Tag: state playoffs

by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Franklin tops Hillsborough a day early to win CJ4 crown; Pingry upsets Immaculate Heart in North A semis to make first-ever final; Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s cruise; St. Thomas Aquinas bows out down the Shore

After a light Wednesday, it was a busy Thursday for girls basketball in the NJSIAA state tournament, highlighted by Franklin’s win over Hillsborough in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

The Warriors won their first title since 2020 and ended Hillsborough’s two-year run as sectional champions, with one in North 2, Group 4 in 2024 – the school’s first ever – and another last season in Central Jersey Group 4.

Meanwhile, Pingry pulled an upset in Non-Public North A, as the 6th-seeded Big Blue beat second-seed Immaculate Heart, sending them to their first ever title game. Rutgers Prep rolled in the South B semis to make their 6th straight title game. And Gill St. Bernard’s cruised as well to go to the North B final.

However, St. Thomas Aquinas fell to Red Bank Catholic in the South A semifinal down the Shore.

Scroll through for recaps, audio, and links to separate stories, followed by an updated upcoming schedule with dates and times.

Central Jersey Group 4

Top-seed Franklin is back on top, with a coach who’s been there before. Before coming to the Warriors this season to bring the program back to Audrey Taylor/Diamond Miller levels, Jimmy Kreie was at the controls at Montclair-Immaculate, which ended Gill St. Bernard’s season last year in the North B title game, then won the state Group B title over Gloucester Catholic. This year, he has the Warriors at 22-8 – coming off an 11-16 season – and they’re champions for the first time since 2020, when they beat Ridge to win CJ4. They also won their state semifinal game against Randolph before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the tournament early.

Click here for Alec Crouthamel’s game recap and postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Non-Public North A

Pingry is in a sectional final for the first time ever, as the sixth-seeded Big Blue knocked off second-seed Immaculate Heart on the road, 46-43. Pingry (17-10) led 13-11 after one, but went into the locker room at the half tied at 23, before taking a four-point lead heading into the final quarter, and they held on to win. Charlotte Huntzinger led all scorers with 14, while Sadie Dalmon added 11 and Val Triana chipped in ten. They’ll play in the North A final at Franklin High School Monday at 7 pm against either top-seed Morris Catholic or fourth-seed DePaul.

  • (6) Pingry def. (2) Immaculate Heart, 46-43
  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic, 7:30 pm
Click hear to listen to Pingry head coach Robert Hoepfl talk about the Big Blue’s historic win to reach their first-ever sectional final!

Non-Public South A

Fourth-seed and seven-time GMC Tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas (24-7) saw its season come to an end with a 68-31 loss at top-seed and perennial state power Red Bank Catholic. Down 14-6 after one, the Trojans trailed 29-12 at the half, and only managed single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters, with the Caseys pulling away in the first eight minutes after halftime on a 22-8 run. Leah Kearney was the only Aquinas player in double figures, finishing the night with ten points. Addy Nyemchek led all scorers with 37 points, and had 14 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

  • (1) Red Bank Catholic def. (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 68-31
  • (2) St. John Vianney def. (3) Paul VI, 63-54

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s is back in the sectional finals for the second straight year, after beating fourth-seed Villa Walsh, 78-37, at home. The Knights put up a whopping 37 points in the first quarter and led by 22 after one, then 62-22 at the half to kick in a running clock for the entire second half. The Knights will face second-seed Saddle River Day in the North B Final at 7 pm Monday at Paterson Kennedy.

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (4) Villa Walsh, 78-37
  • (2) Saddle River Day def. (3) Hudson Catholic, 39-38
Click hear to hear Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gnapp talk about Gill St. Bernard’s win over Villa Walsh in the North B semifinals.

Non-Public South B

Make it six straight sectional finals for Rutgers Prep, as the top-seeded Argonauts were 79-46 winners over 5th-seed Stuart Day Thursday night. Prep cruised from the beginning, jumping out to a 24-9 lead at the end of one, and Natalia Valdez was a big reason why. She hit six treys in the game and finished with 21 points, while Cali McCoy added 14. Prep will rematch with second-seed Gloucester Catholic in the South B final Monday night at 7 at Jackson Township (formerly Jackson Liberty) High School.

Click here to read our game story and hear postgame reaction from Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

  • (1) Rutgers Prep def. (5) Stuart Day, 79-46
  • (2) Gloucester Catholic def. (3) Wildwood Catholic, 72-29

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Central Jersey Group 1 Final

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Non-Public North A Final

  • (6) Pingry vs. (1) Morris Catholic/(4) DePaul, 7:00 pm at Franklin HS

Non-Public North B Final

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s vs. (2) Saddle River Day, 7 pm at JFK Paterson HS

Non-Public South B Final

  • (1) Rutgers Prep vs. (2) Gloucester Catholic, 7 pm at Jackson Twp. H.S. (formerly Jackson Liberty)
by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State Tourney Roundup: Colonia boys clinch 6th straight trip to sectional finals; Bound Brook girls overcome early abyss to reach finals; South Plainfield, Manville boys, Somerville girls bow out

What a run by Colonia.

The four-time defending North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 boys’ basketball champions are back looking for a fifth straight state title, after a win in the sectional semis Wednesday night, while the Bound Brook girls came back from a disastrous start at home against Roselle Park to reach the Central Jersey Group 1 final, its first since the 2020 season, which came to an end in the midst of the state playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the four Central Jersey Sports Radio-area teams in action Wednesday night, the Patriots and Crusaders moved on, but the South Plainfield boys lost in the North 2, Group 3 semis at Chatham, while the Somerville girls also lost to Chatham, at home, in their North 2, Group 3 semifinal.

Read on for recaps and links to game stories, plus results, then the upcoming schedule for the boys and girls heading into sectional championships this weekend.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 (Boys)

In a rematch of last year’s sectional final, top-seed Colonia trailed 6-1 after the first quarter against fifth-seed Mendham. That’s right: 6-1. That’s not even a football score. But great teams find a way, and the Patriots did just that. They rebounded with a 15-7 second quarter to take a 16-13 lead at the break, and led 28-20 going into the fourth. The first part of the quarter was a stalemate. Slowly, the Minutemen chipped away. All of a sudden, with about two minutes to go, the game was knotted at 28. But down the stretch, the Patriots hit their foul shots, and ratcheted up the defense. In the final minute, they forced Mendham – looking for a three to tie, down 33-30 – into a well-defended triple that missed, got the rebound, and hit one of two at the other end to put the game out of reach with four seconds and change to go.

