Tag: Sandi Chiera

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia, Middlesex girls look solid again, advance to sectional semis with wins on Day 4 of NJSIAA state tournament

In the last of the quarterfinal rounds of the NJSIAA state tournament, Colonia and Middlesex advanced to sectional semifinals with wins Tuesday night, while five others – Carteret, Somerville, Manville, Highland Park and Dunellen were eliminated.

That leaves just six Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams alive in the state playoffs.

In North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 action, second-seed Colonia played solid defense from the jump, and it fueled the offense, and a 16-3 lead after one quarter against seven-seed Payne Tech (17-8). The Patriots looked like a well-oiled machine, just as they did in their opener over Belleville. Nashaelah Hooker led Colonia (21-8) with a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Taylor Derkack added 15 and Hailey Conklin chipped in a dozen. Colonia will host 3rd-seed Mendham (19-8) on Thursday night in the sectional semifinals. They beat 6th-seed Warren Hills Tuesday night, 62-48.

In Central Jersey Group 1, top-seed Middlesex picked up a 58-40 win over 8th-seed South Hunterdon, to improve to 16-13 on the season, and move on to the semifinals Thursday at home against Point Pleasant Beach (14-13) out of the Shore Conference. You can hear that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action; tip off is set for 5:30 pm, with a 5:15 pregame. Click here to listen. Junior Jess Devine – already a 1,000-point scorer – went off for 30 points, while also adding eight rebounds, seven assists and ten steals. Jaclyn Deshields tallied 18 points in the win. Point Beach – the Jays’ semifinal opponent – was a 42-28 winner over 5th-seed Manville Monday night.

Click here to listen to Middlesex head coach Stew Lester talk about the Blue Jays’ win over South Hunterdon.

Scroll down to see all of Monday’s results in sections with teams from the CJSR-area, as well as the upcoming schedule of games.

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Central Jersey Group 3
(4) Red Bank Regional def. (12) Carteret, 73-28
(6) Neptune def. (3) Somerville, 37-35
No more CJSR-area teams remain in this section.

Central Jersey Group 1
(1) Middlesex def. (8) South Hunterdon, 58-40
(4) Point Pleasant Beach def. (5) Manville, 42-28
(3) Shore def. (6) Highland Park, 80-54
(7) New Egypt def. (2) Dunellen, 41-28

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3
(1) Chatham, def. (8) Summit, 45-24
(4) Cranford def. (12) West Morris, 53-44
(3) Mendham def. (6) Warren Hills, 62-48
(2) Colonia def. (7) Payne Tech, 63-39

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals
(4) Jackson Memorial at (1) Hightstown
(6) South Brunswick at (2) Howell, 5:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4 Semifinals
(1) Plainfield winner vs. (5) Elizabeth
(3) Bayonne at (2) Hillsborough, 5 pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29

Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals
(4) Point Pleasant Beach at (1) Middlesex, 5:30 pm (LISTEN LIVE)
(7) New Egypt at (3) Shore

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3 Semifinals
(1) Chatham winner vs. (4) Cranford
(3) Mendham at (2) Colonia, 5 pm

Non-Public North B Semifinals
(1) Morris Catholic winner vs. (4) Saddle River Day
(3) Gill St. Bernard’s at (2) Montclair-Immaculate, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South B Semifinals
(4) Gloucester Catholic at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
(7) Ranney at (3) St. Rose-Belmar

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia girls rebound from GMCT finals loss, passing of boys’ assistant Brix, to rout Belleville in first round of state playoffs

When the Colonia girls’ basketball team lost in the GMC Tournament title game Friday night to St. Thomas Aquinas for the second straight year, just like any team that loses a big game, the question is how they will react their next time out.

The Patriots would have five days off before starting their quest for a state title as the No. 2 seed in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 playoff section. And head coach Sandi Chiera felt good about her team early this week, getting back on the hardwood, sticking to the task at hand.

Then, the unthinkable, unfathomable happened.

Colonia boy’s assistant Danny Brix died suddenly on Wednesday afternoon. And while Colonia High School might seem large at first glance, it’s a tight-knit community. Word spread. Kids, teachers, coaches cried.

It was a reminder how small the game of basketball is, and yet, how it also can be used to heal.

The third-seeded boys’ opening game was moved to Friday night, but there there were in the bandbox gym Colonia calls home Thursday night cheering on the girls’ team. Trying to get some sense of normalcy.

In the end, the second-seeded Patriot girls won 53-14 over 15th-seed Belleville in a game that was hardly a game. Taylor Derkack had 19 points and 11 rebounds for her 16th straight double-double this season, and the program’s all-time leading scorer now has 2,010 career points.

But everyone’s mind was on Danny Brix.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Colonia head coach Sandi Chiera about the game, and a painful 24 hours for the Colonia community:

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC Tournament Girls’ Final Preview: Colonia seeks first title as St. Thomas Aquinas seeks one for the thumb

No other school has had a run like St. Thomas Aquinas/Bishop Ahr in the GMC Tournament.

Clinching a record fourth-straight title last year, the top-seeded Trojans will try to make it five in a row Friday night, when they take on second-seed Colonia in the GMC title game at Monroe High School.

Last year was a first for Colonia, its debut in the county final. And after a narrow loss following two blowout defeats during the regular season, and two close losses this year, have the Patriots finally closed the gap?

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have coverage of Friday’s GMC Tournament Championship Doubleheader, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling all the play-by-play. Coverage starts at 5:40 pm for the girls’ game, with the boys final – between the same schools – tipping off at 8 pm. Click here to listen.

For St. Thomas, the tournament has belonged to sophomore Jordan Barnes, who’s nearly averaging a double-double through the first three games, with 15.7 points per game and nine boards a contest. In fact, she notched double-doubles in the last two games, with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Spotswood in the quarterfinals, then scoring 19 and grabbing 10 rebounds against Monroe in the semifinals.

Gianna Chuffo also has had a hot tourney, averaging nearly 19 points a game against the trio of Edison, Spotswood and Monroe.

On the other side, it’s Taylor’s world, and the GMC is just living in it. No, not that Taylor. Senior Taylor Derkack – the all-time leading scorer at Colonia, boys or girls, with 1,961 points – could crack the 2,000 mark if she goes off Friday night. She’s averaging 24.1 points per game this season, and a double-double on the year, with 12.5 rebounds per game. She leads in every key statistical category: two-pointers, treys, free throws attempted and made, steals, blocks and assists. In the tournament, she’s averaging 27 points and 17.5 rebounds a game, with double-doubles in all three.

And yet, the supporting cast is key. Mya Patino can hit the three ball, along with Isabel Gidado. And head coach Sandi Chiera says her team has improved defensively; they’ll want to keep the score low against Aquinas.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tim Corrigan
Colonia head coach Sandi Chiera

MORE ON THE GMC TOURNAMENT GIRLS’ FINAL:

(1) St. Thomas Aquinas (20-7) vs. (2) Colonia (19-7)
When: Friday, 6 pm
Where: Monroe Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino (LISTEN HERE)

COACHES: 

Middlesex: Tim Corrigan, 1st season (19-7)
Colonia: Sandi Chiera, 5th season (75-35)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Colonia: The Patriots topped 18-seed Carteret 52-36 in the first round, then beat 7-seed East Brunswick 43-22 in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Taylor Derkack poured in 38 of her team’s 52 points against the Ramblers – including five from beyond the arc – then scored a human 16 in a lower-scoring victory over the Lady Bears. In the semifinals against 14-seed Middlesex, the Patriots grabbed a 56-40 win, with Derkack going for a monster 27-point night with 15 rebounds, while Hailey Conklin added 14 points and six boards, while Nashaelah Hooker chipped in seven points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The top-seeded Trojans cruised through their first two games, beating 16-seed Edison in the opening round, 85-53, then blowing out 8-seed Spotswood 90-36 in the quarterfinals on the Chargers’ home floor. Monroe was a different story, as the fifth-seeded Falcons led them 22-12 after one quarter Wednesday night in the semifinals, and 30-14 at one point. But they chipped away, and came out with a 57-55 overtime victory. Sophomore Jordan Barnes finished with a double-double of 19 points and ten rebounds, while Lauryn Downing had her best game of the tournament scoring-wise, adding 12 points and four rebounds.

TOP SCORERS:

St. Thomas Aquinas: Gianna Chuffo (16.2 ppg, team-best 83 treys), Jordan Barnes (14.4 ppg), Trista Whitney (9.6 ppg)
Colonia: Taylor Derkack (24.1 ppg, team-best 43 treys), Mya Patino (9.4 ppg, 37 treys), Isabel Gidado (6.5 ppg, 20 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

St. Thomas Aquinas: Leah Kearney (10.2), Jordan Barnes (9)
Colonia: Taylor Derkack (12.5), Nashaelah Hooker (5.8)

RECENT MEETINGS: St. Thomas Aquinas/Bishop Ahr has won 18 straight against Colonia, with the Patriots’ last win coming on February 1, 2014, a 52-36 victory. Since then, Aquinas/Ahr has won by an average of 31 points. But in the last three meetings – including last year’s GMC Tournament final, and two regular season meetings this year, the gap has been an average 8.3 point margin of victory.

GMC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

St. Thomas Aquinas: In addition to winning the last four GMC Tournaments, the first of which was under the moniker Bishop Ahr, they also won it in 2001 and 1994, while also claiming the 1981 Middlesex County Tournament title. Aquinas is 6-4 in the GMCT, 1-1 in the MCT. St. Thomas had never been a one-seed before the current run they’re on, but has been the top-seed in all four wins on the current streak.

Colonia: Last season was the Patriots’ first trip to the county final, a 49-42 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.

OTHER NOTES:

Trojans’ streak: Though St. Thomas Aquinas lost in the 2021 de facto GMC championship – the “top” Somogyi Family Pod – to Monroe, they have won the last four full GMC Tournaments, going back to pre-COVID, when they won in 2020 over Edison as the top-seed and under its old moniker, Bishop Ahr. No other school has won four in a row, though several have won three, including Hoffman (which won the first in 1986, then won again in ’87 and ’88), JP Stevens (2003-05), and Piscataway (twice, from 2009-11 and again from 2013-15). Nobody won more than two in a row in the Middlesex County Tournament, which ran from 1975 through 1985.

Coaching in the Big Game: Tim Corrigan of St. Thomas Aquinas is a head coach for the first time in the GMC Tournament final, though he was on the bench next to Joe Whalen last year as an assistant. Sandi Chiera of Colonia is in her second final as a head coach.

How have the seeds fared? This one is a battle of No.1 vs. No. 2, with the top-seed winning 29 titles overall, and the No. 2 winning it just nine times. The top-seed is 29-13 in the title game. The top two seeds have met 22 times, with the No. 1 seed going 17-5 in those games. Only the first of Aquinas’ four-straight titles came against the 2-seed, Edison in 2019. Otherwise they beta 3-seed Monroe in 2020, 7-seed South Brunswick two seasons ago, and third-seed Colonia last year. The last 2-seed to win the tourney was Piscataway in 2018, and the last second-seed to knock off the top-seed in a final was East Brunswick in 2016 over Monroe.

Bonus Ball: Since St. Thomas is fresh off an overtime victory in the semifinals, we figured you’d want to know there have only been two overtime games in the history of the girls’ GMCT, both won by schools that are now closed. Third-seed Cardinal McCarrick of South Amboy beat top-seed Piscataway in double overtime in 2008, while St. Peter’s of New Brunswick upset top-seed East Brunswick as the two seed in 1992, led by Kristen Somogyi, the New Jersey Player of the Year that season.

by Alec Crouthamel

Taylor Derkack leads Colonia to GMCT Semifinal victory, ends Middlesex’s Cinderella run

When second-seeded Colonia felt some pressure in the second half, they leaned on one of the program’s all-time players to a 56-40 victory over Middlesex, the Greater Middlesex County Tournament’s 14-seed on a Cinderella run.

Taylor Derkack, the school’s all-time leading scorer, put up a game-high 27 points and contributed in almost every possible way to help bring the Patriots to its second consecutive GMC Tournament final. She racked up numerous rebounds, blocks, and steals to stifle the Blue Jays’ resurgent offense and build a wire-to-wire lead throughout the entire game.

Colonia (19-7) will look to avenge its 49-42 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in last year’s GMC Tournament final, and will have a chance to do so depending on if the Trojans take down Monroe in the other semifinal game. The Patriots played their best basketball in the first half, opening up a 36-15 lead at halftime. Freshman Hailey Conklin was the Patriots’ other double-digit scorer, putting up 15 points.

For Middlesex (15-12), star junior Jess Devine led the way with 21 points, including scoring all 16 of the Blue Jays’ points in the third quarter. Their season ends in the semifinals after a huge tournament run in head coach Stew Lester’s first season.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel with Colonia head coach Sandi Chiera and senior Taylor Derkack:

by Mike Pavlichko

Winningest GMCT program in St. Joe’s takes on Aquinas – winner of last three – for finals berth

Both St. Joseph-Metuchen and St. Thomas Aquinas have had great success in the Middlesex County Tournament, but in no way will their meeting Wednesday night be any kind of de facto championship game. 

There are two teams on the other side who will play before them and would be just as deserving of a shot at the title.

But the two teams that will play the second game Wednesday night in the semifinals at Monroe Township High School are some of the most successful in the history of the event.

The Falcons have won 12 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championships, more than anyone else, but St. Thomas Aquinas is third on the list with four, and has never lost a title game. And though the Trojans have won the last three, the Falcons beat them twice in the regular season, and took the GMC Red Division title.

You can hear both of Wednesday’s semifinals live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with top-seed and St. Joseph-Metuchen against fourth-seed and three-time defending champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the 7 pm nightcap, preceded by Colonia and South Plainfield in the 5 pm game. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action, with an extended pregame at 4:15 pm, including live pregame and coverage throughout the night of the girls’ semifinals with Alec Crouthamel live in Spotswood. Click here to listen.

Probably few figured St. Joe’s might be here, considering they lost top scorer Josh Ingram to graduation, and haven’t had Jeremy DeCaro available, due to injury, the entire season. Enter Jeremy Clayville, who established himself as one of the elite ballplayers in Middlesex County this year, starting things off with a bang. He scored 43 points on opening night against Piscataway, putting the rest of the division, even the league, on notice.

Few might also have expected Aquinas to be here, either. They lost almost their entire roster to graduation and transfer, and didn’t have a whole team to practice together over the summer. But no one’s crying for the Trojans, who’ve won three straight GMCT titles, and yet here they are back in the semifinals, poised for another trip to the league’s final game of the year. Senior Rinelson Dilone and Aiden Ur have emerges as the top scorers, along with Paris Papadatos.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco
St. Jospeh-Metuchen head coach Jan Cocozziello

MORE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S SECOND SEMIFINAL:

(1) St. Joseph-Metuchen (18-7) vs (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (15-9)
When: Wednesday, 7 pm
Where: Monroe Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko

COACHES: 

St. Joseph: Jan Cocozziello, 5th season (87-38)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Bob Turco, 6th season (116-32)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

St. Joseph: The Falcons blew by 16th-seed North Plainfield in the first round, but found themselves locked in a battle with 9-seed Timothy Christian in the quarterfinals last Saturday at Piscataway. The Tigers exploited a height advantage early and led for much of the first half until St. Joe’s took a lead, but only had a five-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Eventually, they hit their shots and pulled away for an 86-38 win.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Trojans topped 13-seed North Brunswick at home in the first round, and topped 12th-seeded Red Division foe East Brunswick 57-45 in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Piscataway behind 23 points from Aiden Ur, and a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds from Rinelson Dilone

TOP SCORERS:

St. Joseph: Jeremy Clayville (20.2 ppg, team-leading 34 treys), Dave Caruso (10.7 ppg, 17 treys)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Rinelson Dilone (15.8 ppg), Aiden Ur (15.4 ppg, 40 treys), Paris Papadatos (13.9 ppg, team-best 43 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

St. Joseph: Owen Griffin (5.6)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Rinelson Dilone (13.3)

RECENT MEETINGS: These two teams have played five times the last two seasons. Aquinas won all three meetings last year, including a 91-45 win by the Trojans in the GMC semis, en route to a third straight title. This year? St. Joseph won both regular season meetings, by 19 on January 17th, but by a slimmer 82-79 margin on a Dave Caruso bank shot. Will the regular season winner also win the GMC title this year?

GMC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

St. Joseph: The Falcons have won more titles and have more finals appearances than any other GMC team. They’ve won 12 championships, all in the GMC era (since 1986). They’ve made 21 GMC finals appearances, and had four in the MCT title game – losing all four – in that event’s run from 1965 through 1985. They made every GMC final from 2008 through 2019, which was their last trip, winning five straight from 2010-21014, and another four from 2016-2019.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Trojans have won the last three full tournaments, dating back to 2020, picking up after the long St. Joe’s run of nine titles in ten years. They also won it in 1992, and are 4-0 all-time in GMCT finals. They also won the MCT in their only appearance, in 1982 as Bishop Ahr.

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia, South Plainfield boys to battle for trip to GMC Tournament final

One is seeking its second trip in three years to the ultimate game in Middlesex County. The other is trying to get there for the first time in almost two decades.

Either would be worthy of a spot in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship game.

But only one will get there, as second-seed Colonia takes on 6th-seed South Plainfield in the opening game of Wednesday night’s GMC Tournament semifinals at Monroe Township High School.

You can hear both of Wednesday’s semifinals live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Colonia and South Plainfield in the 5 pm game, then top-seed and St. Joseph-Metuchen against fourth-seed and three-time defending champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the 7 pm nightcap. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action, with an extended pregame at 4:15 pm, including live pregame and coverage throughout the night of the girls’ semifinals with Alec Crouthamel live in Spotswood. Click here to listen.

While Jaeden Jones has always been an outstanding ballplayer, and continues to be so, sophomore Aiden Derkack built off an impressive freshman campaign to become one of the top players in Middlesex County this year.

But South Plainfield has also looked very good this year, getting up and down the floor and shooting the three ball well. They beat a bigger school in Red Division for Piscataway in the preliminary round of the GMCT, then upset third-seed Monroe out of the red in the quarterfinals, winning by seven.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez
South Plainfield head coach John Greco

MORE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S OPENING SEMIFINAL:

(2) Colonia (16-8) vs (6) South Plainfield (18-6)
When: Wednesday, 5 pm
Where: Monroe Township High School
Broadcast Team: Mike Pavlichko

COACHES: 

Colonia: Jose Rodriguez, 6th season (110-38)
South Plainfield: John Greco, 7th season (111-88)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Colonia: The Patriots cruised through their first two games, beating 15th-seed Perth Amboy in the first round, then got past in-town rival and seventh-seeded Woodbridge in the quarterfinals Saturday, 65-38. Adien Derkack scored 41 points in the first two games, including 23 against the Barrons, all without the benefit of the three-point arc.

South Plainfield: The Tigers played two very competitive games, edging PIscataway by a single point in a 59-58 win over the 11th-seeded Chiefs in the first round, before upsetting third-seed Monroe in the quarterfinals, 53-46. Ikenna Ibeku logged a double-double against the Chiefs of 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Naim Mouzon – a Piscataway transfer – scored 18 in the win over Monroe in his old gym.

TOP SCORERS:

Colonia: Aiden Derkack (20 ppg, 20 treys), Jaeden Jones (13.7 ppg, 10 treys)
South Plainfield: Abdul Adebule (15.6 ppg, team-best 60 treys), Dante Dupiche (15.2 ppg, 35 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

Colonia: Aiden Derkack (7.5), James Curet (4.3)
South Plainfield: Ikenna Ibeku (7.4), Abdul Adebule (6.3)

RECENT MEETINGS: In the last eight years, these teams have only met five times prior, but Colonia has won all five of those matchups. Last year’ the Patriots beat the Tigers 64-45 in the state playoffs, in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals. The year before they played an epic title game in that section that went to overtime, with Colonia winning again, 56-52.

GMC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

Colonia: The Patriots are seeking their second trip to the finals in three years. They lost in the 2022 GMCT title game to St. Thomas Aquinas, a year after beating the Trojans to win the Karl-Anthony Towns/.Jay Williams “top” post-season pod during the COVID-shortened season.

South Plainfield: The Tigers have not been to a GMC Tournament final since 2005, but they won it that year, and the year before. Those are their only appearances in the title tilt, which makes them one of just two current GMC schools to make multiple finals, and never lose. The other is St. Thomas Aquinas, which has been to four – and one Middlesex County Tournament, in 1982 – and won them all.

by Mike Pavlichko

Two stars, but big supporting casts as Colonia, Middlesex girls battle for berth to GMCT final

NOTE: Due to Tuesday’s snowstorm, the GMCT semifinals have been moved to Wednesday at Spotswood High School, with both games being played at the same times.

Colonia has senior Taylor Derkack. Middlesex has Jess Devine.

Those are the players that get the most attention for the second-seeded Patriots and the 14th-seeded Blue Jays, and certainly they will be the key players to watch in Wednesday’s GMC Tournament semifinal game between the two.

But both teams have so much more in terms of key players, and their success very well could be the determining factor in who moves on to the title game Friday night.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have coverage of Wednesday’s semifinals, with Alex Crouthamel providing pregame interviews, live updates, and postgame reaction during our coverage of the boys’ semifinals with Mike Pavlichko. A special, extended pregame show begins at 4:15 Click here to listen.

Derkack is the all-time leading scorer in Colonia girls’ history, surpassing Matti Chiera, the coach’s daughter, who’s now at William Patterson. She has 1,934 career points, and is averaging an even 24 points per game this season. She leads the team in all three types of shots – twos, threes and foul shots – as well as points, rebounds, assists (71), blocks (73) and steals (107).

Not too shabby.

Among those, Jess Devine – just a junior and already a 1,000 point scorer for the Blue Jays with 1,270 – is first in all categories but two. But even those are close. Senior Jaclyn Deshields has 55 treys to Devin’s 54, and Devine has five blocks, while Senior McKenna Healy has nine to lead the team. She’s averaging 23.3 points per game.

Yup, not too shabby either.

But it’s the supporting cast both coaches will need to be the difference. Shields brings Middlesex the 1-2 punch. Everyone else has to be considered to contribute to keep Colonia from just paying attention to Devine.

Same for Colonia, which gets big contributions from three-point shooters Mya Patino and Isabel Gidado as well.

Click below to hear both coaches talk about the semifinal matchup, and scroll down for more info on the game:

Colonia head coach Sandi Chiera
Middlesex head coach Stew Lester

MORE ON TUESDAY NIGHT’S OPENING SEMIFINAL:

(2) Colonia (18-7) vs (14) Middlesex (15-11)
When: Wednesday, 5 pm
Where: Spotswood High School
Live Updates: Alec Crouthamel

COACHES: 

Colonia: Sandi Chiera, 5th season (74-35)
Middlesex: Stew Lester, 1st season (15-11)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Colonia: The Patriots topped 18-seed Carteret 52-36 in the first round, then beat 7-seed East Brunswick 43-22 in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Taylor Derkack poured in 38 of her team’s 52 points against the Ramblers – including five from beyond the arc – then scored a human 16 in a lower-scoring victory over the Lady Bears. 

Middlesex: The Blue Jays stunned third-seed JP Stevens in the first round, 48-39. The game marked the first time since 2013 a GMCT girls’ top four seed had been knocked out before the quarterfinals. They followed it up with a 66-59 win against six-seed South Brunswick Saturday. Top-scorer Jess Devine had 26 points against the Hawks, then had a double-double of 33 points and 11 assists against the Vikings. She also added five treys.

TOP SCORERS:

Colonia: Taylor Derkack (24 ppg, 40 treys), Mya Patino (9.5 ppg, 37 treys), Isabel Gidado (6.6 ppg, 20 treys)
Middlesex: Jess Devine (23.3 ppg, 54 treys), Jaclyn Deshields (9.4 ppg, 55 treys)

TOP REBOUNDERS:

Colonia: Taylor Derkack (12.4), Nashaelah Hooker (5.3)
Middlesex: Jess Devine (6.6), McKenna Healey (6.4)

RECENT MEETINGS: These two teams rarely meet, with Colonia being a Group 3 school and Middlesex being a Group 2 or 1 over the last decade-and-a-half. They have only played three times since 2012, with the Patriots winning in 2022, but the Blue Jays beating Colonia in 2021 and 2012.

GMC TOURNAMENT HISTORY:

Colonia: The Patriots are playing in the semifinals for the third straight season. They made their first-ever GMC Tournament final last year, falling to St. Thomas Aquinas in the title game. 

Middlesex: This is the Blue Jays first time in the GMCT final four since 2020, when they lost to Monroe. The Blue Jays have never made a county final, whether in the GMC era (since 1986) or its predecessor, the Middlesex County Tournament, which ran for eleven seasons from 1975 through 1985.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 8 Colonia girls looks to keep ball rolling in Red Division when No. 5 Vikings come to town

Colonia girls’ basketball team has achieved a number of firsts over the last couple of years. 

They won their first division title of any kind (the GMC White) in 2021-22, and made their first trip to the GMC Tournament finals last season.

At the same time, Mattison Chiera capped off a great career, departing to graduation – and William Paterson University – as the top all-time girls’ scorer in program history, and third best all-time, boys’ or girls’.

This year, with Chiera gone, the 8th-ranked Patriots are off to a hot start. They still have Taylor Derkack, now a senior, and a solid supporting cast. Derkack is just 127 behind Chiera’s 1,514 points, and should overtake her sometime early in the New Year.

With three wins in their first three games – the first time that’s happened – Colonia (3-0, 1-0 GMC Red) looks to keep things going when South Brunswick visits Thursday evening for their second GMC Red Division game of the young season.

You can hear that contest on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen on the call. Coverage starts with pregame at 5:15, tip off at 5:30 pm. Click here to listen.

Colonia is coming off a three-point win over Howell Tuesday night, 53-50, while the Vikings (1-2, 1-2 GMC Red) are coming off a 70-51 loss Tuesday night to 2nd-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko of Central Jersey Sports Radio talk with Colonia coach Sandi Chiera:

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia girls still a work in progress heading into final clash with No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas Thursday night

Everyone knows who the two biggest stars are on the Colonia High School Girls’ basketball team.

The trick this year has been figuring out who’s next.

Junior Taylor Derkack leads the team with 21.9 points per game and 12.3 rebounds, has made more free throws (109) and taken more (127) than anyone else, and also is tops in assists (65), blocks (38) and steals (89).

Right behind here is the coach’s daughter Mattison Chiera: 14.5 points per game, 6.3 boards, 43 steals (second on the team) and 32 steals, tops on the Patriots.

After that is where the Patriots are still working it out. The third leading scorer on the team is Isabel Gidado, averaging just 4.6, then senior Amani Moore, averaging 2.7.

Naturally, with two major standouts – and when they are players fully confident in their abilities to sometimes will their team to a victory when it counts – a team may defer and look to them.

Whether that’s been the case or not, head coach Sandi Chiera is looking for more when Colonia (11-9, 8-5) will face No. 2-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (15-5, 12-0) in GMC Red Division action Thursday night, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko will have pregame at 5:15 pm, and all the action starting at 5:30. Click here to listen.

The Trojans are the Red Division champions, while the Patriots are playing their first season in the Red. That explains some of their won-loss record; the Red is a different beast than the White, night after night.

To wit, save for a 58-29 loss to Aquinas at home back on January 12th, their other four division losses – to South Brunswick, Old Bridge, East Brunswick and Monroe – have come by a combined 22 points, none by more than a touchdown.

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Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk about Colonia with Patriots’ head coach Sandi Chiera:

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia’s Derkack playing at another level heading into ’22 GMCT semifinal rematch at South Brunswick tonight

Don’t let the record fool you. At 2-2 overall, but 1-0 in the GMC Red Division, No. 5 Colonia has been tested early, dropping meetings with Dalton (NY) in the She Got Game Classic, and to 3-1 Chatham of the NJAC.

But when it comes down to tonight’s game at No. 4 South Brunswick, expect another knock-down, drag-out battle, like the kind they played late last February in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinals, a 57-48 Lady Vikings win that both teams likely remember pretty well.

You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with coverage beginning at 5:45 pm for the pregame, and tip-off at 6. Mike Pavlichko will call all the play-by-play; click here to listen.

Colonia was one of the favorites to win the GMCT last season, powered by the duo of sophomore Taylor Derkack and junior Mattison Chiera. For South Brunswick, the win put them on the map.

This year, Derkack – now a junior – is playing out of her mind in the first four games of the season.averaging 26.5 points per game, and only scoring fewer than 19 once, in the season-opening loss to Dalton. As for Chiera, the coach’s daughter? Well, the senior only became the all-time leading scorer in Colonia girls’ hoops history, passing Tiffany McDaniel (2007) with a ten point game, giving her 1,157.

That’s a pretty good 1-2 combo.

Derkack has 837 and should breeze past that 1,000-point mark any time now, and – at some point – will pass Chiera. She also leads this year’s team with 8 rebounds a game, 9 assists, 6 blocks and 14 steals.

Click below to hear about Colonia’s early season and a preview of the South Brunswick matchup with Patriots’ head coach Sandi Chiera: