Tag: St. Thomas Aquinas

by Mike Pavlichko

All four higher seeds sweep into GMC Tournament semifinals, as St. Thomas Aquinas, Colonia, Piscataway, East Brunswick move on in Saturday quarterfinal action

All four GMC Tournament semifinal teams are set on the girls’ side, as top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas, fourth-seed Colonia, second-seed East Brunswick, and third-seed Piscataway all won quarterfinal home games Saturday afternoon.

In Tuesday’s semifinals – which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Monroe Township High School – it’ll be St. Thomas and Colonia in the nightcap at 7 pm. Piscataway will East Brunswick in the opener at 5 pm.

Pregame coverage starts at 4:45 pm with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen on the call. Click here to listen.

Scroll down for recaps of Saturday’s action:

(1) St. Thomas Aquinas 79, (8) Middlesex 41: Three players scored in double digits for the Trojans (20-5), who became the first 20-win team in the GMC this season. St. Thomas stepped on the gas right out of the box, blitzing the Blue Jays (14-10) to the tune of a 26-8 lead at the end of one quarter; it was 45-24 at the half. Jordan Barnes scored 20, and Trista Whitney had 16, 12 of which came on four from beyond the arc. Kayla Navarro added 11. Middlesex was led by 11 from Avery Iskra, and 10 from Taylor Lawrence, as STA held Kaylee Devine to just three points.

(4) Colonia 58, (5) Spotswood 45: The Patriots (19-2) jumped out to a 17-3 lead after one and never looked back, building a 22-point halftime lead that was enough to hold off a stronger second half from the Chargers (14-10). Sophomore Ariana Sosa matched a career high she set in her freshman debut last year in the opener against Piscatway with 23 points – including three treys – also grabbing 11 rebounds to finish with her second double-double of the season. Samantha Howell added ten and had two threes. Spotswood was led by Gabrielle Hill with 14, including a pair of treys, while Alex Nault added 12 and 11 rebounds, her second double-double of the season.

(3) Piscataway 79, (6) Woodbridge 49: The Chiefs (15-7) led by 13 at the half, then pulled away on the strength of a 29-13 third quarter. Violet Azcona was the game’s high scorer with 26 points, five treys, six rebounds and five assists, while Alyssa Iduh had a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

(2) East Brunswick 59, (7) Monroe, 31: Julianna DelosSanton-Branson went for 15 points and 13 rebounds – her eighth double-double on the season – as the Bears became the second 20-win girls’ team in the GMC this season, just hours after St. Thomas got there first with a win over Middlesex. Zoey Alexia added 14, including three treys. It was a low-scoring game early, as East Brunswick led 9-7 after one, but they more than doubled up the Falcons over the next eight minutes and took a 26-11 lead into the break that Monroe could not recover from. Zoe Wilcher and Kiera Longo each finished with 11 to pace Monroe in the losing effort.

GMC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
TUESDAY, FEB. 17 at MONROE TWP. H.S.

(3) Piscataway vs. (2) East Brunswick, 5 pm
(1) St. Thomas Aquinas vs. (4) Colonia, 7 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of upheaval in Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ top ten, while Rutgers Prep on 12-game win streak stays No. 1

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten before the end of the year, Gill St. Bernard’s has edged up to No. 2, while Colonia and Bound Brook also rose.

Still at No. 1 is Rutgers Prep (18-2). Winners of 12 straight the Argonauts went 2-0 in the week gone by, picking up a Thursday win at then-No. 6 Hillsborough, 72-30, then taking their opening game in the Somerset County Tournament, beating Watchung Hills 73-30 at home Saturday in the quarterfinals. Prep, the top-seed, will take on fourth-seed Bound Brook this Saturday at noon at Franklin High School in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Moving up a spot to second is Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4), by virtue of their head-to-head win over previously No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, back on Tuesday, a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a 66-40 won over Watchung Hills on Thursday, then a 67-46 win over Bernards Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Second-seeded Gill will play third-seed Franklin in this weekend’s semifinals at 2 pm on the Warriors’ home court.

The loss to the Knights sent St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) down one spot to third, coming off a rare 0-2 week. Their second loss cam Saturday at home to George (PA) 75-69.

Moving up one spot to four is Franklin (13-7). The Warriors lost Wednesday at Morris Catholic 63-51, but bounced back with a 70-50 win over Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, and a 54-33 victory over Pingry in the SCT quarterfinals. The third-seeded Warriors will play at home Saturday in the semifinals against second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s.

Bernards (17-3) dropped a spot to fifth after a 1-2 week. The Mountaineers started the week with a 55-11 win over North Plainfield, but followed it up with a 50-37 loss at Voorhees on Thursday night. Bernards was knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament by Gill St. Bernard’s on Saturday, falling 67-46.

East Brunswick (18-4) had a 3-0 week, and moves up a spot to six after winning five straight since a road loss at Hillsborough. The Bears won 78-47 Monday at Woodbridge, picked up a 73-59 win over Spotswood Tuesday, then were 37-22 winners at Middlesex on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 7 is Colonia (16-2), also up one spot, following a 1-1 week. They beat Monroe Tuesday, 48-45, but lost Wednesday at Piscataway, 60-54.

Bound Brook is also up one spot, to No. 8, after a big SCT win on Saturday. First, though, they beat Old Bridge, 57-24, on Tuesday, then routed North Plainfield 67-29 on Thursday before winning at Hillsborough, 54-47, in the county quarterfinals. The Fourth-seeded Crusaders will play top-seed Rutgers Prep at noon this Saturday in the semifinals at Franklin High School, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Hillsborough (15-5) falls down to ten after two losses this week, and three straight overall. Granted, all three have been against top ten teams, with the most recent a 72-30 loss to No. 1 Rutgers Prep Thursday, and Saturday’s loss in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, 54-47 to Bound Brook.

And holding in tenth is Woodbridge (15-6). The Barrons lost Monday to East Brunswick, 78-47, then came back and beat Sayreville on Wednesday, 62-57, and won Friday at Carteret, 66-55.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 9:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GIRLS: No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s 67, No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 62

Third-ranked Gill St. Bernard’s got a career high 31 points from senior guard Addy Platt – all but three of which came in the second half, 14 each in the third and fourth quarters – to beat No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, in a GMC-Skyland Conference crossover game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the play-by-play from Gill St. Bernard’s in Peapack-Gladstone on February 3, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Addy Platt’s career game boosts No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s past No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, in GMC-Skyland crossover

In some ways, it was a tale of two halves.

While the lead bounced back and forth between No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone Tuesday night, it was the Trojans leading most of the way in the first 16 minutes of a GMC-Skyland Conference crossover.

That, despite the fact the game saw five first half lead changes.

One more came in the third quarter, and Gill never looked back, en route to a 67-62 win heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Knights (15-4) – who had a 12-game win streak snapped back on Tuesday at No. 1 Rutgers Prep, got the lead back in the game for good on a team effort and an individual effort: the team getting the ball to senior Addy Platt, and Platt putting it through the net nearly every time she touched it.

The elder Platt finished with a new career high of 31 points. Held to just three first quarter points – all in the first quarter – she scored 14 in the third quarter, including a trey, and added 14 more in the fourth.

If big players make big plays in big games, Addy Platt is a big-time player.

Her younger sister, Kaity, a junior, added nine, while Nadia Mikalainis came off the bench to score 12, including a pair of treys.

St. Thomas (17-4) – which will get the No. 1 seed in the GMC Tournament when it’s seeded Friday morning – was led by Jordan Barnes with 15, and Trista Whitney with 14.

Gill will begin Somerset County Tournament play – and defense of its 2025 crown – Saturday at home at 11 am when the second-seeded Knights host 7th-seed Bernards at 11 am.

Click below for postgame reaction from Gill St. Bernard’s senior Addy Platt and head coach Mark Gnapp, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Final CJSR regular season broadcast pits No. 2 vs. No. 3 as St. Thomas Aquinas girls visit Gill St. Bernard’s

A matchup between St. Thomas Aquinas and Gill St. Bernard’s is rare.

While the two prominent girls’ basketball programs met last year, with Gill claiming a 67-54 win last January 12th in the Coaches’ Choice St. Thomas College Challenge on the Trojans’ home floor, the last time they had played was in 2008, a three-point win for the Knights.

Gill has a different look this season, graduating a slew of talent like Gandy Malou-Mamel (UConn), Sidney Quinn (Naval Academy) and others. But yet, they’re back where they’ve always been – near the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, with a good shot at defending their Somerset County Tournament crown.

St. Thomas, on the other hand, has a lot of they key parts back, with a starting lineup that is averaging at least ten points per game each, a team which Gill St. Bernard’s coach Mark Gnapp knows you can’t just limit one or two girls, you have to play the whole team.

It’s an intriguing late-season regular season matchup, a good tune-up for the county tournaments and state tourney that are just down the road. And you can hear it on Central Jersey Sports Radio Tuesday evening, with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call. Tip off is at 5:30 pm up in Peapack-Gladstone, with pregame at 5:15. Click here to listen.

The one big question is whether junior point guard Lauryn Downing will play. She’s been bothered by an ankle injury, and has missed the last two games at Columbia and against Rumson-Fair Haven Sunday. Both were wins, and the Trojans did just fine, but head coach Tim Corrigan calls her “one of the best point guards in New Jersey,” and he’d sure like to have her Tuesday night.

Senior Jordan Barnes paces the Trojans in scoring, with a 16.5 point per game average. The rest of the leaders are spread out. Downing averages 6.4 assists per game, and leads the squad with 68 steals and 24 triples. Then Leah KEarney (11.1 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (10.4 per game) and has a team-best 28 blocks.

For Gill, senior guard Addy Platt has taken the scoring baton, averaging 18.3 points per game, while also leading the team with 42 blocks and 77 steals. Younger sister Kaity, a junior, leads at 6.8 rebounds per game, while Melina Miller has a team best 96 assists, and freshman Naima Morales-Solivan has a team-best 20 treys.

St. Thomas hasn’t lost at all in 2026, having won 11 straight, all in the New Year, while Gill had won a dozen in a row before last Thursday’s 51-44 loss at Rutgers Prep, in a game that decided the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. Aquinas is the GMC Red American champion, its ninth straight division title dating to 2019. (Division champs were not crowned in the COVID-shortened season of 2021.)

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tim Corrigan with Chris Tsakonas
Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp with Mike Pavlichko
by Mike Pavlichko

Finally, some movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as Franklin joins the mix, Bernards and East Brunswick rise

It couldn’t go on like this forever.

For three weeks, the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten essentially remained the same, but that’s not the case this week. A number of top ten teams played each other, necessitating a shuffle, with a win by Franklin propelling them into the Top Ten and forcing a reset of sorts.

The Warriors had beaten Hillsborough earlier in the season, but at the time, were just 5-4, albeit with two of those losses coming to Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s, with the others coming to very good schools out of conference. But now, they have won nine of their last eleven, and we consider them worthy of the rankings.

Still, the top three remained the same, including Rutgers Prep (16-2) at No. 1. The Argonauts only had one game on a school day this past week, beating Gill St. Bernard’s 51-44 at home in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio to clinch the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. They finished off a 2-0 week with a win Sunday over Trinity Hall, 63-53, in the Coaches Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel, the Argonauts’ tenth straight win.

That same showcase was the site of St. Thomas Aquinas’ (17-3) only game this week, and they beat Rumson-Fair Haven 49-37 Sunday, for their eleventh straight win. They’ll be back at it Tuesday at 5:30 at No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s (14-4), in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, our final regular season broadcast of the season. The Knights played twice in the past week, beating Bridgewater-Raritan 76-45 Tuesday before the loss to Prep.

From thee to eight is where things shift around. Bernards (16-1) moves up three places to four, after beating then 57-55 back on Thursday. That was sandwiched between a Tuesday home win over Delaware Valley, 58-35, and a Saturday home win over Bridgewater-Raritan, 64-38, in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The 7th-seeded Mountaineers visit two-seed Gill St. Bernards in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Franklin (10-6) makes its debut at No. 5. The Warriors didn’t play this week, but beat Hillsborough earlier this year. Just 5-4 at the time, they’ve won nine of eleven and are 8-2 in the New Year, and make the rankings after Somerville dropped out.

Hillsborough (15-3) falls two spots to No. 6 after the loss to Bernards Thursday, 57-55, which followed a Tuesday home win over Ridge, 60-37.

East Brunswick (15-4) actually falls to seven, mainly due to Franklin’s debut and Bernards rising, but the Bears were 2-0 this past week. And their first win was huge, knocking off previously-undefeated Colonia 59-48 on Thursday. They also cruised past Edison 53-35 on Saturday.

Colonia (15-1) drops to No. 8 off a 1-1 week. After the East Brunswick loss, the Patriots rebounded with a 63-35 win over South Brunswick on Saturday afternoon.

Bound Brook (17-1) stays put at No. 9 on the strength of a 2-0- week. They beat South Hunterdon 71-19 on Tuesday, then beat Montgomery 55-20 in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The fifth-seeded Crusaders will visit four-seed Hillsborough Saturday in the quarterfinals.

And Woodbridge (13-5) also stays put, holding in tenth, on busy week. The Barrons went 3-1, with wins Tuesday at Highland Park, 66-53, and Wednesday at Metuchen, 58-43, before taking a loss at Piscataway, 51-43, on Friday. But they came back home Saturday and beat Perth Amboy, 64-41.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another solid week (25-2) for Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten again leaves no changes in Week 7 rankings

Maybe we’re just that good at picking them?

For the second week in a row, there was no change in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, with the combined records of last week’s ranked squads 25-2. The only losses were by No. 6 East Brunswick to No. 4 Hillsborough, and No. 10 Woodbridge to unranked Montgomery.

That means eight of the Top Ten teams went unbeaten in the week gone by.

That means it’s now seven straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (14-2). The Argonauts have won eight straight and were 3-0 in the week gone by. They were 70-17 winners over Ridge Tuesday, 66-27 victors over Bridgewater-Raritan Thursday, then beat Executive Education Charter (PA) at the More Than A Highlight Showcase at Franklin on Saturday, 65-35.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (16-3), which hasn’t lost yet in 2026 and is one a ten-game win streak. The Trojans beat Saddle River Day Monday, 61-51, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then picked up a Saturday win at Columbia, 83-45.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-3) remains in third, on an eleven-game win streak, and also unbeaten in its nine games in the New Year. Tuesday, they picked up a 56-11 win over Montgomery, then won 75-30 at Ridge on Thursday, before beating Virginia Academy (VA) Saturday at Franklin in the More Than Just A Highlight Showcase.

Hillsborough (14-2) holds in fourth, winners of eight straight. They routed Phillipsburg at home Tuesday, 66-23, then won a Top Ten clash with No. 6 East Brunswick Thursday, 70-52, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they crushed Union, 72-33 at home.

Holding at No. 5 is Colonia (14-0), the lone remaining team in the CJSR coverage area to be undefeated (and one of six remaining statewide on the girls’ side). The Patriots beat Passaic Tech Monday, 48-44, at the Jarel Lowery Showcase at Paterson Eastside, then came back Saturday with a 71-59 win over North Plainfield.

East Brunswick (13-4) remains at six, even after the 70-52 loss at No. 4 Hillsborough on Thursday. That defeat was bookended by a 57-16 win at South Plainfield Tuesday, and a bounce-back win at Old Bridge on Saturday, 59-41.

Bernards (13-1) remains in seventh, after a 3-0 week. The Mountaineers beat North Hunterdon at home Tuesday, 44-36, then won at Warren Hills Thursday, 55-29, and closed the week with a 29-26 home win over Mountain Lakes.

Holding at eight is Somerville (12-4). The Pioneers were 2-0 in the week gone by, beating in-town rival Immaculata at home Thursday, 50-40, then edging Princeton Day at home Saturday, 44-36.

Bound Brook holds tight at No. 9, sweeping three games last week. They won at Belvidere, 46-23, on Tuesday, then got a home win Thursday over College Achieve Central, 65-42, before picking up a 55-36 road win at Hunterdon Central on Saturday.

And standing pat at ten is Woodbridge (10-4), which opened the week Wednesday with a three-point loss at Montgomery, 55-52. But they bounced back with a 63-34 win at South Brunswick on Thursday, and a 68-32 home win over in-town rival JFK Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GIRLS: No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 61, Saddle River Day 51

Second-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas got 14 points from Trista Whitney and another 13 from Jordan Barnes in a 61-51 non-conference win over Saddle River Day, giving the Trojans their ninth straight win.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko And Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison on January 19, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas is tested, but pulls away late for 61-51 win over Saddle River Day

Having dominated the Greater Middlesex Conference for a while now – winning 78 straight against league competition going back to January 2022 – St. Thomas Aquinas has challenged itself with a strong non-league schedule.

And while Saddle River Day doesn’t have the kind of record they’ve had in the past, they’re a traditionally strong program that had won five of their last six games after getting a key transfer in the lineup after an injury, and proved to be a more than worthy opponent for the Trojans Monday afternoon in North Edison.

In a game that was tight all the way and went back-and-forth in the second and third quarters, the Trojans eventually built up to a 12-point fourth quarter lead and beat the visiting Rebels 61-51, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Senior Trista Whitney finished with 14 points – nine in the second half – with two treys, while fellow senior Jordan Barnes added 11, and senior Leah Kearney chipped in 13 for St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3), which is now on a nine-game win streak.

With STA known for its intense defense, seemingly getting in the way of nearly every pass, Saddle River Day (8-6) clearly watched some tape and was prepared, using crisp, quick passing to break the Aquinas pressure in the back court. But it was still just a six point STA lead at the break.

And while Rebel sophomore Grace Darling, the team’s leading scorer, finished with 26 points and three treys – seven points above her average – Aquinas made Harper Cohn, in just her seventh game back recovering from and ACL injury, nearly invisible in the scoring column, holding her to five points, and just two in the second half.

St. Thomas led just 46-43 at the end of three, but pulled away on the strength of a 15-8 final eight minutes.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with St. Thomas Aquinas senior Trista Whitney and head coach Tim Corrigan, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Stability is the name of the game in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 6 Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

The boys have been all over the place.

The girls? Not so much.

It’s another week of few changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, starting at the top. Just two teams moved this week, as most teams just keep on winning. In fact, the top five teams are on a combined 38-game win streak.

That starts with Rutgers Prep (11-4) at No. 1, on a five-game winning streak. The Argonauts won a Skyland Conference game Monday, beating Phillipsburg at home, 62-13. Then, they won two at the Rose Super Jam at Nazareth High School in Brooklyn, beating a pair of teams from Massachusetts. On Friday, they were 65-50 winners over Dexter, then beat Newman 59-47 on Sunday.

St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3) remains No. 2, winners of eight straight. The Trojans beat North Plainfield 104-49 on Tuesday, then Monroe 80-31 on Thursday – both at home – before picking up a 76-54 road win at No. 5 East Brunswick on Saturday.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (10-3). The Knights pummeled Mount St. Mary on Tuesday, 52-10, then were 58-33 home winners over Phillipsburg on Thursday, their eighth straight victory.

Hillsborough (11-2) is holding steady at No. 4, having won five straight. Tuesday, they beat Hunterdon Central at home, 58-42. Then they won at Mount St. Mary, 49-30, on Thursday, and Saturday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 45-38.

Colonia (12-0) moved up to No. 5 this week, winning all three of its games: Tuesday, 46-37 at Middlesex – as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – Thursday at home against South Plainfield, 60-28, and Saturday at Spotswood, 67-44.

Switching places with the Patriots is East Brunswick (11-3) – now at No. 6 – after a 2-1 week. The Bears beat South Brunswick, 63-27, on Tuesday, then won 56-54 at Piscataway on Thursday. But they had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at home by No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 76-54.

Holding in seventh is Bernards (10-1), which took its first loss of the season on Saturday at home to Roselle Park, 67-52. Earlier in the week, they won 48-46 at No. 8 Somerville, then beat Immaculata at home on Thursday, 62-41.

Somerville (10-4) is still at No. 8, despite an 0-2 week. They lost Tuesday to Bernards, 48-46, then went on the road Thursday and took a 43-38 loss at Voorhees.

Bound Brook (12-2) is on an eight-game win streak after going 2-0 this past week. Tuesday, they beat South Plainfield, 62-33. Then on Friday, they beat Manville at home, 56-33.

And No. 10 Woodbridge (8-3) also held its place, losing the one game they played this week, Saturday at Elizabeth, 57-56, their second straight loss.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Six: