Tag: Skyland Conference

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernards girls’ hoops picking up right where it left off, now 8-0 after program best ’24-’25

When last we spoke about Bernards’ girls basketball with head coach Brett Bisconti, the Mountaineers had just finished off Voorhees in the quarterfinal round of the North 2, Group 2 section in the NJSIAA state tournament, and their 23rd win of the season set a new program record for victories.

While they would fall by six two days later at Caldwell in the semifinals, the 2025-26 campaign finds Bernards right where they left off, and with their best start to a season since at least 2006-07, 8-0 on the year. (They started 3-1 and got to eight wins before losing again.)

Their biggest win this season came less than a week ago, back on Thursday, another win over Voorhees, 40-39 in overtime. They also beat Brearley and host Metuchen right before the New Year to win the Bulldogs’ Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament.

A big reason why has been senior Aletha Reynolds, averaging 14.6 points a game with 14 treys and a team-best 23 steals on the year, with the rest of the offense a nice, balanced attack of junior Jasmine Kelleher (9 ppg), fellow junior Maddie Frame (6.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and freshman Jane Freisen (8.3 pg), who Bisconti says might be “the next Aletha Reynolds.”

Bisconti’s first two seasons managed a total of five wins combined, one of those years the infamous COVID-shortened season. But it’s been a steady climb since then: 15 wins in 2022-23 and 14 the next, then last year’s explosion of 23 victories.

This year’s squad is looking for more.

And the Mountaineers begin perhaps their toughest week of the season in divisional play, with a trip to No. 8 Somerville (10-2) Tuesday night to face a Pioneer squad that went 5-0 last week to double their win total, followed by Immaculata (5-6) heading up into the Somerset Hills for a Thursday evening tussle.

Click below to hear Bernards girls’ basketball head coach Brett Bisconti talk about the Mountaineers’ season with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – BOYS: No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s 64, No. 1 Montgomery 53

No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s got 22 points from Jahmal Dixon, while No. 1 Montgomery saw Ethan Lin set the program’s career scoring record, but it was the Knights who beat the Cougars on the road, 64-53, in a Skyland Conference Delaware Division game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from Montgomery High School in Skillman on January 8, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Pingry knocks off No. 3 Rutgers Prep, 64-58, and all heck breaks loose in Somerset County hoops

The last few years in Somerset County boys’ basketball have been about Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and Montgomery. They first two have split Somerset County titles, while Montgomery has won back to back Central Jersey Group 4 champions. Bridgewater-Raritan, undefeated heading into Thursday play – more on that in a bit – now is in the mix this year, as well.

Well, now you can add Pingry, too.

A pesky club for years, giving some of the Skyland Conference’s best teams fits, they knocked off third-ranked Rutgers Prep (No. 9 in New Jersey) at home Thursday night, 64-58, in a game that will have a profound effect on the Somerset County Tournament seeding when it takes place later this month.

The Big Blue (7-1) trailed 34-29 at halftime, but used a monster third and incredible defense to hold Rutgers Prep (8-3) to just seven third quarter points, winning the period 17-7, going into the third up 46-41, hanging on to win through an even fourth quarter.

Dylan Cowell came up huge for the Big Blue, scoring 29 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, one of three Pingry players to complete double-doubles on the night, along with 15 points and ten boards from Neel Sappidi, and 12 points and 14 rebounds from Ryan Rust.

William Brunson had 15 points and 12 boards for a double-double for Rutgers Prep.

Now the race gets interesting…

To reset the race for the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament, among the top teams:

  • Rutgers Prep beat Montgomery Tuesday, 89-73, but fell to Pingry Thursday night
  • Montgomery lost to Rutgers Prep Tuesday, and to Gill St. Bernard’s 64-53 Thursday night
  • Rutgers Prep visits Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday afternoon at 3:30

And then, there’s Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers had been undefeated heading into Thursday, but they lost 64-57 at home to Immaculata to fall to 8-1. Bridgewater gets their version of Murderer’s Row next week, when the Panthers visit Rutgers Prep Tuesday and host Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday.

Pingry visits Gill next Tuesday night.

There’s still a lot of basketball to play, but as the dust settles from January 8, 2026, it would appear Gill St. Bernard’s – if they can win the games the should – has the early inside track at the No. 1 seed.

But hey, we’ve still got more than two weeks until the seeding meeting.

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville’s Sadie Fleming overshadows joining 1,000-point club with buzzer-beating layup to top College Achieve Central, 36-34

It was supposed to be a celebratory night in Manville, with senior Sadie Fleming needing just nine points to join the 1,000 point club, with just four others in Mustang girls’ history.

And it was, but not just for that reason.

While Fleming easily cracked the milestone, it was the last basket she hit, a layup in the lane with two seconds to go that broke a 34-34 tie, that really set off a celebration. It gave Manville a rousing 36-34 home win over College Achieve Central Thursday night.

Even more unique, as if you needed anything else, she’s just the second in school history – girls or boys – to score a thousand points, while also grabbing 1,000 rebounds. Fleming got that the day after Christmas in a 50-25 win over Dunellen in the opening round of the Manville Holiday Tournament, had ten on Thursday to give her her fifth double-double of the season, and is 38 away from breaking the all-time record set by Candy Kaschak in 1980, now at 1,040 in her career.

Kaschak also is a member of the “Double 1K” club.

Fleming is now fifth on the all-time girls’ scoring list, behind Julie Pankowski (1,205), who graduated in 2017.

“Personally, for me it’s cool to have coached two 1,000 point scorers, said head coach mike Knitkowski, a Manville alum himself. “I was 25 points short of my 1,000 and ended with 975 in 2007, but I only played in 68 career games, and missed 12 games my freshman year due to injury, or I would have easily gotten it too.”

Knitkowski called it a “full circle moment” for the team, which, with the rest of the starting five – including Val Fonseca, Sarah Alfraro, Deanna Betancourth and Sophia Grosk – “have all been playing basketball together since fifth grade recreation, and have basically grown up together.”

Fleming is committed to play basketball next year at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, just outside of Harrisburg.

Currently fifth overall on the all-time girls’ scoring list, depending how deep Manville goes in the Somerset County and state tournaments this year, Fleming – a four-year varsity player – has a legitimate shot to end up at least fourth, perhaps third on the all-time scoring list. Sandy Baranowski (1986) is No. 1 all-time, at 1,796

Click below to hear Manville senior Sadie Fleming talk about being the newest member of the Mustangs’ 1,000 point club with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Manville All-Time Girls’ Basketball Scoring Leaders

  1. Sandy Baranowski – 1,796 (1986)
  2. Gibika Hilinka – 1,596 (1991)
  3. Candy Kaschak – 1,292 (1980)
  4. Julie Pankowski – 1,205 (2017)*
  5. Sadie Fleming – 1,010 (active)

*coached by Mike Knitkowski

Manville All-Time Boys’ Basketball Scoring Leaders

  1. Edryn Morales – 1,350 (2025)
  2. Kevin Collins – 1,080 (1972)
  3. Tyler Kesolitz – 1,066 (2024)
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s withstands first-half rally by No. 2 Montgomery, pulls away for 64-53 win

This week is a Murderer’s Row in Somerset County boys’ basketball for a number of teams.

Montgomery had Rutgers Prep Tuesday and Gill St. Bernard’s Thursday, with Gill also getting Rutgers Prep Saturday.

And don’t forget about Bridgewater-Raritan next week, hosting Rutgers Prep on Tuesday.

But Thursday night in Skillman belonged to Gill St. Bernard’s, which got 11 points from Jahmal Dixon in the first quarter to build a ten point lead against Montgomery, enough for the Knights to keep the Cougars at bay after a late first-half rally. Dixon finished with 22 in the game to lead all scorers

It was also a bittersweet night for Ethan Lin, who led Montgomery. The senior – a Penn commit – tied the Cougar boys’ scoring record in the second quarter, and broke it on a buzzer-beating three before the half that capped a rally to bring his team within 31-30 at the break.

But in the second half, the Knights’ defense became a bit more suffocating, and they used an 18-9 third quarter advantage to pull away, eventually winning 64-53, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Beyond Dixon, Prosper Highlander finished with 16 for the Knights (9-2, 4-0 Skyland Delaware).

Lin finished with 17 to lead Montgomery (8-3, 0-2 Skyland Delaware), which has dropped three straight to positively brutal competition, including to Linden by two over the weekend, and Rutgers Prep on Tuesday. He now has 1,355 points, breaking the mark of 1,344 held by Maurice Bahr, a record he set 50 years ago, in a 26-2 season in 1975-76.

A basketball player, Ethan Lin, stands on the court with family, holding a sign congratulating him for becoming the all-time leading scorer in Montgomery High School boys' basketball history.
Montgomery’s Ethan Lin at center court with his family after tying the Cougars’ boys’ basketball career scoring record in the second quarter at home against Gill St. Bernard’s on January 8, 2026. He broke the mark with a buzzer-beating three at the end of the half. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

For Gill, the win was a huge one heading into their one and only meeting with Rutgers Prep this year, Saturday at 3:30 at home.

Click below for postgame reaction from Gill St. Bernard’s junior Jahmal Dixon and head coach mergin Sina, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Montgomery looks to snap two-game skid when No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s comes to town

With a challenging schedule coming off back-to-back Central Jersey Group 4 championships, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team aced its first eight games.

The last two have been a different story, still against top-flight competition.

Now 8-2, the top-ranked Cougars are coming off two tough losses, and their week doesn’t get any easier as Murderer’s Row continues Thursday when No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s – also 8-2 – visits Skillman for a Skyland Conference Delaware Division game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Tip-off is at 5:30 pm as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action, with pregame at 5:15; click here to listen.

The two losses are nothing to sneeze at.

First, it was a narrow, 53-51 loss to state-ranked No. 6 Linden, 53-51 in the Warrior Classic at Manasquan back on Sunday. The Cougars led by two at the half, and lost by two. That’s how tight it was, with Penn-bound senior point guard Ethan Lin leading the way with 21 points.

Then, Tuesday, it was a shootout in Somerset, one of those games that just takes on a life of its own. The Cougars – ranked No. 11 in the state, by the way – fell to state No. 9 (and CJSR/Bellamy & Son Paving No. 3) Rutgers Prep, 89-73, in a game that featured 27 combined three pointers. Lin finished with 29, and five from downtown, while the Argonauts’ Rocco Loomis and Julian Ceberio each finished with 21 and had six and seven triples, respectively. William Brunson led all scorers with 27.

Head coach Kris Grundy – now in his 21st season as Cougars’ head coach – knows the score. While they’d love to be 10-0, his teams don’t shy away from anyone. They’ll take a loss and learn from it, and get better the next time out.

Gill, for its part, is tenth in the state rankings, and Montgomery would certainly not like to come up empty in this nasty three-game stretch. They’ve also got a solid Hillsborough squad next week, and a weekend matchup with St. Thomas Aquinas, which led No. 4 St. Joseph-Metuchen at halftime Tuesday, but saw the Falcons pull away in the end.

This is what you get when you play a schedule like Montgomery does. But getting their first win of the New Year would be nice, too.

Click below to her Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about the Cougars with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Group 4 girls’ hoops champ Hillsborough leads early pack for a top seed in NJSIAA playoffs, along with a host of GMC, Somerset County squads

We know, we know, the cutoff date isn’t for another six weeks. But we’ve learned a lot about positioning for the playoffs in high school basketball, and a number of teams are in the running – or holding the top spots – in the power points chase in their respective sections.

There are some notable alterations to the system this year. While there weren’t many classification changes, the biggest one is that the merger of Jackson Liberty (Central Group 2) and Jackson Memorial (Central Group 3). That leaves the new Jackson Township in Central Jersey Group 4, along with a host of GMC and Somerset County schools.

Also, a tweak was made to the power points formula. Last season, every game counted toward a team’s average. Now, only the best 16 will be factored into the equation. The idea is mainly to avoid hurting teams who played any struggling opponents on their schedule, which they might have no control of based on divisional assignments by their conference.

That said, here’s a not-too-in-depth look at each section, and where the teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area stand, based on NJ.com’s official calculations as of 11:30 pm on January 2nd. The NJSIAA Cutoff Date is February 14th, with seeding on the 17th.

Central Jersey Group 4: The first eight teams here are from the GMC and Skyland Conferences, seven from the CJSR coverage area. Hillsborough (5-1) leads the pack, with just over 0.7 points separating them from second-place East Brunswick (6-0), and a little further back from them is Sayreville (5-1). After Hunterdon Central (4-2) in fourth, there’s New Brunswick (4-3) in fifth, then Montgomery (3-2), Franklin (2-4) and Old Bridge rounding out the top eight. That’s a packed group, and if it doesn’t change much, should make for one heck of a bracket. Monroe (3-2) is in 11th, but a big win or two could quickly move them up in the standings. One thing to remember is that once a team gets over 16 games, even a so-so win could cause teams to jump as any losses they have likely would fall out of the calculation.

Central Jersey Group 2: Mainstays Manasquan (6-0) and Rumson-Fair Haven (6-0) are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams here, with the highest area team being Piscataway Magnet, which is 7-0, but sitting in fifth due to its weaker schedule than the others. South River (6-1) checks in at No. 7, while Metuchen (3-2) is at 9. Both could end up on either side of that top-eight line, where a top eight finish guarantees at least one home playoff game. Spotswood – also 3-2 – is in 11th, while East Brunswick Magnet (3-3) checks in at No. 13. Either could make a run, but the Chargers – with their schedule – have a better chance of gaining ground and getting themselves in play for the top eight.

Central Jersey Group 1: New Providence (7-0) and Keansburg (4-0) are the first two teams here, and around three points or so back of both is Bound Brook (4-1). South Amboy (6-1) and Middlesex (3-3) are in sixth and eighth, but it’s a tight pack behind them to Manville (3-2) in 12th and even Perth Amboy Magnet (1-4) in 15th and Highland Park (3-4) at 16, so any of those could make a move with even a slight jump in points.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: This section is led by Westfield (6-0) and Bayonne (7-1), but Bridgewater-Raritan (3-2) sits close behind in third. It’s not far back to sixth, where a string of four CJSR-area teams sit: Watchung Hills (3-2), followed by Woodbridge (5-1), Ridge (3-2), and Piscataway (2-3) in ninth. All are legit top eight teams, if they keep winning. Perth Amboy (2-3) could get there, too, even sitting in 11th, while J.P. Stevens (2-2) doesn’t sit that far back in 18th place; they’re just 1.8 points or so back of Amboy, and with such a small sample size, they could make a move. They’re at South Plainfield (2-3) Tuesday at 5:30 as part of a doubleheader you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: It’s a GMC team followed by a Skyland team leading this section: Colonia (6-0) followed by Somerville (4-2). There’s a couple points distance there, but the Patriots have looked very good (we’ll see them January 13th at Middlesex on Central Jersey Sports Radio), and Somerville is a scrappy team, too, that made the sectional semifinals here last year, falling at home to Cranford. Carteret (5-2) checks in at five, the North Plainfield (2-3) is down at No. 9, but right in the mic for a top eight seed. South Plainfield (2-3) sits in 18th, but is less than a point from being in the field of 16. It’s early yet.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: The only are team in this section is Bernards, and the 5-0 Mountaineers lead the section by a hair over Voorhees (5-0), by just .021 power points. Let’s just say they’re in the thick of things here.

Non-Public North A: Pinrgy leads this section with a 4-2 record, but by less than half a power point over No. 2 DePaul (4-0). They’re the only CJSR-area team in this section.

Non-Public South A: Paul VI (4-0) leads this section, with Bishop Eustace (5-1) next, then a pair of 6-0 teams: Trinity Hall and Red Bank Catholic. That puts St. Thomas Aquinas (6-3) in fifth, but still within reach of most, if not all, of the teams ahead of them. Mount St. Mary (2-3) sits in 12th, and Immaculata is 15th in the 15 team field at 2-6. But a couple of significant wins could change that in a hurry.

Non-Public North B: Mary Help of Christians (who?) from North Haledon in Passaic County leads this pack at 3-0, with Villa Walsh behind them at 3-1. Then you have defending Somerset County Tournament champion Gill St. Bernard’s (4-3) at three, but they’re not too far behind the others that they can’t make a move to that top-spot. It might just be taking some time for the Knights to mesh. Mother Seton (3-2) sits in sixth.

Non-Public South B: The top spot belongs to Gloucester Catholic (4-1) here , followed by Stuart Day (3-0), and Wildwood Catholic (4-1) before we get to the No. 1 team in the girls’ Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. That’s Rutgers Prep (6-1), of course, their lone loss coming in the Kevin Williams Holiday Showcase down at Toms River North this week against Red Bank Catholic. Wardlaw-Hartridge (2-2) is down at 11, followed by Calvary Christian (1-3) in 12th and Timothy Christian (0-2) in 13th.

by Mike Pavlichko

Several boys’ basketball teams in the running for top state tourney seeds in very early look at NJSIAA power points

Sure, we’ve barely gotten into the meat of conference play yet, but with many teams around seven, eight or more games into the 2025-26 high school basketball season, more than a few teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area are at least in the running for top seeds in their respective sections.

There are a few changes this year. While there weren’t many alterations to the classifications, the biggest one is that the merger of Jackson Liberty (Central Group 2) and Jackson Memorial (Central Group 3) puts the new Jackson Township into Central Jersey Group 4, along with a host of GMC and Somerset County schools.

Also, a tweak was made to the power points formula. Where all games last season were counted toward a team’s average, only the best 16 will count this year, ostensibly to avoid hurting teams who played any clunkers on their schedule, which they might have no control of based on divisional assignments by their conference.

That said, here’s a not-too-in-depth look at each section, and where the teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area stand, based on NJ.com’s official calculations as of 11:30 am on January 2nd. The NJSIAA Cutoff Date is February 14th, with seeding on the 17th.

Central Jersey Group 4: This is the section most densely populated with teams from our area, half of the 22 teams in all, including eight from the GMC and three from Somerset County. Two-time defending champion Montgomery (8-0) is in second, a slim margin behind Marlboro (4-1), with East Brunswick (7-1) just a shade behind the Cougars. Franklin (5-2) sits in a good spot in sixth, with Sayreville (5-2) in eighth, followed South Brunswick (5-1), Hillsborough (3-3) and Edison (4-2). All very much have a shot at finishing in the top eight and getting at least a first round playoff game at home. Monroe (1-5, 17th), Old Bridge (1-5, 18th) and New Brunswick (0-4, 19th) will need to turn things around quickly or face an uphill climb to the cutoff date.

Central Jersey Group 2: Metuchen (5-0) sits in third, but a decent distance – about four points – behind Rumson-Fair Haven (7-0) and Wall (5-0) in first and second, and asking the Bulldogs to catch those teams with their schedule may be asking a lot, even at this early date. Spotswood (2-2) is the next team down, at 13th, so they may have some work to do. East Brunswick Magnet (2-4) sits in 17th, and will need to pick up some wins to stay in the hunt.

Central Jersey Group 1: Defending Group 1 champ Thrive Charter (5-1) sits in first, but a slim margin separates second-place Point Pleasant Beach (5-2) and Bound Brook (6-1), with Piscataway Magnet (6-1) not far behind the Crusaders. Then, there are three more area teams from sixth through eighth, and all tightly packed: South Amboy (6-1), followed by Manville (3-3) and Middlesex (3-2). Next, Dunellen (3-3) checks in at 13, and may be a bottom-half team when all is said and done. Highland Park (3-5) checks in at 16, but there are a bunch of teams nipping at their heels – four, to be exact – within one point; among them are Perth Amboy Magnet (2-3) and Somerset Tech (3-4) in 19th and 20th, respectively.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Two unbeaten teams from the area hold the top two spots here, and both are unbeaten. How long they go without a loss could determine whether they stay there, but remember, even a loss or two may not hurt them with power points no longer counting all games, just the best 16 (i.e., a team that’s 16-2 likely wouldn’t have those losses count, unless any of them were more than a win). Piscataway (9-0) is at No. 1, followed by Bridgewater-Raritan (7-0). Certainly teams behind them can catch them – Scotch Plains-Fanwood (4-2) and Bayonne (6-0) are all within a point or so of the Panthers – but it’s always better to be playing with a lead, right? JP Stevens (5-1) is off to a very good start after a 3-19 season last year, and is sitting in eighth, with Perth Amboy (5-3) at ten. Both should have a good shot to be in the top eight. Woodbridge (2-3) sits in 13th, with Watchung Hills (3-3) and Ridge (2-4) in 15th and 16th, and all would be considered early bubble teams. But of note here are the Red Devils, who were missing a few players early on during an 0-4 start, but have now won two straight.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: Four-time defending champion Colonia (2-5) has struggled early on, but they’ve lost some close ones – like to Piscataway in double-overtime before Christmas – as they try and figure out everyone’s roles after losses to graduation (Zach Smith), early graduation (R.J. Wortman), transfer (Aiden Derkack) and others just not playing basketball. The Patriots currently sit in 16th, but we have a feeling they’ll find some more wins here as the season warms up. Meanwhile, South Plainfield is off to a solid 5-1 start, and the Tigers (who we’ll se Tuesday night at 7 against Colonia on CJSR) are in third. Millburn (6-0) is first, well ahead of second-place Chatham (6-0), but South is not far behind the Cougars. And Somerville (5-1) isn’t far behind the Tigers. The next team is all the way down in 14th: North Plainfield (2-4), and Carteret (3-4, 18th) and JFK (1-4, 19th) aren’t out of the question to earn a bid.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Caldwell (5-1) leads the group, with Newark Collegiate (4-2) not far behind. The only area team in this section is Bernards (2-5), currently sitting in 12th place.

Non-Public South A: The lead is two power points – not insurmountable this early, but not impossible either – for No. 1 St. Peter’s Prep (5-1) over Immaculata (4-1). The Spartans might need to take someone down in Skyland Conference play to do it, but they had Montgomery on the ropes back on December 18th in Skillman, ahead 47-44 going into the fourth quarter, before eventually falling 72-62; that was the Cougars’ slimmest win of the year, though the two will not meet again. Always-pesky Pingry (5-1) sits in sixth, with ninth and tenth held by St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-0) and St. Thomas Aquinas (2-4), with the two separated by around 2.6 points.

Non-Public North B: Unless they go into some tailspin, count on Morris Catholic being the No. 1 seed, as they are 6-0 and have almost double the power points of second-place Gill St. Bernard’s (5-2). The next team from the area is at eleven – Timothy Christian (1-4) – with Wardlaw-Hartridge (0-3) in 14th.

Non-Public South B: Despite a solid 5-1 start, Rutgers Prep sits in fourth, but they’re just about two-and-a-half points behind first place Holy Cross Prep (5-0), with Doane Academy (8-0) and Bishop Eustace (7-1) in above them. Calvary Christian (2-4) sits in 12th.

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s New Year’s Eve, and it’s time for the 2nd Annual Central Jersey Sports Radio 2025 Tournament of Champions!

It’s the last day of 2025, so why not listen back to some of the top title games we covered live here at Central Jersey Sports Radio in the year gone by?

We put it to a vote by the fans on the 13 championship games we aired in 2025, and narrowed it down to the top five vote-getters. Now, we’re going to rerun those broadcasts, starting with No. 5 at noon, then right up to No. 1, ending just before midnight!

by Mike Pavlichko

Tuesday Girls’ Holiday Tournament Roundup: Unbeaten Bernards takes Artie Flaherty title in Metuchen, unbeaten Colonia wins a trophy in Kearny, while East Brunswick wins, stays perfect

Nearly two dozen girls’ basketball teams were in action Tuesday, the last big day of holiday tournaments, with much of the action compressed into Sunday and the first two days of this week, due to the big winter storm that hit Friday and Saturday across the Garden State.

Here’s a look at Championship and Consolation games in the four tournaments that wrapped up Tuesdya, followed by other events with round robin-style action.

Bernards knocks off host Metuchen to win Artie Flaherty final…

The Mountaineers kept their record perfect at 5-0 with a 39-28 win over host Metuchen (3-2) in the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament Championship Game. Jane Freisen scored 15 to lead Bernards, while Aletha Reynolds was a basket shy of a double-double, finishing with eight points and ten rebounds. Bernards overcame a 12-7 deficit at the end of one, down by six at the half, but they took a one-point lead into the fourth and pulled away from there with an 11-5 fourth quarter.

The Consolation Game went to Brearley, which beat Governor Livingston, 48-44 in overtime.

Jonathan Dayton Holiday Tournament at Dayton HS, Springfield

South Plainfield (2-3) fell to host Dayton (1-2) Tuesday in the finals, 50-34, despite a double-double from MaKenzie Harries, who scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds. Dayton was led by sophomore Maggie Hildebrand, who had a career high 18 points, was 4-of-5 at the foul line, and hit two triples.

Millburn Holiday Tournament at Millburn HS

Old Bridge (2-3) won the Consolation Game, 54-43 over North Bergen (1-5), behind a balanced scoring effort where no one scored in double figures, but nine different players got in the scoring collumn, led by nine from Faith Green and eight from Jessica Lane.

Host Millburn beat Union, 46-42, in the Championship Game.

Pete Tierney Holiday Basketball Tournament at Summit HS

Bridgewater-Raritan needed overtime, but beat Morris Knolls (1-5) in the Tierney Tournament consolation game, 38-36 in overtime. Amanda Ciser scored 12 points to lead the Panthers, and also chipped in with eight rebounds. BR led 24-17 at the half, but Knolss chipped away in the second to send it to overtime tied at 33-all.

Johnson knocked off host Summit in the Championship Game, 46-30.

Middlesex/Shore Tournament at Henry Hudson HS, Highlands

Keansburg (4-0) got a game-high 25 points from Gabriella Flanzbaum to beat South Amboy 55-21 and take the Middlesex/Shore Tournament trophy. The Lady Guvs (6-1) took their first loss of the season, falling behind early, 20-4 after one quarter, and 31-7 at the half. They were led in defeat by Valerie Figueroa, who scored eight points.

Meanwhile, South River (5-1) won the consolation game, defeating Henry Hudson (0-5) 40-16. The Lady Rams allowed just six second half points, and were led by Gianna Castelhano, who scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Zofia Morely added 11; each had three treys in the game.

Ravens Winter Classic at Robbinsville HS

North Brunswick (0-7) got a team-best eight points from Chloe Hardy in defeat, as they fell to host Robbinsville in the consolation game, while Allentown got by Hamilton West 32-21 for the championship.

Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny HS

Colonia (6-0) got a season-high 22 points from sophomore Ariana Sosa – who’s scored 34 points in the last two games – en route to a 46-69 win over host Kearny (3-1). Sosa hit three treys, and was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with nine. Nasaleah Hooker did have a double-double, though, scoring 16 and adding 14 rebounds, as the Patriots won the battle on the glass, 45-26.

Passaic Tech beat Montclair in the consolation game, 41-26.

Roselle Holiday Hoopfest at Roselle Park HS

In the consolation game, Carteret (5-2) got 22 points from Anilah Diggs and a double-double from Nadia Momoh – 13 points and 1 rebounds – in a 48-40 win over rival Perth Amboy (2-3). The Ramblers actually trailed 14-9 after one, but on a strong second quarter, left 24-21 at the break, then pulled away in the fourth. Izabella Pardo led Amboy with 26.

The championship went to host Roselle Park, which beat Linden, 45-40.

KSA Events Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando
Pink Bracket
Pingry 65, Westminster Christian 37
Mendham 35, Madison Southern (KY) 18

Pingry will now face Mendham in the Pink Bracket semifinals at 10 am Wednesday on Court 1. The other semifinal – also at 10 am, on Court 3 – will feature two teams that sound like they’re from New Jersey: Chester (CA) and Timber Creek (FL).

OTHER TOURNAMENT SCORES

Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy HS
Immaculata 65, Paterson Kennedy 26
Franklin 58, Morristown 41
Gill St. Bernard’s 53, Immaculate Heart 46

Holmdel Holiday Invitational at Holmdel HS
Manasquan 46, Hudson Catholic 33
Piscataway 61, Marlboro 53
East Brunswick 58, Holmdel 40
Mount St. Mary 58, Ranney 45
Colts Neck 52, Somerville 40

Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison HS
North Plainfield 39, Edison 35
Woodbridge 70, Spotswood 67

Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery HS
Delaware Valley 55, Belvidere 43
Watchung Hills 52, Montgomery 47

West Windsor-Plainsboro South Holiday Tournament at WWPS HS
Northern Burlington 40, West Windsor-Plainsboro North 28
West Windsor-Plainsboro South 51, JFK 19