Tag: Monroe

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Somerset County champ Gill St. Bernard’s leads Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten preseason rankings

For the first time since Central Jersey Sports Radio’s initial season of high school basketball coverage in the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign, there’s someone else besides Rutgers Prep beginning the year at No. 1: Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Knights won the Somerset County Tournament in 2025, their first county title since 2014, which also was the last time Rutgers Prep missed the county final before last season, when they were knocked out in the semifinals by Hillsborough.

All that considered, Gill St. Bernard’s earned the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Gill finsihed 23-5 last year, sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with Rutgers Prep, having split their two games. The Knights also reached the Non-Public North B Finals.

However, they’ll look to reload as they graduated several key players, including leading scorer and rebounder Gandy Malou-Mamel, who’s now playing at UConn. Fellow seniors Tessa Lozner, Maya Abramson, Sidney Quinn and Cassidy Moore all graduate, while the top returning scorer is senior Addy Platt, who contributed 10.1 points per game last year, and led the team with 61 steals.

Rutgers Prep is second in the rankings, after finishing last season 20-7. The Argonauts reached the Non-Public South B final, but unlike Gill, return all five starters. Among them is senior and 2024-25 leading scorer Ava LaMonica, with 13.4 points per game, and a team-best 65 steals and 81 assists. Ava Frith (9.1 ppg) and Sophia Georgiades (11.6 ppg, 60 steals) also return for their senior seasons.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished 23-7 last year, steamrolling its way through the GMC Red Division by more than 40 points per game. They Trojans won the GMC Tournament again – their sixth straight title going back to 2019 – and will graduate some key seniors like Gianna Chuffo (9.8 ppg), Leah Crosby (15.7 ppg), and Adrianna Summersett (6.1 ppg), but also bring back a good deal of talent. Trista Whitney (12.9 ppg, 6 rpg, 121 assists) is back for her senior year, as is post Jordan Barnes (10.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), as well as juniors Lauryn Downing and Leah Kearney, all of whom played significant minutes last season.

Hillsborough makes won its first-ever sectional championship, then went all the way and won the state Group 4 championship at Rutgers, finishing 26-6 on the season. They also knocked off Rutgers Prep in the SCT semifinals and reached the county title game for the first time since 2006. The Lady Raiders lose a ton, however, including all-time leading scorer – girls’ or boys’ – Francesca Schiro (21.1 ppg), who’s now at Siena and leading the team in scoring as a rookie. Mya Loniewski (11.6 ppg) and Reghan Bice (5.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) also graduated, with sophomore center Isabella Ruh the most significant returnee, having scored 9.8 points per game last season, and grabbing 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Checking in at No. 5 is Bernards, which won the Skyland Conference Mountain Division, followed by Somerville at No. 6, which won the Skyland Valley Division. Both finished 23-6 and went to sectional semifinals, the Mountaineers in North 2, Group 2, the Pioneers in North 2, Group 3. Bernards returns top scorer and rebounder Aletha Reynolds (16.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) for her senior year, along with second-leading scorer Jasmine Kelleher (82. ppg) for her junior season. Somerville returns senior Kaylee Lauber, who led the team with 16.4 points per game, but No. 2 Charlotte Taylor (11.5 ppg, team-best 5 apg) is gone to graduation.

In seventh is Franklin, which has been previously unranked before making it into the final rankings last season at 11-16, a tough out which plays in the tough Skyland Delaware with Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and Hillsborough. A young Aleah Sunkins scored 16 points per game and grabbed 9.3 boards per contest in her sophomore year, and with more experience, the Warriors could make moves. Their lone senior to graduate was Precious Wheeler (6 ppg, 5.9 rpg).

2025 GMC Tournament runner-up Monroe checks in at eight. The Falcons finished 20-10 last season and not only reached the GMC title game, but also the Central Jersey Group 4 final, where they ran into juggernaut Hillsborough. They lose one of the program’s greats in Evangelina Francisco (20.7 ppg) to graduation. The GMC is Aquinas and everyone else, but the Falcons should be high among the “everyone else” category.

Making its debut in the rankings at No. 9 is East Brunswick, which was 13-14 last season. But they were young and are expected to be one of the better GMC teams in the higher divisions this season, having talked to a few coaches around the league. Ava Catanho (17.3 ppg) led the Lady Bears in scoring last year as a freshman, and other key contributors also return.

And Spotswood rounds out the group in tenth. The Chargers finished second in the GMC White last season at 18-8, but champion Middlesex lost its two best players to graduation, including all-time leading scorer Jess Devine and Mallory Gianchilia, so the Blue Jays fall out of the final rankings from last season. As for Spotswood, they return Gabrielle Hill, a junior who was a starter a year ago, and led the team with 15.4 points per game. The downside is they also lose senior Lizzie Calandruccio (14.6 ppg) to graduation.

Here’s the complete preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

A table displaying the 2025-26 preseason rankings for high school girls' basketball teams, including team names, records, previous rankings, and notes on achievements.

by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: National Gold Division

There could be a really good race developing at the top of the Big Central’s National Gold Division this year.

It starts with Piscataway, which was 7-4 overall last season and is the defending division champ. But the Chiefs, as longtime head coach Dan Higgins says, measure success “by championships” – as in state championships. And their last came in 2018. But Piscataway has experience, and also will welcome back Josiah Zayas, who comes back to play from his hometown school after transferring from St. Thomas Aquinas – after he sits out the early season due to NJSIAA transfer rules.

But the Chiefs could very well be challenged by Old Bridge this year, which is loaded, and a big favorite of CJSR football analyst Marcus Borden, who got to see them last week on his Camp Caravan tour. Their offense is led by Brody Nugent, their returning quarterback, who is looking for big things this year, personally and team-wise.

Monroe is hoping to turn some of its close losses to wins this year, while South Brunswick wants to maintain last year’s early-season energy (3-0 start) and not sputter late (0-6 the rest of the way).

Meanwhile, East Brunswick has seen the fog lift after the late summer dismissal of Andy Steinfeld as head coach, and with new coach Zack Gega – a Bear alum who was on the staff last year – there’s a good feeling in preseason camp that was missing last year.

Click below to hear our preview of the National Gold Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Who will challenge Piscataway, Old Bridge in National Gold Division?

In 2025, the Piscataway Chiefs ran away with the National Gold title in the Big Central, sweeping their counterparts to go 4-0 in the division, while Old Bridge went 3-1. The rest only won one divisional game and will look to make inroads in 2025.

It’s probably no surprise the two teams that fared the best a season ago are led by veteran mentors. Old Bridge’s Matt Donaghue has been through some wars and was an assistant under predecessor Anthony Lanzafama, and Dan Higgins of Piscataway is the second most-tenured coach in Middlesex County.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

East Brunswick Bears (2-8, 1-3, tied for 3rd with Monroe, South Brunswick in ’24)
Head Coach: Zach Gega (1st season)

  • Week 0: South Plainfield (Thurs, 6p)
  • Week 1: at Hamilton West (Sat 2p)
  • Week 2: Franklin (6p)
  • Week 3: at Monroe*
  • Week 4: Old Bridge* (6p)
  • Week 5: Hunterdon Central (6p)
  • Week 6: at Piscataway* (6p)
  • Week 7: at North Hunterdon
  • Week 8: South Brunswick (6p)

The noise of last year’s sudden dismissal of Andy Steinfeld just before preseason camp is in the rear view mirror, but much of the coaching staff remains in tact, as Offensive Coordinator Zach Gega was promoted to head coach after the season, back in December.

Still, much work remains, as East Brunswick has only won four games over the past three seasons, going 2-8 last year after back-to-back one-win campaigns. Gega will return sophomore QB Sean Christie – who was thrown into the fire last year, and was a thousand-yard passer – but he will have to slash the 19 picks he threw last year against just seven touchdowns. Christie is the only returning QB to take a snap last year. The Bears tried a lot of different players last year, now is the time for that experience to pay off.

Monroe Falcons (4-6, 1-3, tied for third with East Brunswick, South Brunswick in ’24)
Head Coach: Nick Isola (9-12, 3rd season)

  • Week 0: at West Windsor-Plainsboro (6p)
  • Week 1: Hunterdon Central (6p)
  • Week 2: at South Brunswick* (6p)
  • Week 3: East Brunswick* (6p)
  • Week 4: at JFK (6p)
  • Week 5: North Hunterdon (6p)
  • Week 6: at OId Bridge* (6p)
  • Week 7: at Franklin (6p)
  • Week 8: Piscataway* (6p)

The Falcons will lose their starting QB in Brandon Macaluso (1,425 pass yards, 17 TD) as well as their top receiver (Logan Fotiadis, 482 yds, 6 TD) and No. 1 rusher (Michael Sabbio, 301 yds, 2 TD), as well as a number of seniors on defense. Still, the out-of-conference schedule seems manageable.

Old Bridge Knights (6-4, 3-1, 2nd place in ’24)
Head Coach: Matt Donaghue (15-15, 4th season)

  • Week 0: Cedar Creek (Battle at the Beach at Rowan) (Sat, 3p)
  • Week 1: at Edison
  • Week 2: at Piscataway* (6p)
  • Week 3: South Brunswick* (6p)
  • Week 4: at East Brunswick* (6p)
  • Week 5: Morristown (6p)
  • Week 6: Monroe* (6p)
  • Week 7: at Hunterdon Central
  • Week 8: Colonia (6p)

The Knights finished the 2024 regular season strong, winning three straight, culminating in a 36-29 double-overtime win at Colonia on Cutoff Weekend, before falling 16-14 to Cherokee in the opening round of the playoffs. The big news is they return dual-threat quarterback Brody Nugent for his senior season. He nearly threw for 1,000 yards (953, to be exact, 12 TD, just 4 INT) but rushed for over 1,000 as well, going for 1,017 and 16 touchdowns. And even with graduation losses, he’ll have targets to throw to like junior Cam Ollivencia (12 catches, 140 yards, 4 TD) and Aiden sophomore Aiden Rios (10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD). Key defensive standouts like senior DB Xavier Diaz (7 INTs) and DL Michael Kvas (2 sacks, 7 TFL) should mean good things as well.

Piscataway Chiefs (7-4, 4-0, National Gold Champs in ’24)
Head Coach: Dan Higgins (173-58, 22nd season)

  • Week 0: Edison (6p)
  • Week 1: at Bridgewater-Raritan (6p)
  • Week 2: Old Bridge* (6p)
  • Week 3: Ridgewood (6p)
  • Week 4: at South Brunswick*
  • Week 5: Sayreville (6p)
  • Week 6: East Brunswick* (6p)
  • Week 7: at Hillsborough (6p)
  • Week 8: at Monroe*

While the Chiefs’ top receiver and runningback graduate, sophomore quarterback Landon Pernell – who threw for 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns last season – is back, bringing the offense some stability this year and next. They’ve always got young and up-and-coming players in the wings, and Zaire Young (21 carries, 92 yards) is the top returning back. No doubt Piscataway will miss Jahai Johnson, an electrifying return man, but a mixed defense with seniors and underclassmen means this year’s squad should pick up right where it left off, and maybe make more of a move in the states this year.

South Brunswick Vikings (3-6, 1-3, tied for third with Monroe, East Brunswick in ’24)
Head Coach: Ibrahim Halsey (3-6, 2nd season)

  • Week 0: Robbinsville (6p)
  • Week 1: North Brunswick (6p)
  • Week 2: Monroe* (6p)
  • Week 3: at Old Bridge* (6p)
  • Week 4: Piscataway* (6p)
  • Week 5: at Watchung Hills (6p)
  • Week 6: at Union (Thu, 6p)
  • Week 7: Edison (Thu, 6p)
  • Week 8: East Brunswick* (6p)

Things started well for Vikings’ first-year head coach Ibrahim Halsey, who came over from Roselle after Joe Goerge left for Woodbridge, going 3-0. But for whatever reason, they went into a tailspin after averaging nearly 30 points a game in the first three, losing their next six, averaging just 6.8 points per game in that span, getting shutout by Piscataway and Watchung Hills. The good news is QB Daniel Duffie is back for his senior season, and so is No. 2 receiver Kamari Toney (49 catches, 259 yards, 2 TD), who was just a sophomore last season. South Brunswick will lose a ton of seniors on defense.

by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge and Immaculata flip after split, as Red Devils take No. 1 spot in Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

Volatility was again the name of the game early this baseball season in the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as Ridge and Immaculata flip-flop, with the Red Devils taking over the No. 1 spot this week.

Ridge (4-1) took its first loss of the season Wednesday at the hands of Immaculata, 10-4 at Diamond Nation, but then blanked the Spartans 8-0 up in Basking Ridge on Thursday. Immaculata (4-1) fell to second. Those were the only games both teams played this week.

Woodbridge (6-0) holds steady at third after a 3-0 week. The Barrons beat South Brunswick at home on Monday, 5-1, then swept East Brunswick, winning 13-4 on the road Tuesday and 8-3 at home on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 4 is Hillsborough (5-1), which swept previous No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, winning 3-0 on the road Wednesday, then rallying from a 4-0 deficit to win on a walk-off by T.J. Westlake, 5-4 in eight innings at home on Thursday, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

South Plainfield (4-2) drops a spot to fifth after a 2-1 week. The Tigers won 4-3 at Old Bridge Tuesday, then were blanked 1-0 by the Knights on Thursday, before rebounding with a 5-3 win over Millburn Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, which was moved to Union Catholic due to unplayable field conditions at North Brunswick Community Park.

Colonia (4-1) is up a spot to sixth. The Patriots split with St. Thomas Aquinas this week, beating the Trojans 2-0 at home Wednesday, then falling to STA Thursday, 7-6, in North Edison.

Making its season debut at No. 7 is Middlesex (5-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They completed a Tuesday-Wednesday sweep of North Brunswick – winning 1-0 at home, then 13-3 on the road, before taking out Robbinsville 9-4 Saturday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at JP Stevens on Saturday.

Old Bridge (4-4) drops two spots to No. 8 after a 2-2 week. They opened with a 4-3 home loss to South Plainfield Tuesday, rebounded with a 6-2 win at Edison Wednesday as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then got the Tigers back with a 1-0 win on the road Thursday. They then lost 6-3 at home to St. Joseph of Metuchen in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, also heard on CJSR.

Monroe (3-3) falls one spot to ninth after a 1-2 week. The Falcons won 2-1 at Edison Tuesday, but lost to 3-1 to the Eagles on Thursday at home, then fell 3-1 to Livingston at JP Stevens on Saturday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

And Spotswood (4-2) falls one spot to tenth after a 2-2 week. They opened with a 5-2 loss Tuesday to Sayreville, then won Wednesday at Perth Amboy 5-2. They earned a split with the Bombers after a 2-0 road win Thursday, but then fell 8-6 to Somerville at home Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Dropping out was Bridgewater-Raritan, which began the season No. 1, but is 0-4 after two losses each to Immaculata in Week One and Ridge in Week Two.

Below is the full Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending state Group 4 champs Bridgewater-Raritan will start season with No. 1 Ranking in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

As the 2025 high school baseball season gets underway across New Jersey, with a handful opening up later this weekend and this weekend – we’ll have Spotswood vs. South Amboy on the air Saturday morning for our season-opening broadcast at 11 am – it’ll be a familiar face at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

Defending Group 4 state champions Bridgewater-Raritan opens the preseason rankings at No. 1. The Panthers went 30-3 last season, winning the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, the Somerset County Tournament, and the North 2, Group 4 title, the latter en route to the Group 4 state trophy.

Coming in second is Old Bridge, which went 20-9 last year and won the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

Third in the preseason is South Plainfield. At 22-6-1 last season, the Tigers won the GMC Red Division, but lost in the finals to Old Bridge.

Starting the year in fourth will be Immaculata, which was 17-9 last year and has bolstered its pitching coming off its Skyland Conference Raritan Division title a year ago.

Ridge (21-9) checks in at five, after a 21-9 year and a trip to last season’s Somerset County Tournament finals, where they fell to Bridgewater-Raritan.

Monroe is fifth, a year after finishing 16-10 and making the Central Jersey Group 4 finals. They’re followed by two GMC White Division teams in Woodbridge – 17-10 last year and division champs – then Colonia (19-7).

The last two spots go to teams that could make moves with a number of key players back. Spotswood starts the year at No. 9 after a 19-4-2 season and a Blue Division Championship, while Carteret finishes the list at ten, coming off an 18-7 campaign and a GMC Invitational Tournament Championship.

Below is the full preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year: Brian Hinz took over Monroe, brought Falcons to the precipice of two titles

The first year for a head coach can often be a feeling out period. A time to get to know your players.

It doesn’t always kick into high gear right away. After all, it’s high school basketball, and especially at public schools, there’s little you can do to re-tool a roster if the cupboard has been left bare.

That was far from the case at Monroe.

Brian Hinz had spent several years under Jeff Warner, as an assistant with the boys’ basketball program. But he came over to the girls’ side and spent a year under Leigh Vogtman before she stepped down and he took the reins.

Coming off an 18-10 season, the Falcons graduated some key players – Nicole Turco, Halley Cottrell and Avery Labaska – but returned others, like Evangelina Francisco and sophomore Kiera Longo. They also brought in transfer Zoe Wilcher from St. Thomas Aquinas.

And what did they do?

They went 20-10, a two-win improvement over the season before, and went to both the GMC Tournament and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 finals. While both turned out to be losses – to Aquinas in the GMCs and eventual state Group 4 champion Hillsborough in the states – the season was a great success.

The Falcons finished 9-5 in the highly competitive eight-team GMC Red Division, which was a battle just about every night.

And for Hinz, in his first season as a varsity head coach, it’s earned him Central Jersey Sports Radio Coach of the Year Honors for 2024-25.

Click below to hear Monroe head coach Brian Hinz talk about the Falcons’ 2025 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough’s run to Group 4 state title propels Raiders to No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings

Having won its first-ever state championship – and the first by any public school in the nearly five-year history of Central Jersey Sports Radio – the Hillsborough Raiders are the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

‘Boro finished 26-6, and won the Central Jersey Group 4 title over Monroe – which landed at No. 5 – their second straight sectional title. They won their first last season, beating Elizabeth for the North 2, Group 4 championship.

And while they finished fourth in one of the toughest divisions in the state – five of their six losses came in the division – they also featured senior Cesci Schiro, who finished her stellar career with 2,106 points, the leading scorer in school history among girls or boys. For perspective, the entire team scored 2,066 points this season.

Hillsborough also picked up its most signature win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, beating Rutgers Prep for the first time since 2006, before falling to Gill in the title game.

Check back this afternoon to hear our interview with CJSR’s 2025 Girls’ Basketball Team of the Year, the Hillsborough Raiders, including seniors Cesci Schiro, Mya Loniewski and Reghan Bice, as well as coach Courtney Tierney.

Coming in second was Gill St. Bernard’s. The Knights (23-5) were co-champs in the Skyland Delaware Division with Rutgers Prep – as they split their two regular season meetings – and won the Somerset County Tournament. They lost in the Non-Public North B finals to Montclair-Immaculate, in the school’s final season before it closes this summer, it was recently announced.

Rutgers Prep came in third at 20-7, also reaching a sectional final, bowing out to Gloucester Catholic in the Non-Public South B Final. They shared the Delaware Division title with Gill St. Bernard’s.

GMC Tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas (23-7) finished fourth, also winning the Red Division in the Greater Middlesex Conference, with Monroe right behind them. The Falcons (20-10) finished second in the division to the Trojans and lost to them in the GMC Tourney final. They also reached the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game, falling there to Hillsborough.

Bernards (23-6) checks in at No. 6, the Skyland Conference Mountain Division champions, while Valley Division winner Somerville (23-6) finished seventh.

In eighth is GMC White Division champion Middlesex (21-9), with Spotswood (18-10) at No. 9.

Franklin – despite an 11-16 record, but having two losses each to Rutgers Prep and Hillsborough and three to Gill St. Bernard’s – finishes in tenth. They reached the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, where they lost to the Raiders.

Below is the complete Final 2024-25 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Alec Crouthamel

Top-seeded Hillsborough takes down Monroe behind strong shooting, defense in Central Jersey Group 4 Final

Reghan Bice won a sectional championship last year for Hillsborough, but was on the bench recovering from injury.

This year? She tied a career-high with 20 points, and helped the Raiders repeat, defeating Monroe 72-44 in the Central Jersey Group 4 Championship, a year after winning the North Jersey 2, Group 4 title.

Hillsborough used strong perimeter shooting, hitting eight three-pointers, and an aggressive defensive attack to win its second straight sectional title, and had the T-shirts to back it up.

Bice’s 20 points led the way, and Francseca Schiro added 16 of her own – with four three-pointers – as the longtime teammates spearheaded the offensive attack. Isabella Ruh scored 15 points of her own as the third Raider with double-digit points.

Hillsborough got going early with an opening 13-2 run and eventually took a 22-10 lead after the first quarter. It forced multiple turnovers and converted on the ensuing fast-break opportunities.

The Falcons took some momentum back in the second quarter, staying mostly even as the Raiders led 35-21 at halftime. They hit some big perimeter shots as well, including four made three-pointers from Sophia Rivas, three in the first half.

Monroe’s star senior guard Evangelina Francisco scored 13 points to lead the team with a trio of three-pointers. Rivas and forward Kiera Longo tied for second on the team with 12 points each.

However, Hillsborough clamped back down in the third quarter, outscoring the Falcons 23-8 and effectively putting the game away, doubling Monroe up with a 58-29 lead.

Defensively, the Raiders put plenty of pressure on Monroe’s main ballhandlers – Francisco and guard Mia Marabuto for the most part – farther away from the basket to force turnovers and speed up the Falcons on offense.

Offensively, Hillsborough navigated Monroe’s zone defense with plenty of ball movement around the perimeter and reversing the ball for open three-point attempts.

The Raiders will move on to face Cherokee in the Group 4 semifinals, as the Chiefs defeated Lenape 51-40 earlier on Saturday.

Click below for postgame reaction from ….

Hillsborough guard Francesca Schiro

Hillsborough guard Reghan Bice

Hillsborough Head Coach Courtney Tierney

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s a GMC-Somerset clash when Monroe visits Hillsborough in Central Jersey Group 4 final

The Hillsborough girls’ basketball team reached the Somerset County final this year, for the first time since 2006, falling to Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Monroe girls’ basketball team reached the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament final this year, falling to St. Thomas Aquinas.

So, essentially, since they’re also the top two seeds in their section, Saturday’s Central Jersey Group 4 final – which will feature the Falcons and Raiders – could be billed as a battle for public school supremacy and bragging rights between Somerset County and the GMC.

Could, and should.

Top-seed Hillsborough (23-6) and second-seed Monroe (20-9) will play for the title at 1:30 pm Saturday, and you can hear all the action here on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling the play-by-play. Pregame start at 1:15. Click here to listen.

The two don’t have much recent history, only meeting twice in the past ten seasons. Hillsborough won their last meeting, in the 2020 Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals, 45-41, but no one from those teams is still in school. Monroe beat the Raiders in the first round in 2015, 72-30.

‘Boro won its first-ever state sectional title last year, fueled by defense, and the ability to hit the three, attributes that are common to this year’s squad. While they were champions a year ago, the Raiders technically aren’t “defending” champs, as they were in the North 2, Group 4 last season. The NJSIAA’s new classification cycle moved them back to Central for this year.

Monroe, meanwhile, is back in the title game for the second time in three seasons. They made it in 2023, falling 53-45 to Jackson Memorial. They last won a title in 2016, going 26-4 and beating Hunterdon Central, 48-35, before falling to Lenape in the Group 4 semifinals.

That all happened under Leigh Vogtman, who stepped down after last season and was replaced by Brian Hinz, who had been an assistant under Jeff Warner on the boys’ team, but moved to the girls’ side as an assistant last year. So he was already well familiar with the squad.

The teams are remarkably similar. Each has a star guard – Monroe’s Evangelina Francisco and Hillsborough’s Cesci Schiro – and a solid supporting cast. Both can hit threes and get up and down the floor. Neither has tremendous height.

Schiro is the all-time leading scorer at Hillsborough – girls or boys – with 2,051 points, and counting. To put that in perspective, that’s already 161 more points than the Raiders have scored all year. She’s averaging 21.4 points per game this season, and 18 per in the states, including a 29-point, eight-rebound, six-assist game against Franklin in a 68-55 semifinal win, after the teams split their regular season matchups, Hillsborough winning by three, the Warriors winning by four.

Francisco is eerily similar, averaging an even 21 points per game this season, 17 per contest in the states. She’s scored 18, 14 and 19 in the three CJ4 games so far. She’s also gone perfect twice from the foul line shooting more than ten, including a perfect 10-for-10 against Middlesex in the GMCT semifinals, and 13-for-13 a few weeks earlier in a road win at East Brunswick.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches:

Hillsborough head coach Courtney Tierney
Monroe head coach Brian Hinz