Tag: Skyland Conference Tournament

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep faces Gill St. Bernard’s for top Skyland girls’ title, with Dalce’s status up in the air

As a footnote to Rutgers Prep’s Blue Division semifinal win over 5th-seed Hunterdon Central – the third team in 11 games they’ve held in the teens – one player was missing from the box score.

Against the Red Devils, it didn’t seem to matter.

Senior Villanova commit Christina Dalce didn’t play in the game, and at least for now, Argonauts’ head coach Mary Coyle-Klinger is mum.

She might play, she might not.

It still may not matter.

Her team did what it does best: spread the ball around. A dozen different players scored, and a look at the box score could easily confuse it with any other game Dalce plays in.

No matter what happens, top-seed Rutgers Prep (11-0) will face 2nd-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (10-1) tonight at 6 pm, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving. Dom Savino will call all the action, which you can hear by clicking here.

As part of a tripleheader on CJSR, the game will follow the 4 pm GMC Girls’ Somogyi Family Pod title game between 2nd-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (9-4) and 3rd-seed Monroe (12-1). And immediately after, we’ll join the GMC Boys’ Karl-Anthony Towns/Jay Williams Pod title game between top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas and (9-4) and 2nd-seed Colonia (10-4).

Click below to hear both head coaches talk about the game with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dom Savino:

Rutgers Prep coach Mary Coyle-Klinger

Gill St. Bernard’s coach Mark Gnapp

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Postgame reaction: Bound Brook nets clean sweep of Bernards to remain undefeated, earn berth in Skyland Tournament Gold title game

They met three times, and each time Bound Brook came away with a victory.

The first time was on the road, the second time was at home, both in the regular season. The third time was Thursday night in the Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division semifinals, and Bound Brook pulled out a 47-42 victory as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Quadir Harrell had a game-high 16, while Cam’rom Summers had 12 points and 10 boards to record a double-double.

It was a low-scoring game early, with the teams tied 5-5 at the end of one quarter, a hint we looked headed for another low-scoring affair like the first time the teams met, a 39-33 Crusader victory.

But things picked up, as Bound Brook hit nine threes in the game. Bernards’ senior Jordan Insler hit four of his own, the most of anyone, which got the Mountaineers – who trailed by 13 at the half – as close as a single possession in the fourth quarter, trailing by three more than past the midway point of the final stanza.

But the Crusaders just had the extra edge.

And now Bound Brook has won 22 straight against the Mountaineers; their last loss to Bernards came on January 16th, 2009, a 56-51 road loss.

Fourth-seed Bernards drops to 8-4, while top-seed Bound Brook improves to 13-0, and moves on to the Skyland Conference Tournament Gold Division Championship Game Saturday at 1 pm against 3rd-seed Immaculata, which had a bye after both its potential semifinal opponents failed to play their first-round game due to separate COVID-related issues; Pingry’s whole athletic department is shut down, while North Hunterdon is in contact tracing protocol due to COVID issues that shut down Ridge.

Click below to hear Dom Savino’s postgame reaction with Bound Brook players and coach Anthony Melesurgo:

Junior guard Quadir Harrell

Junior forward Donovan Nwenyi

Senior forward Cam’ron Summers

Head coach Anthony Melesurgo

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Bound Brook and Bernards set to meet for third time in two weeks, with trip to the Gold finals on the line

Bound Brook is putting its 12-0 mark on the line.

A trip to the finals is at stake.

Bernards is hoping the third time’s a charm.

There are plenty of story lines when top-seed and undefeated Bound Brook faces 4th-seed Bernards tonight in a Skyland Conference Gold Division semifinal game, which can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio – powered by Bellamy & Son Paving – starting with the pregame at 5:15. Game time is 5:30.

Coverage is also sponsored locally by Pops Bike Shop in Somerville, and the LEP Beyond Sports Foundation.

To listen to the game, click here. The game can also be viewed on the Bound Brook YouTube page, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino providing the commentary.

The teams first met on February 19th in Bernards, with Bound Brook winning 39-33. Last week, just six days later, the Crusaders won again, but this time with more scoring, a 73-61 decision at home.

Now, they’ll meet again with a title game berth on the line.

The winner will play third-seed Immaculata. The Spartans beat 6th-seed Voorhees Tuesday in the first round, but the other opening round mathcup between 2-seed Pingry and 7th-seed North Hunterdon was scrapped, as both teams have COVID issues.

Immaculata picked up an impromptu second-round bye.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s conversation with Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo, and Dom Savino’s talk with Bernards skipper Tim Palek:

Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo

Bernards head coach Tim Palek

March 2, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Bound Brook boys remain undefeated with win in Skyland Tourney opening round; three teams out due to COVID

It was an up-and-down night for boys basketball on Day One of the Skyland Conference Tournament.

With two top-seeds having first-round byes – Gill St. Bernard’s and Somerville – the only one in action moved on, but three teams are out due to COVID shutdowns.

Pingry’s entire athletic department is shutdown, while Ridge and North Hunterdon also are out.

Blue Division

There won’t be a rubber match between Gill St. Bernard’s and Hunterdon Central, after 5th-seed Watchung Hills knocked off the 4th-seeded Red Devils 46-43. Central gave Gill a game in Gladstone in their first meeting, 77-64, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. But the Red Devils won the rematch last week in Flemington, 57-49. Now, it’ll be the Warriors (10-3) who take on the top-seeded Knights (6-3) for a trip to the Blue title game.

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