Tag: Montgomery

by Mike Pavlichko

Two-time defending champion Montgomery will play for a third just up the road, as Cougars visit Hillsborough in Central Jersey Group 4 title tilt

While the Montgomery boys’ basketball program has won back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 titles, and seemingly been through it all, there was something that happened Tuesday that was a first on this run by the Cougars: a true road game.

Sure, in 2024, they had to go all the way down to Central Regional in Bayville to play a sectional semifinal against South 4 champ Lenape, which they lost. And last year, they got another crack and this time exacted revenge, sending them to the Group 4 final against Plainfield at Rutgers.

But Tuesday was different. Those were neutral courts.

Tuesday saw the third-seeded Cougars playing a sectional semifinal on the road, down in Monmouth County, against Marlboro, the second-seed.

Despite a slow start and an early deficit, Montgomery prevailed, and now will play another road game in the final, though not quite as far away.

Friday night, Monty (24-4) will travel up Route 206 on a short jaunt to neighboring Hillsborough, where they’ll face the top-seeded Raiders (22-7) for the Central Jersey Group 4 title. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with tip-off set for 6 pm, pregame at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Montgomery has beaten Hillsbrough twice this season: by 16 on the road in the regular season, and by 15 at home in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. But head coach Kris Grundy has been around long enough to know those don’t mean a thing. The Raiders are playing solid basketball at the right time of the year.

Still, Montgomery has been solid all year as well. Of their four losses, one came to Gill St. Bernard’s, two to Rutgers Prep, and one to Linden, which is in the North 2, Group 4 final Friday night against Plainfield. All those teams are ranked in the statewide Top 20.

Ethan Lin, of course, has been a big reason for Monty’s success, even though he missed that 2024 run with a broken leg. He came back stronger than ever last year, and has been even bigger this season. Lin is a steadying force on a team that’s a bit on the young side otherwise. And in three games in the state tournament, he’s averaging 28.7 points per game, going for 31 and 30 in the last two.

But big man Shriyans Mallavarapu – just a sophomore – has also been “a revelation,” according to Grundy. Tuesday night at Marlboro, he had 12 blocks. You don’t want to get down low against him and risk your shot being swatted away.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about Friday’s Central Jersey Group 4 title game against Hillsborough with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA announces site designations for public school basketball tourney State semifinals

The NJSIAA has announced what sectional champions will play where next week, when the state high school basketball tournament moves to the group semifinal stage.

Groups 2 and 4 will play state semifinals on Tuesday, with Groups 1 and 3 taking their turn on Wednesday.  Winners move on to the state Group Finals at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, with Groups 2 and 4 playing on Saturday, and Groups 1 and 3 finishing up on Sunday.

Here are the assignments for next week’s State semifinals.

Tuesday, March 10 – Groups 2 and 4

  • Group 4 North 1 vs. North 2:  The Dunn Center, Elizabeth; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 4 Central vs. South:  Deptford H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 2 North 1 vs North 2:  Bloomfield H.S.; boys at 4:30, girls at 7
  • Group 2 Central vs. South:  Monroe Twp. H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7

   

Wednesday, March 11 – Groups 1 and 3

  • Group 3 North 1 vs. North 2:  The Dunn Center, Elizabeth; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 3 Central vs. South:  Central Regional H.S., Bayville; boys at 5, girls at 7
  • Group 1 North 1 vs. North 2:  Franklin H.S.; boys at 6, girls at 7:30
  • Group 1 Central vs. South:  Monroe Twp. H.S.; boys at 5, girls at 7

Based on those assignments, here’s where the remaining public schools in the tournament from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area would land:

  • Montgomery, Hillsborough boys:  The Central Jersey Group 4 winner would play down at Deptford at 5 pm Tuesday against the South 4 winner, either Cherry Hill East or Lenape.
  • Hillsborough, Franklin girls:  The Central Jersey Group 4 winner would play down at Deptford at 7 pm Tuesday against the South 4 winner, either Lenape or Howell.
  • Colonia boys:  The North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 winner would play at The Dunn Center in Elizabeth Wednesday at 5 pm against the North 1, Group 3 winner, either Teaneck or Montville.
  • Bound Brook girls:  The Central Jersey Group 1 winner would play at  Monroe Twp. H.S. Wednesday at 7 pm against the South 1 winner, either Haddon Township or Wildwood.
by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery gets third crack at Hillsborough, earns 3rd straight trip to CJ4 finals with 61-49 road win in semis at Marlboro

Two-time defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Montgomery will get a chance to win a third straight, after coming from behind to beat second-seed Marlboro on the road Tuesday night, 61-49, in the sectional semifinals of the NJSIAA high school basketball tournament.

The Cougars got a triple-double from sophomore Shriyans Mallavarapu, who scored ten points, had 14 rebounds and 21 blocks, while Penn-bound senior guard Ethan Lin scored 30, just one shy of a career high.

They say there are no style points, just wins and losses, and that might have applied for top-seeded Monty Tuesday evening against a Shore Conference foe. Head coach Kris Grundy said his team didn’t necessarily play its A game. But with the heady Lin running the show, the word “panic” isn’t in the Cougars’ dictionary.

Down 15-8 after one, Montgomery (24-4) cut the deficit by three to 27-23at the break as they slowly chipped away. Down one going into the fourth, the Cougars shifted into high gear, with their defense winning the day over the final eight minutes.

Montgomery won the 2024 CJ4 title over Monroe, but lost to Lenape in the Group 4 semis. Last season, they won the crown with a victory over West Windsor-Plainsboro North, then exacted revenge on Lenape in the semis before falling to Plainfield in the state Group 4 final at Rutgers.

Now, they get a chance to win their third straight. And while the other two have been at home, this one won’t be far from home.

It’ll be just a quick jaunt up Route 206 Friday night to face top-seed Hillsborough, which they’ve beaten twice this year, by 16 in the regular season and by 15 in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The Raiders used a strong third quarter Tuesday night to blow open a tight game and beat fifth-seed Jackson Township 73-44, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Click below to hear postgame comments from Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – SCT Boys’ Semifinals: (2) Rutgers Prep 66, (3) Montgomery 57

Second-seed Rutgers Prep held off a late push from third-seed Montgomery for a 66-57 win in the semifinal round of the Somerset County Tournament behind 20 points from Will Brunson and 15 from Nicholas Nsenkyrie.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the play-by-play from Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ on February 14, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Brunson, Nsenkyrie lead Rutgers Prep over Montgomery, 66-57, to reach 5th straight Somerset County Tournament final

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division is a beast. Three teams are ranked in the statewide Top 20, all from ten up to three.

So, whenever they meet in the postseason, whoever they meet, they are always well-prepared.

So it was Saturday morning in the first Somerset County Tournament semifinal game. Second-seed Rutgers Prep and third-seed Montgomery both came in with excellent resumes. But someone had to win.

That was Rutgers Prep, as the Argonauts (16-8) clinched a berth in their fifth straight SCT title game, dating back to the 2020 season, with a 66-57 win over the Cougars (20-4) at Franklin High School, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Montgomery led by as many as six int he first quarter, but by the end of it, Prep had taken a three-point lead, 16-13. In the second half, they started to pull away, in part because they extended their defense on the Cougars to limit their thee-point ability, after sophomore Mike Simborski hit a couple big threes in the first.

The Argonauts had a 12 point lead late in the first, and Monty closed with a mini 5-0 run to get the deficit to a manageable seven.

But the third quarter belonged to Prep, as they built out to a 13 point lead, getting some big threes from Rocco Loomis, Bryce Williams and Nicholas Nsenkyrie.

And in the fourth, it left Montgomery playing catch-up, but they just couldn’t get much closer. It was an eight-point game with three minutes to go, but every time Monty punched, Rutgers Prep came right back.

Sophomore Will Brunson led Rutgers Prep with 20 points, including two threes, while Nsenkyrie added 15. Logan Franz chipped in 11 and Rocco Loomis had 10.

Montgomery was led by Simborski with 29, a new career high. Senior point guard Ethan Lin finished with 20, including 13 in the fourth quarter, on four treys and a foul shot. He’s now 20 shy of tying the all-time Montgomery scoring record of 1,593 by girls’ standout Cameryn Benz (2016). He passed the boys’ record formerly held by Maurice Bahr (1976) earlier this season.

Click below for postgame reaction with Rutgers Prep sophomore Will Brunson, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rematch between Rutgers Prep, Montgomery kicks off Somerset County Tournament semis at Franklin Saturday

Montgomery’s last win over Rutgers Prep in boys’ basketball came in the 2018-19 season, with the Cougars winning twice that year. Since then, the Argonauts have won ten straight, but the majority – especially in recent seasons – have been close, including a three-point loss in the 2024 Somerset County Tournament final.

This Saturday, the second-seeded Argonauts (15-8, No. 9 in New Jersey) and the third-seeded Cougars (20-3, No. 10 in NJ) will square off at 10 at Franklin High School to open a full day of basketball in the Somerset County Tournament Semifinals, with all four games on tap.

You can hear that opener as part of our doubleheader broadcast Saturday, starting with pregame at 9:45 am, and tip-off at 10. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action, with the girls’ semifinal between top-seed Rutgers Prep and fourth-seed Bound Brook to follow. Click here to listen to both games.

Both teams have endured playing brutal scheduled. Prep has taken losses to the likes of Linden, St. Peter’s Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s, and even got knocked off by a pesky Pingry team in early January. Mongtomery had a particularly challenging three-game stretch around the same time with losses in three straight games to Linden, Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Argonauts lost to Linden by nine earlier in the season, while the Cougars fell by two a few weeks later.

And both have some great players.

Sophomore Will Brunson paces Rutgers Prep with 23.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game , with a team-best 27 blocks. But his 48 threes are just second on the team to the 65 Rocco Loomis has hit; he’s averaging 16.2 a game. And senior Nicholas Nsenkyrie is scoring almost 13, with 30 treys, on a team that has hit a whopping 245 times from beyond the arc. That’s tops in New Jersey.

Montgomery also has some young talent in the likes of Mike Simoborski – second in scoring at 17.9 – and lanky 6′ 9″ Shriyans Mallavarapu, who’s averaging seven boards a game and four blocks. Both are sophomores. Junior Connor Benedict had 46 triples to lead the Cougars – who still have 100 fewer than Prep as a team – and then there’s Ethan Lin.

The Penn-bound senior is the voice of experience, leading by example, and a settling influence if things seem like they’re getting out of hand. Besides his 19.9 points and four assists per game, it’s the intangibles that make him the player he is.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches:

Rutgers Prep head coach Matt Bloom with Chris Tsakonas
Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy with Mike Pavlichko

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

Somerset County Tournament semis are set, as Immaculata boys, Bound Brook girls pull quarterfinal upsets, defending champs both win

They were upsets by seed, but the result wouldn’t have been surprising either way.

In what looked on paper like the most competitive matchups of the day, the fifth-seeded Bound Brook girls knocked off fourth-seed and 2025 SCT finalist Hillsborough 54-47 on the road Saturday morning, to advance to next week’s semifinals at Franklin.

And in a 5/4 upset on the boy’s side, Immaculata rallied in the second half to win at Pingry, 72-68, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Defending champs Gill St. Bernard’s – boys’ and girls’ – also advanced.

Scroll down for recaps of each game, followed by the semifinal matchups for next Saturday’s semifinals with times, per Tournament Director and Immaculata AD Tom Gambino. Game times are 10 am, noon, 2 pm and 4 pm at Franklin High School, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have play-by-play coverage of one girls’ and one boys’ game, with recaps and postgame reaction from all four on cjsportsradio.com.

2026 SCT GIRLS’ SEMIFINALS

(5) Bound Brook 54, (4) Hillsborough 47: Freshman sensation Peytan Pugh led all scorers with 27 points, as the Crusaders bounced back from a 27-25 halftime deficit with a 13-7 third quarter to take the lead Pugh finished with a double-double, also grabbing 14 rebounds for the Crusaders (20-1), who are the first 20-game winner this season in the entire Skyland Conference. It will be Bound Brook’s first trip to the semifinals since 2022, when they lost to eventual champion Rutgers Prep, 86-42. They’ll face top-seed Rutgers Prep as they seek their first ever trip to the county final.

(1) Rutgers Prep 73, (9) Watchung Hills 30: The Argonauts expanded an eight-point lead at the end of one quarter to 44-19 at halftime, then held Watchung Hills to single digit scoring in the final three quarters en route to the win. Senior Ava LaMonica led all scorers with 22 points and a pair of treys for Rutgers Prep (18-2), which will face Bound Brook in the semifinals next Saturday. It’ll be the 12th straight trip to the semifinals for the Argos, as they look to get back to the championship game after getting knocked out in last year’s semifinals by Hillsborough. Prep had won the last four SCT titles before missing the game last season.

(3) Franklin 45, (6) Pingry 33: The Warriors (13-7) got 14 points from Jamila Riley, and despite just six points from Aleah Sunkins – the team’s top scorer, averaging over 18 per game coming in – came out with the quarterfinal victory. Franklin held Pingry to just two first quarter points, leading 9-2 after one, but the Big Blue tied it by halftime, and the teams went into the locker room at 15-all before Franklin pulled ahead for good on the strength of a 17-4 third quarter. They’ll meet Gill St. Bernard’s in the semis in their fourth straight trip to the semis; last year, they got knocked out in the final four by the eventual champion Knights, 61-34.

(2) Gill St. Bernard’s 67, (7) Bernards 46: Sisters Addy and Kaity plat combined for 49 of their team’s 67 points as the Knights jumped on Bernard’s early, up 23-9 after one quarter of play. The Mountaineers trimmed the deficit to nine by halftime, but Gill pulled away in the fourth. The Knights (17-4) will meet Franklin for a second straight year in the semis in their fourth straight trip to the girls’ final four.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS:

  • (1) Rutgers Prep (18-2) vs. (5) Bound Brook (20-1), 12 pm (CJSR)
  • (2) Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4) vs. (3) Franklin (13-7), 2 pm

2026 SCT BOYS’ SEMIFINALS

(1) Gill St. Bernard’s 71, (8) Ridge 55: The Knights (20-2) got a game-high 21 points from Prosper Highlander, who recorded a double-double, also grabbing 11 rebounds. Dorsett Mulcahy finished with 15 points and seven assists, while Connor Junker added 11 points. This will be Gill’s second straight trip to the semis as the Knights – whose girls’ team is in the semifinals as well – look to get back to the finals and sweep the Somerset County Tournament for a second straight year. The Skyland Conference’s first 20-game winner this season, they’ll face Immaculata next Saturday at Franklin.

(5) Immaculata 72, (4) Pingry 68: Riley Gorman scored 25 points – 17 in the second half – as Immaculata erased a 13-point second quarter deficit with a rally in the third to win on the road. Now 16-5, the Spartans are in the semis for the first time since 2020, seeking their first trip to a final since they beat Ridge to win it in 2009 as the top seed. Click here for our full game story, and postgame reaction from senior Riley Gorman and head coach Ryan McKeever, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

(3) Montgomery 53, (6) Hillsborough 38: The Raiders got out to an early lead, ahead 12-9 after one, but the Cougars clamped down on defense over the next eight minutes, holding Hillsborough to just seven points to take a 21-19 lead at the half, and they pulled away late, winning it in the fourth. Penn-bound Ethan Lin led all scorers with 21 points, including six from the free throw line. Montgomery (19-3) will face Rutgers Prep next Saturday in its third straight trip to the boys’ final four.

(2) Rutgers Prep 85, (7) Bridgewater-Raritan 58: The Argonauts (15-7) got a mammoth game from William Brunson, who scored 31 points, went 7-of-8 at the foul line, and hit six times from downtown, part of a 13-trey afternoon for his squad. Nicholas Nsenkyire added 12 for Rutgers Prep, which will be seeking its sixth straight finals appearance when the Argos’ face Montgomery next Saturday at Franklin in their ninth straight trip to the finals. Head coach Matt Bloom has never missed a Somerset County Tournament semifinal in his eight seasons as Prep’s head coach.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS:

  • (2) Rutgers Prep (15-7) vs. (3) Montgomery (19-3), 10 am (CJSR)
  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s (20-2) vs. (5) Immaculata (16-5), 4 pm

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

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: