hit halftime and Hillsborough was within four, there was at least the potential it could be different.

But it wasn’t as Gill came out with a 68-48 win to take the Somerset County title, their sixth overall, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

But while the Raiders doubled-down on Gill big and UConn recruit Gandy Malou-Mamel, and kept her relatively in check in the first half, the second say the Knights utilize 5-11 Maya Abramson more, which opened up things for Malou-Mamel. Even before that, Abramson had a big third, hitting a three to start then back-to-back buckets to gill Gill a double-digit lead for the first time.

Hillsbrough never led, and got the game to within a possession here and there, but could never quite get over the hump. And getting in foul trouble further stymied the cause.

Malou-Malel finished with 17 points, but had to work hard for every single one. Abramson added 14, including two treys, as did Sidney Quinn. Gill improved to 21-3 with the win.

Hillsborough falls to 20-6 with the loss, but they’ll open the state tournament as the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 4, coming off their first-ever state title last year, in North 2, Group 2. Francesca Schiro scored 21 in the loss.

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

Second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s successfully fended off a tough challenge from 6-seed Hillsborough Thursday night, beating the Lady Raiders 41-33 in a home semifinal game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The teams traded the lead a few times in the first quarter, but in the second Gill went on a 10-0 run to take a 16-8 lead. And yet and the end of the half, they only had a two point advantage, at 20-18.

On defense, though, they held Hillsborough scoreless the first six minutes out of the locker room, and built a ten point lead that would shrink a bit, get back to ten, shrink a bit, and so on, until they eventually closed an eight point win.

In Saturday’s final at 1:00 – which can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – Gill (17-4) will take on top-seed Rutgers Prep, which beat 5-seed Bound Brook at home Thursday 86-42, led by Rutgers-bound Antonia Bates, who had 17 points, and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career.

*Rutgers-bound Rutgers Prep senior Antonia Bates celebrates scoring her 1,000th career point, which came in the SCT semifinals Thursday at home. (Photo: Chris Tsakonas)*

The Lady Argonauts (22-2) did what they have done all season long: score early and often, and let their defense do the dirty work. That helped Prep build a 26-7 lead at the end of one quarter, and from there, they never looked back.

Four other players scored in double figures. Katie Ledden scored 15 points, while Mikayla Blakes, Zahra Alexander and Morgan Ryan each had a dozen.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko in Gladstone and Chris Tsakonas in Somerset:

GILL ST. BERNARD’S over HILLSBOROUGH 41-33