Jayce Rodriguez finished with 12 points, and had two big free throws down the stretch. Desmond Rudanovic added eight and four rebounds, while Dylan Chiera chipped in with five.

It’ll be the sixth straight trip to the North 2, Group 3 final for Colonia (19-10), and head coach Jose Rodriguez – the GMC Coach of the Year – has now made the finals in every single year one was held, the only exception behind the 2021 COVID season, when the state tournament was not played. They are 5-1 in finals, winning in Rodriguez’ first year, losing in the final in 2020, then winning four straight from 2022 through 2025. Now they have a chance to win their fifth straight and sixth in seven trips to the finals since Rodriguez took over.

Click below to hear Colonia head coach Jose Rodriguez talk about the Patriots’ win over Mendham with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Meanwhile, sixth-seed South Plainfield fell at second-seed Chatham in the other North 2, Group 3 semifinal, 65-57. A tight game throughout, the Tigers and Cougars were tied 17-17 after one, and led 26-25 at the half. Down two going into the fourth quarter, 49-47, South Plainfield got outscored 16-8 over the final eight minutes to take the loss. Their season ends at 18-11, and they still have the distinction of being the only team to beat GMC Tournament champion St. Joseph-Metuchen this year, 55-54 back on January 27th. The Falcons are still alive in the Non-Public South A playoffs, facing Paul VI Thursday night at 7 at home in the semifinals.

  • (1) Colonia def. (5) Mendham, 34-30
  • (2) Chatham def. (6) South Plainfield

Central Jersey Group 1 (Girls)

Second-seeded Bound Brook will play in their first sectional title game since 2020, after a 62-41 win. But it didn’t look good from the start, as the Crusaders found themselves in a 17-2 hole against sixth-seed Roselle Park, which features the top girls’ scorers in the state, Sidney Smith, averaging 30 points a game. But Bound Brook rallied big, and took a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime.

Freshman Peytan Pugh finished with 17 points for Bound Brook (25-3), while Jayden Campbell grabbed 12 rebounds, and Pugh fueled the comeback with 16 steals. Smith – who scored her 2,000th point in an opening round rout of Florence last week – still got her points, finishing with 25 in her final high school game before heading off to Elon.

Bound Brook will visit top-seed New Providence in Saturday’s sectional final.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, including postgame reaction from Pugh and head coach Jen Derevjanik, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

  • (1) New Providence def. (5) Brearley, 63-32
  • (2) Bound Brook def. (6) Roselle Park, 62-41

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 (Girls)

Top-seed Somerville got stunned at home by fifth-seed Chatham, falling 45-26 in the sectional semifinals. This was another one with a slow start, as the Cougars led 7-2 after one. But unlike the Colonia boys, the second quarter also belonged to Chatham, which extended its lead to 22-10 at the half, then sealed the deal over the final eight minutes. Amaya Miller finished with 17 points, while Kaylee Lauber was next up with four. The Pioneers finish their season at 21-17.

  • (5) Chatham def. (1) Somerville, 45-26
  • (7) Mendham def, (3) Millburn, 45-29

Central Jersey Group 1 (Boys)

Manville’s season came to an end in the sectional semifinals, as the sixth-seeded Mustangs (19-9) fell at second-seed Point Pleasant Beach, 49-35.

  • (1) Thrive Charter def. (4) Shore, 73-25
  • (2) Point Pleasant Beach def. (6) Manville, 49-35.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Central Jersey Group 4 Final

Non-Public North A Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
  • (6) Pingry at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) St. Thomas Aquinas at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Paul VI at (2) St. John Vianney, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North B Semifinals (Girls)

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5 pm
  • (3) Hudson Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 4:30 pm

Non-Public South B Semifinals (Girls)

  • (5) Stuart Day at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (3) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Gloucester Catholic, 5 pm

Non-Public South A (Boys)

  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep at CBA, 6 pm

Non-Public North B (Boys)

  • (4) St. Mary-Rutherford at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 7 pm
  • (3) Morris Catholic at (2) Roselle Catholic, 7 pm

Non-Public South B (Boys)

  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm
  • (3) Holy Spirit at (2) Holy Cross Prep, 6 pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Boys)

  • (3) Montgomery at (1) Hillsborough, 6 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final (Boys)

  • (2) Chatham at (1) Colonia, 2 pm

Central Jersey Group 1 Final (Girls)

  • (2) Bound Brook at (1) New Providence, TBA
by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Franklin, Hillsborough claim CJ4 semifinals wins, but Metuchen, Bernards see their seasons come to an end

Two Central Jersey Sports Radio-area girls basketball teams are on to the same sectional final in the NJSIAA state tournament, but two others saw their seasons come to an end Tuesday night.

Third-seed Hillsborough will play at top-seed Franklin Thursday night for the Central Jersey Group 4 championship, after both teams won Tuesday.

But Metuchen saw it’s season come to and end down the Shore, while Bernards lost on its home floor to defending North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 champion Madison.

Scroll through for recaps, audio, and links to separate stories, followed by an updated upcoming schedule with dates and times.

Central Jersey Group 4

Despite missing Alexa Gaspar, who was out sick, Hillsborough improved to 21-6 and moved on to its third straight title game with a 60-49 win at second-seed East Brunswick. Isabella Ruh logged her 18th double-double of the season in 27 games, scoring 17 points and adding 15 rebounds. The Raiders were North 2, Group 4 champions in 2024, winning their first-ever sectional title, then followed it up by winning Central Jersey Group 4 last year – and the state Group 4 title two games later.

Click here to read our game story, and hear postgame comments from Hillsborough head coach Courtney Tierney.

Meanwhile, in Franklin, the top-seeded Warriors were 66-34 winners over fifth-seed Jackson Twp., getting a career-high 33 points from junior Aleah Sunkins. A strong third quarter helped Franklin pull away. The final will be Thursday instead of Friday – the designated day for Group 2 and 4 sectional finals – since Franklin is hosting District 5 NJSIAA wrestling that night

Click here to read our game story, and hear postgame comments from Franklin head coach Jimmy Kreie.

  • (1) Franklin def. (5) Jackson Twp., 66-34
  • (3) Hillsborough def. (2) East Brunswick, 60-49

Central Jersey Group 2

The 13th-seed, Metuchen, ran into the buzzsaw that is state power Manasquan Tuesday night, losing to the top-seed 53-18. The Bulldogs got shutout 16-0 in the first quarter, too big a hole to climb back from, and trailed 30-4 at the half. Victoria Zaniecki had a double-double in the losing effort – 12 points and ten rebounds – as their season comes to a close at 15-14.

  • (1) Manasquan def, (13) Metuchen, 53-18
  • (2) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (3) Johnson, 45-38

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

Second-seed Bernards saw its season come to an end with a 51-40 loss to four-time defending champion and third-seed Madison. The Mountaineers couldn’t find their shot from the get-go, going the first ten minutes without a field goal, and trailed 11-2 at one point. They were able to climb back in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 35-34, but Madison hit some big threes – and their foul shots – and gradually built a lead they would never relinquish. Senior Aletha Reynolds scored 14 points and had ten rebounds to record a double-double in her final high school game – she’s committed to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. – while Maddie Frame added 11; each of them had a pair of treys in the game.

Click here to listen to postgame comments from Bernards head coach Brett Bisconti with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas.
  • (1) Caldwell def. (4) Voorhees, 67-44
  • (3) Madison def. (2) Bernards, 51-40

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Central Jersey Group 4 Final (Girls)

  • (3) Hillsborough (21-6) at (4) Franklin (21-8), 6 pm

Non-Public North A Semifinals (Boys)

  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
  • (6) Pingry at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A Semifinals (Boys)

  • (4) St. Thomas Aquinas at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Paul VI at (2) St. John Vianney, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North B Semifinals (Boys)

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5 pm
  • (3) Hudson Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day

Non-Public South B Semifinals (Boys)

  • (5) Stuart Day at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (3) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Gloucester Catholic, 5 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: Colonia, South Plainfield careen toward each other in North 2, Group 3; Manville rallies to win thriller; St. Joseph, Gill St. Bernard’s, Rutgers Prep all advance to sectional semis

It was a 6-4 Monday night for the ten boys’ basketball teams fromthe Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area in action in the NJSIAA high school basketball tournament.

Colonia and South Plainfield both moved on to sectional semifinal play in separate sides of the bracket in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, while Manville overcame a big second-half deficit to surge past stunned Middlesex in Central Jersey Group 1.

Meanwhile, the parochials went 3-2, as St. Joe’s won, Gill cruised, and Rutgers Prep hung on, while St. Thomas Aquinas and Timothy Christian were sent packing.

Read through for recaps on all the games involving CJSR-area teams, then scorll down further for all results and the upcoming schedule for sectional semifinal play Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Top-seed Colonia continued its tremendous rebound from a rough start to the season with a 68-28 win over visiting ninth-seed Somerville Monday night. The Patriots – who jumped out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter, then pulled away even further after halftime to leave no doubt, got 21 points from Jayce Rodriguez – including three triples – while Desmond Rudanovic added 11 points and 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Dylan Chiera scored seven points and added ten assists. Messiah Bradley led the Pioneers (16-12) with seven points. Colonia (18-10) now will host fifth-seed Mendham – a team they’ve knocked out of the states in four of the last five playoff seasons, including last year’s title game – Wednesday in the semifinals. The Minutemen (20-8) knocked off fourth-seed Warren Hills, 42-36, on the road Monday evening.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, it was sixth-seed South Plainfield holding on late to win at third-seed Millburn, 59-57. The Tigers (18-10) got 17 points from Aiden Noblecilla, 16 from Justin Vaca, and 12 from Trayvon Smith, while Boresa Juwala added ten rebounds, and survived a ten-trey onslaught from the Millers, which nearly won them the game late.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach John Greco talk about the Tigers’ sectional quarterfinal win Monday at Millburn with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

South Plainfield will go on the road to face a familiar foe in Wednesday’s semifinals, a second-seeded Chatham team the lost to less than a month ago, 59-57 on Senior Night, back on Groundhog Day. Justin Vaca had 18 in that game, including three triples. The Cougars (23-5) were 72-53 winners over seven-seed Cranford Monday.

  • (1) Colonia def. (9) Somerville, 68-28
  • (5) Mendham def. (4) Warren Hills, 42-36
  • (6) South Plainfield def. (3) Millburn, 59-57
  • (2) Chatham def. (7) Cranford, 72-53

Central Jersey Group 1

In what may have been the most thrilling game of the night, sixth-seed Manville overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit to beat third-seed Middlesex on the road, 47-44. The Mustangs (19-8) ended the third quarter on an 11-2 run, and never looked back, ending the Blue Jays’ season at 19-9. Josh D’Ambrosio led the way with 22 points, while Jonathan Gosk added ten. Jax Robel finished with 19 for Middlesex in the loss. Middlesex now draws second-seed Pt. Pleasant Beach (20-7) on the road in Wednesday’s sectional semifinals.

Click here to read Alec Crouthamel’s game story, including postgame reaction from D’Ambrosio and head coach Bill Rooney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Non-Public South A

The two GMC teams split here, with fourth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen beating 5th-seed Red Bank Catholic at home, 65-46. Junior Andrew Kretkowski logged his sixth double-double of the season with an 18-point, 12-rebound night, while Aidan Carter scored 17 and just missed a double-double with nine boards. The Falcons (28-1) will go on the road for the first time this postseason – including the GMC Tournament, which they won going away – to play a semifinal game Thursday night at top-seed Paul VI (25-4), which was a 79-71 winner over nine-seed Union Catholic Monday night.

Meanwhile, 11th-seed St. Thomas Aquinas saw its season come to an end with a 69-33 loss at third-seed St. Peter’s Prep. Senior Dan Jennings scored 14 to lead the Trojans (12-15) in defeat, in his final high school game. Down eleven at the half, the third quarter eventually did in STA, which was outscored 22-8 in the period. Albion Ahmetaj added ten points and five assists in the loss.

  • (1) Paul VI def. (9) Union Catholic, 79-71
  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (5) Red Bank Catholic, 65-46
  • (3) St. Peter’s P{rep def. (11) St. Thomas Aquinas, 69-33
  • (2) CBA def. (7) Camden Catholic, 81-47

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s didn’t have much trouble getting past eight-seed Pioneer Academy after getting a first-round bye, wining 85-42 at home Monday night. Prosper Sonkoua logged his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing eleven boards, Jason Geltzeiler added 15, including three treys, while Connor Junker scored 14 and had four triples. The Knights will host Thursday’s semifinal against fourth-seed St. Mary-Rutherford (25-4), a 60-51 winner at home over fifth-seed Morristown-Beard Monday night.

On the other side of the bracket, seventh-seed Timothy Christian fell to second-seed and defending champion Roselle Catholic, 83-31, getting a team-high 16 points from Adian Badger in defeat.

  • (1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (8) Pioneer Academy, 85-42
  • (4) St. Mary-Rutherford def. (5) Morristown-Beard, 60-51
  • (3) Morris Catholic def. (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 78-58
  • (2) Roselle Catholic def. (7) Timothy Christian, 83-31

Non-Public South B

Top-seed Rutgers Prep survived a scare from eighth-seed St. Rose (7-21), winning 68-61 at home in Somerset Monday night. The Argonauts trailed by seven after one quarter, and 25-24 at halftime, before winning the third quarter by eight, and playing a 15-15 fourth. While Rocco Loomis led the way with a 22-point night in which he was a perfect 12-of-12 from the foul line, William Brunson had a 21-and-21 double-double, a career-high rebounding night. Next up, the Argonauts (18-9) host fifth-seed Bishop Eustace (21-8) in Thursday night’s sectional semis. They were a 74-53 winner at fourth-seed Doane Academy Monday night.

  • (1) Rutgers Prep def. (8) St. Rose, 68-61
  • (5) Bishop Eustace def. (4) Doane Academy, 74-53
  • (3) Holy Spirit def. (6) Ranney, 74-54
  • (2) Holy Cross Prep def. (10) Wildwood Catholic, 78-41

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (1) Hillsborough, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Montgomery at (2) Marlboro, 5:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (4) Plainfield at (1) Piscataway, 5 pm
  • (3) Union vs. (2) Linden, 7 pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 (SEMIFINALS)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (5) Mendham at (1) Colonia
  • (6) South Plainfield at (2) Chatham

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (4) Shore at (5) Thrive Charter
  • (6) Manville at Pt. Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 (SEMIFINALS)

Non-Public South A

  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep at CBA, 6 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (4) St. Mary-Rutherford at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
  • (3) Morris Catholic at (2) Roselle Catholic

Non-Public South B

  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm
  • (3) Holy Spirit at (2) Holy Cross Prep, 6 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: Somerville wins defensive game, Bound Brook survives Thrive, while Pingry, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rutgers Prep all advance to sectional semifinals

As Week Two of the NJSIAA state high school basketball tournament gets underway, six area girls’ basketball teams advanced to sectional semifinals with wins on Monday night.

That includes top-seed Somerville in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 and second-seed Bound Brook in Central Jersey Group 1. Meanwhile, all four parochial schools in action – Pingry, St. Thomas Aquinas, Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep – also advanced to sectional semifinals.

The only girls’ squads from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area to get knocked out Monday night were second-seed Colonia in North 2, Group 3, and South Amboy in Central 1.

Read on for a full recap of quarterfinal action from Monday night, with all scores in those sections, plus a look ahead to semifinal action the rest of the week.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

It might not have been pretty, but style points don’t count in the state tournament – just points. Top-seeded Somerville won a low-scoring affair, 35-26, over eight-seed Summit at home, behind 17 points from Kaylee Lauber – who just missed a double-double with nine rebounds – while Lily Taylor grabbed 12. The Pioneers (21-6) held the Hilltoppers without a field goal the entire first quarter, and led 9-1 after the first eight minutes. That turned out to be the decisive quarter, as the teams played fairly even the rest of the way.

Click here to listen to Somerville head coach Matt Melesurgo talk about Monday night’s quarterfinal win over Summit with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

It will be The ‘Ville’s second straight trip to a sectional final, as they try to make a title game for the first time since they won this section in 2018, the second of back-to-back sectional titles for the Pioneers. They will meet fifth-seed Chatham (16-12), which also won a low scoring game Monday night, 30-21, knocking off fourth-seed Cranford.

Meanwhile, second-seed Colonia got upset by seventh-seed Mendham, 42-39. Trailing 40-33 heading into the fourth, the game ground to a halt, with Colonia winning the period 6-2, but falling short by three. Samantha Howell was the lone double-digit scorer for the Patriots (20-4), finishing with 11 in defeat, while Nashaelah Hooker had five points and 12 rebounds, and Hailey Conklin added eight and eight.

  • (1) Somerville def. (8) Summit, 35-26
  • (5) Chatham def. (4) Cranford, 30-21
  • (6) North Hunterdon def. (3) Millburn, 40-35
  • (7) Mendham def. (2) Colonia, 42-39

Central Jersey Group 1

Second-seed Bound Brook advanced, beating seventh-seed Thrive Charter 66-61. But it got a little too close for comfort down the stretch for the Crusaders. They led 51-36 heading into the fourth, and 59-45 with just over five minutes to go. But Thrive got it down to a 59-57 deficit with a minute left, and it looked like the wheels were about to come off for The Brook. But they hit a couple of free throws with 54 seconds left to go up by four. Thrive missed on the offensive end, and fouled Bound Brook, which made one of two to go up five. It went on like that, and in the end, the Crusaders hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch to give them the win. Freshman Peytan Pugh finished one shy of a career high with 26 points, adding ten rebounds and 13 steals, for her second triple-double this season, while Lauren Polakiewicz scored 13, including three triples. Pugh leads New Jersey with 231 steals this season.

The Crusaders (24-3) will get sixth-seed Roselle Park and the state’s top scorer in Sidney Smith (30 ppg), after the Panthers (18-7) rolled past third-seed Keansburg, 72-27 behind a 40-point night from Smith that was just her fourth-highest scoring total of the season.

In the other half of the bracket, fourth-seed South Amboy was upset at home by fifth-seed Brearley, 55-27. Gabby Evanski was the Lady Guvs’ only double-digit scorer with 13 points, 12 of which came on four treys.

  • (1) New Providence def. (8) Shore, 60-38
  • (5) Brearley def. (4) South Amboy, 55-27
  • (6) Roselle Park def. (3) Keansburg, 72-27
  • (2) Bound Brook def. (7) Thrive Charter, 66-61

Non-Public North A

Sixth-seed Pingry picked up an upset win all the way up in Sparta over third-seed Pope John, 55-51, behind 16 points from Val Triana and another 13 from Charlotte Hunzinger, while Gisel Calulo added nine, all from downtown. The Big Blue (16-10) will visit Immaculate Heart (21-5) up in Bergen County Thursday in the sectional semifinals, after they beat 10-seed Paramus Catholic, 61-37, Monday night. The two have played only twice in the last 15 years, with Pingry losing 44-40 last season, but winning 61-47 two years ago.

  • (1) Morris Catholic def. (9) Oak Knoll, 89-27
  • (4) DePaul def. (5) Mount St. Dominic, 61-53
  • (6) Pingry def. (3) Pope John, 55-51
  • (2) Immaculate Heart def. (10) Paramus Catholic, 61-37

Non-Public South A

Fourth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (24-6) rolled past five-seed Trinity Hall, 74-47, getting 19 points and two treys from Trista Whitney, 18 points and three treys from Lauryn Downing, and 15 points and six rebounds from Jordan Barnes. Aquinas led 36-25 at the half, but pulled away in the third on the strength of a 27-7 quarter. Now comes perhaps their biggest test of the year, as they will head down to face the state’s top-ranked team – and the No. 1 seed in their section – Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys (27-2) beat eighth-seed Union Catholic 75-22 Monday night.

  • (1) Red Bank Catholic def. (8) Union Catholic, 75-22
  • (4) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (5) Trinity Hall, 74-47
  • (3) Paul VI def. (6) Camden Catholic, 73-37
  • (2) St. John Vianney def. (7) Bishop Eustace, 73-22

Non-Public North B

Top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s played its opening round (quarterfinal) game last week, as did its semifinal opponent Villa Walsh, but the other half of the bracket played Monday night.

  • (3) Hudson Catholic def. (6) Mount St. Dominic, 70-17
  • (2) Saddle River Day def. (7) Roselle Catholic, 39-23

Non-Public South B

Top-seed Rutgers Prep got a balanced scoring effort, as Ava LaMonica, Bri Duque, Sophia Georgiades and Hannah Fraser each scored 11 points for the Argonauts (24-3), who beat ninth-seed Holy Cross Prep, 67-23. Prep led early, and by a lot: 24-9 after one, 43-14 at the half. They’ll get fifth-seed Stuart Day (15-9) in Thursday’s semifinals, a 43-41 winner at fourth-seed Holy Spirit Monday night.

  • (1) Rutgers Prep def. (9) Holy Cross Prep, 73-27
  • (5) Stuart Day def. (4) Holy Spirit, 43-41
  • (3) Wildwood Catholic def. (11) Ranney, 83-76
  • (2) Gloucester Catholic def. (7) Koinonia, 74-26

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (1) Franklin, 5 :30 pm
  • (3) Hillsborough at (2) East Brunswick, 6 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (13) Metuchen at (1) Manasquan, 5 pm
  • (3) Johnson at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven, 5 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (4) Voorhees at (1) Caldwell, 5 pm
  • (3) Madison at (3) Bernards, 7 pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (5) Chatham at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
  • (7) Mendham at (3) Millburn

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (5) Brearley at (1) New Providence
  • (6) Roselle Park at (2) Bound Brook, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 (SEMIFINALS)

Non-Public North A

  • (4) DePaul at (1) Morris Catholic
  • (6) Pingry at (2) Immaculate Heart

Non-Public South A

  • (4) St. Thomas Aquinas at (1) Red Bank Catholic
  • (3) Paul VI at (2) St. John Vianney

Non-Public North B

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5 pm
  • (3) Hudson Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day

Non-Public South B

  • (5) Stuart Day at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (3) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Gloucester Catholic

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: Top seeds Piscataway, Hillsborough, two-time defending CJ4 champ Montgomery all advance in Saturday state tourney play; Ridge gives Linden all it can handle

Three high seeds were the only boys’ basketball teams to advance Saturday in the NJSIAA state tournament.

Top-seed Piscataway was the only one to advance in North 2, Group 4, while top-seed Hillsborough and third-seed and two-time defending champion Montgomery both picked up victories in Central Jersey Group 4, where East Brunswick and Sayreville bowed out.

Meanwhile, in the lone evening game, 10-seed Ridge had the lead for most of the first half against second-seed Linden, but fell by ten in the end.

Scroll through for brief recaps of Saturday’s action, followed by all results in sections with CJSR teams, and the upcoming schedule.

Central Jersey Group 4

The top-seeded Raiders (21-7) jumped out to a 27-13 lead after one quarter, and while 8th-seed Freehold Twp. made a run in the middle quarters, Hillsborough was able to close it out. They had four players in double figures, led by Aaron Feath’s 24 points, while Layne Pawlowski and Kow Quargine each had a dozen. As a team, ‘Boro connected ten times from beyond the arc. They’ll face fifth-seed Jackson Twp. Tuesday night in the sectional semifinals, their first trip there in three years. Jackson (18-6) beat fourth-seed East Brunswick, which fell behind 18-9 after one quarter, trailed 36-22 at the half, and couldn’t recover. Matt Mikulka led the Bears (21-7) with 20 points in the losing effort.

The other semifinal will feature third-seed and two-time defending CJ4 champ Montgomery visiting second-seed Marlboro. The Cougars (23-4) defeated sixth-seed Trenton 70-60 Saturday afternoon in Skillman behind 31 points from Ethan Lin, tying a career high. Mike Simborski added 15, while James Kamara chipped in 13 in the victory. The Mustangs (21-5) survived a late rally from seventh-seed Sayreville to win 78-68. Senior Sam Jones scored 22 in his final game as a Bomber in defeat.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Piscataway is in the sectional semifinals for the first time since 2019, when they won two games to get there on the road. This time, as the top seed, the Chiefs (23-7) beat Columbia 72-51. With a five-point lead heading into the fourth, Piscataway played solid defensively and held the Lions to nine points over the final eight minutes, outscoring them 25-9 in that span. Landon Pernell led P’way with 19 points, while Isaiah Fowler added 17 and Donald Nwaigwe 12. The Chiefs will meet defending Group 4 champion Plainfield – the four-seed – in the semis Tuesday night at home, with a game time yet to be announced. The Cardinals (22-5) got 22 from Micah Gordon in an 85-58 trouncing of fifth-seed Bayonne Saturday afternoon.

In the other half of the bracket, Perth Amboy’s brilliant season came to an end with a 60-29 loss at third-seed Union. Read a game recap and listen to postgame reaction from Panthers’ head coach Donnie Reid at the link. The Farmers will face second-seed Linden in the semis, as the second-seeded Tigers needed a strong fourth quarter to get past 10th-seed Ridge. The Red Devils (15-13) led for all but the final second of the first half, and found themselves down 26-25 going into the locker room. Linden still led by one heading into the final period, but pulled ahead to win 55-45.

Central Jersey Group 2

The last area team in this section, Metuchen (24-5) saw its season end with a 59-27 home loss to seventh-seed Rumson-Fair Haven. Colin Gawronski scored seven and Cameron Hayes-Durina six points to lead the Bulldogs in the losing effort.

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS – SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 28

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (1) Hillsborough def. (8) Freehold Twp., 79-58
  • (5) Jackson Twp. def. (4) East Brunswick, 63-58
  • (3) Montgomery, def. (6) Trenton, 70-60
  • (2) Marlboro at (7) Sayreville, 78-68

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (1) Piscataway def. (9) Columbia, 72-51
  • (4) Plainfield def. (5) Bayonne, 85-58
  • (3) Union def. (6) Perth Amboy, 60-29
  • (2) Linden def. (10) Ridge, 55-45

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (1) Wall def. (8) Holmdel, 52-36
  • (5) Manasquan def. (4) Delaware Valley, 54-34
  • (3) Ocean Twp. def. (6) Johnson, 52-48
  • (7) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (2) Metuchen, 59-27

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

MONDAY, MARCH 2 (QUARTERFINALS)

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (9) Somerville at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
  • (5) Mendham at (4) Warren Hills, 7 pm
  • (6) South Plainfield at (3) Millburn, 7 pm
  • (7) Cranford at (2) Chatham, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (8) Henry Hudson at (1) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
  • (12) New Providence at (4) Shore, 6:30 pm
  • (6) Manville at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
  • (10) Dayton at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A

  • (9) Union Catholic at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (5) Red Bank Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
  • (11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
  • (7) Camden Catholic at (2) Christian Brothers Academy, 6 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (8) Pioneer Academy at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 4pm
  • (5) Morristown-Beard at (4) St. Mary-Rutherford, 7 pm
  • (6) Montclair-Kimberley at (3) Morris Catholic, 5 pm
  • (7) Timothy Christian at (2) Roselle Catholic, 7 pm

Non-Public South B

  • (8) St. Rose at (1) Rutgers Prep, 7 pm
  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (4) Doane Academy, 6:30 pm
  • (6) Ranney at (3) Holy Spirit, 6 pm
  • (10) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Holy Cross Prep, 6 pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (1) Hillsborough, 5:30 pm
  • (3) Montgomery at (2) Marlboro, 5:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (4) Plainfield at (1) Piscataway, 5 pm
  • (3) Union vs. (2) Linden, 7 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: All three Central 4 teams advance, Bernards breaks school record for wins in sectional quarterfinal play; Metuchen claims 13/12 upset at Robbinsville

All three girls’ basketball teams in the Central Jersey Group 4 bracket of the state tournament – including top-seed Franklin, second-seed East Brunswick and third-seed Hillsborough – advanced to the sectional semifinals with wins Saturday in the state tournament, while second-seed Bernards moved on as well in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 play.

Three quarters of the CJ4 semifinals are set now, all including Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area teams, and the fourth team will be decided a bit later this afternoon, with 4th-seed Hunterdon Central and 5th-seed Jackson Township having tipped off at 4 pm.

Meanwhile, the Bernards girls won their 24th game of the season in Saturday’s quarterfinal round, topping the mark the program set last year, with 23.

Following are brief recaps of Saturday’s actions, followed by scores in each section with CJSR-area teams, and the upcoming schedule for next week’s action.

Central Jersey Group 4

At the top of the bracket, top-seed Franklin was a 66-35 winner over 8th-seed Freehold Township, 66-35. It’s the second straight trip back to the semifinals in the section, where they’ll face fifth-seed Jackson Township, which survived a potential game-tying buzzer-beating attempt from just past half court to win at fourth-seed Hunterdon Central to win 48-45. Aleah Sunkins led the offensive effort with 25 points, while Alissa Myers added 16. The Warriors (20-8) will be seeking their first trip back to a sectional title game since 2020, when they won North 2, Group 4, then beat Randolph in the Group 4 semifinals before the remainder of the tournament was cancelled due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also their first 20-win season since that year, when the Warriors “finished” 24-5.

In the other half of the bracket, it’ll be third-seed Hillsborough at second-seed East Brunswick in the semifinals. They met earlier this season in Hillsborough, with the Raiders coming out with a 70-52 win back on January 22nd. The Raiders (20-6) beat Princeton 66-34 Saturday afternoon at home, behind 17 points from Victoria Leidl, and a double-double from Isabella Ruh, who finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds. East Brunswick, meanwhile, beat seventh-seed Marlboro 60-48. The Lady Bears (23-5) got 28 points from sophomore Ava Catanho – including three treys – while Julianna DelosSantos-Branson added nine points and eleven rebounds.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

The opposite happened here, with all three CJSR-area teams getting knocked out in Saturday play. Nine-seed Woodbridge fell behind early and couldn’t recover, falling 79-56 at top-seed Bayonne. Third-seed Piscataway got 28 points from Violet Azcona, and led 49-40 heading into the fourth quarter, but was outscored 25-12 in the final period to take a 65-61 loss. And 10th-seed Watchung Hills fell 58-27 to second-seed Westfield, which jumped out to a 17-1 lead after one quarter, but still led by 16 at the half, before pulling away in the third.

Central Jersey Group 2

In a rare 13 vs. 12 matchup, 13th-seed Metuchen pulled out a 37-34 win over 12-seed Robbinsville Saturday down at Mercer County Community College in East Windsor. The Bulldogs led 22-17 at the half, and withstood a strong third quarter by the Ravens, who took a 32-30 lead into the fourth. But Metuchen held them to just two points over the final eight minutues, outscoring Robbinsville 7-2 in the period. Their prize is a date at top-seed and two-time defending state Group 2 champion Manasquan, which ended ninth-seed Spotswood’s season with a 54-34 defeat Saturday. Junior Gabrielle Hill finished with 16 points, going 6-of-7 from the foul line in defeat for the Lady Chargers/

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

Second-seed Bernards held its second straight state tournament opponent to just 25 points, as the Mountaineers beat seventh-seed Hanover Park, 45-25. Click here for a game story and postgame reaction from Bernard’s head coach Brett Bisconti.

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (1) Franklin def. (8) Freehold Twp., 66-35
  • (5) Jackson Twp. def. (4) Hunterdon Central, 48-45
  • (3) Hillsborough def. (6) Princeton, 66-34
  • (2) East Brunswick def. (7) Marlboro, 60-48

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (1) Bayonne def. (9) Woodbridge, 79-56
  • (4) Plainfield def. (5) Columbia at , 59-53
  • (3) Piscataway def. (11) Union, 65-61
  • (2) Westfield def. (10) Watchung Hills, 58-27

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (1) Manasquan def. (9) Spotswood, 54-34
  • (13) Metuchen def. (12) Robbinsville, 37-34
  • (3) Johnson def. (11) Governor Livingston, 41-31
  • (2) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (7) Point Pleasant Boro, 59-46

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (1) Caldwell def. (9) Ridgefield Park, 60-21
  • (4) Voorhees def. (12) West Morris, 58-51
  • (3) Madison def. (6) Hackettstown, 54-32
  • (2) Bernards def. (7) Hanover Park, 45-25

Non-Public North B

  • (6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic
  • (7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

MONDAY, MARCH 2 (QUARTERFINALS)

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (8) Summit at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
  • (5) Chatham at (4) Cranford, 6 pm
  • (6) North Hunterdon vs. (3) Millburn, 5 pm
  • (7) Mendham at (2) Colonia, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (8) Shore at (1) New Providence, 5 pm
  • (5) Brearley at (4) South Amboy
  • (6) Roselle Park at (3) Keansburg, 4 pm
  • (7) Thrive Charter at (2) Bound Brook, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North A

  • (9) Oak Knoll at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
  • (5) Mount St. Dominic at (4) DePaul, 4:30 pm
  • (6) Pingry at (3) Pope John, 5:30 pm
  • (10) Paramus Catholic at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A

  • (8) Union Catholic at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
  • (5) Trinity Hall at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm
  • (6) Camden Catholic at (3) Paul VI, 5:30 pm
  • (7) Bishop Eustace at (2) St. John Vianney, 5 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic, 4:30 pm
  • (7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 4:30 pm

Non-Public South B

  • (9) Holy Cross Prep at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (5) Stuart Day at (4) Holy Spirit, 4 pm
  • (11) Ranney at (3) Wildwood Catholic, 6 pm
  • (7) Koinonia at (2) Gloucester Catholic, 5 pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (SEMIFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (1) Franklin, 5 :30 pm
  • (3) Hillsborough at (2) East Brunswick, 6 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (13) Metuchen at (1) Manasquan, 5 pm
  • (3) Johnson at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven, 5 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (4) Voorhees at (1) Caldwell, 5 pm
  • (3) Madison at (3) Bernards, 7 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Non-Public North B Semifinals

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 5 pm
  • (3) Hudson Catholic/(6) Mount St. Dominic vs. (2) Saddle River Day/(7) Roselle Catholic

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: Top-seed Colonia cruises, while Somerville, South Plainfield, Middlesex, Manville, Timothy Christian all win first round games in state tourney play

Six of 14 boys’ basketball teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area won their opening round NJSIAA state tournament games Friday night, after waiting two days to play due to the aftermath of this weekend’s blizzard.

(We’re still waiting on a Non-Public North B score from the Wardlaw-Hartridge game against Pioneer Academy, which was a 4:30 pm tip.)

In the meantime, here’s a brief recap of the night’s games involving CJSR-area teams, followed by full results in sections where those teams remain alive, and the upcoming schedule. Please note, while we have Saturday’s full schedule with times, many Monday times have not yet been announced, but we will update this story as those become available.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

No. 1 seed Colonia (17-10) snapped a mini two-game losing streak that included a loss in the GMC Tournament semifinals to Piscataway and a three-point tune-up loss last Saturday to Northern Highlands with a 71-41 win over 16th-seed North Hunterdon. The Patriots built a 33-20 halftime lead and controlled the rest of the way, led by Jayden Johnson’s 26 points, a career high for the junior and just his second double-digit scoring game in this, his first varsity season. Jayce Rodriguez added 20 for COlonia, which will now host ninth-seed Somerville in the quarterfinals Monday at 7 pm.

The Pioneers (16-11) were 43-30 upset winners at 8th-seed Randolph Friday night, getting 13 points fro Tim LaCanna, and another 11 from James Hampton. It was a low-scoring game, with Somerville leading 17-13 at the half after the teams played to a 5-5 second quarter; the Pioneers held the Rams to single-digit scoring in all four quarters of the game.

Meanwhile, in the other half of the bracket, sixth-seed South Plainfield was a 70-55 home winner over 11-seed Cliffside Park. The Tigers (17-10) got a mammoth 30-point night from Andrew Bena, five shy of a career high, and his third 30-plus point game this season; he also had two baskets from downtown and was 4-of-4 at the foul line. Boresa Juwala added 11 for South Plainfield, which will travel to third-seed Millburn Monday in the quarterfinal round. The Millers (23-4) were 70-55 winners at home Friday night over 14th-seed Nutley.

Central Jersey Group 1

The only winners from the CJSR area in this bracket will square off in the quarterfinals Monday, as Middlesex and Manville both won their first round games Friday night. The Blue Jays (19-8) were 70-46 winners over 14th-seed South Hunterdon, getting 19 from Jax Robel and 17 each from Julian Samuels and Chris Kozak. Meanwhile, the Mustangs (18-8) were 63-45 winners over Dunellen, led by Josh D’Ambrosio’s 19 points – including three treys. He was the only Manville player in double figures.

Middlesex beat Manville head-to-head in a GMC-Skyland crossover game back on January 20th, 56-39, while Manville won their lone meeting last year by eleven, 57-46.

Non-Public North B

Seven-seed Timothy Christian (8-18) was the only area team to win here, beating 10th-seed Koinonia, 74-54. The Tigers had four players in double figures and were paced by Anthony Snyder with 18, followed by Nathanael Sleman with 17. Both recorded double-doubles, both logging 13 rebounds each, while Aidan Badger had a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (1) Colonia def. (16) North Hunterdon, 71-41
  • (9) Somerville def. (8) Randolph, 43-39
  • (5) Mendham def. (12) Payne Tech, 55-42
  • (4) Warren Hills def. (13) Summit, 60-52
  • (3) Millburn def. (14) Nutley, 76-72
  • (6) South Plainfield def. (11) Cliffside Park, 70-55
  • (7) Cranford def. (10) North Plainfield, 64-52
  • (2) Chatham def. (15) Fort Lee, 89-43

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (1) Thrive Charter def. (16) Keansburg, 96-25
  • (8) Henry Hudson def. (9) Bound Brook, 54-47
  • (12) New Providence def. (5) Piscataway Magnet, 77-50
  • (4) Shore def. (13) Roselle Park, 65-41
  • (3) Middlesex def. (14) South Hunterdon, 70-45
  • (7) Manville def. (11) Dunellen, 63-45
  • (10) Dayton def. (7) South Amboy, 56-39
  • (2) Point Pleasant Beach def. (15) Perth Amboy Magnet, 64-23

Non-Public North B

  • (9) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (8) Pioneer Academy, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
  • (6) Montclair-Kimberley def. (11) Franklin School, 57-32
  • (7) Timothy Christian def. (10) Koinonia, 74-54

Non-Public South B

  • (8) St. Rose def. (9) Princeton Day, 62-33
  • (5) Bishop Eustace def. (12) Noor-ul-iman, 87-21
  • (4) Doane Academy def. (13) Moorestown Friends, 96-56
  • (6) Ranney def. (11) Calvary Christian, 64-26
  • (10) Wildwood Catholic def. (7) Gloucester Catholic, 66-63

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 (QUARTERFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Hillsborough, 1 pm
  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (4) East Brunswick, 1 pm
  • (6) Trenton at (3) Montgomery, 1 pm
  • (7) Sayreville at (2) Marlboro, 11 am

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (9) Columbia at (1) Piscataway, 11:30 am
  • (5) Bayonne at (4) Plainfield, 3 pm
  • (6) Perth Amboy at (3) Union, 1 pm
  • (10) Ridge at (2) Linden, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (8) Holmdel at (1) Wall, 12 pm
  • (5) Manasquan at (4) Delaware Valley, 1 pm
  • (6) Johnson at (3) Ocean Twp., 12 pm
  • (7) Rumson-Fair Haven at (2) Metuchen, 12p

MONDAY, MARCH 2 (QUARTERFINALS)

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (9) Somerville at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
  • (5) Mendham at (4) Warren Hills
  • (6) South Plainfield at (3) Millburn, 7 pm (tentative)
  • (7) Cranford at (2) Chatham

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (8) Henry Hudson at (1) Thrive Charter
  • (12) New Providence at (4) Shore
  • (6) Manville at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
  • (10) Dayton at (2) Point Pleasant Beach

Non-Public South A

  • (9) Union Catholic at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (5) Red Bank Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
  • (11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
  • (7) Camden Catholic at (2) Christian Brothers Academy, 6 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (9) Wardlaw-Hartridge/(8) Pioneer Academy at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
  • (5) Morristown-Beard at (4) St. Mary-Rutherford
  • (6) Montclair-Kimberley at (3) Morris Catholic
  • (7) Timothy Christian at (2) Roselle Catholic

Non-Public South B

  • (8) St. Rose at (1) Rutgers Prep
  • (5) Bishop Eustace at (4) Doane Academy
  • (6) Ranney at (3) Holy Spirit
  • (10) Wildwood Catholic at (2) Holy Cross Prep

by Mike Pavlichko

Girls’ Basketball Roundup: High seeds Somerville, Colonia, Bound Brook, South Amboy advance; all lower seeds knocked out

It was a lighter schedule on Day 2 of the NJSIAA state tournament for Central Jersey Sports Radio area teams, with all four higher seeds advancing, and all of the lower seeded teams going home.

Overall, four of the 13 teams from the CJSR coverage area advanced, while nine saw their seasons end.

Here are brief recaps by section, followed by full results for all brackets with area teams, then the upcoming schedule for Saturday and Monday action.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Top-seed Somerville (20-6) cruised past 16th-seed Warren Hills at home on a solid defensive effort, and despite only one player in double figures. Kaylee Lauber scored 15 points and had five rebounds, while Lily Taylor added 11 boards in the win. The Pioneers will host 8th-seed Summit Monday evening at 5:30 in the quarterfinals. The Hilltoppers (13-13) beat 9th-seed Carteret, 41-25, jumping out to an early 16-3 lead, and never looking back. Charlotte Yarnall led the way for Summit with 14 points.

Second-seed Colonia also was a big winner, routing 15th-seed Cliffside Park, 73-36. The Patriots (20-3) got a game-high 18 points apiece from Hailey Conklin and Ariana Sosa, while Samantha Howell added 13. Colonia will face Mendham (11-14) Monday at home in the quarterfinals, tentatively at 5 pm assuming the top-seeded Colonia boys win Friday night. Seventh-seed Mendham was a 58-19 home winner over South Plainfield Friday night.

Central Jersey Group 1

Second-seed Bound Brook (23-3) advanced with a 54-26 win over 15th-seed Dayton. The Crusaders jumped out to a big lead, scoring the game’s first 17 points before the Bulldogs got on the board. Peytan Pugh scored a game-high 21 points and had nine more steals, leading the state with 217. Read a full game recap with postgame audio here. Bound Brook will face 7th-seed Thrive Charter (11-10) Monday in the quarterfinals, after they knocked out 10th-seed Manville, 57-20, Friday evening.

On the other side of the bracket, fourth-seed South Amboy (18-7) got by 13-seed Henry Hudson, 42-27, behind 19 points from Gabby Evanski, who also grabbed eight rebounds, along with Ashley Moreira-Burgos. The Lady Guvs will host fifth-seed Brearley (17-4) on Monday in the sectional quarterfinals; the Bears eliminated 12th-seed Highland Park, 62-44, Friday night.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (1) Somerville def. (16) Warren Hills, 49-14
  • (8) Summit def, (9) Carteret, 41-25
  • (5) Chatham def. (12) Randolph, 49-29
  • (4) Cranford def. (13) North Plainfield, 81-28
  • (3) Millburn def. (14) Orange, 72-36
  • (6) North Hunterdon def. (11) Fort Lee, 57-22
  • (7) Mendham def. (1) South Plainfield, 58-19
  • (2) Colonia def. (15) Cliffside Park, 73-36

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (1) New Providence def. (16) Dunellen, 49-10
  • (8) Shore def. (9) Middlesex, 55-40
  • (5) Brearley def. (12) Highland Park, 62-44
  • (4) South Amboy def. (13) Henry Hudson, 42-27
  • (3) Keansburg def. (14) College Achieve Central, 56-34
  • (6) Roselle Park def. (11) Florence, 72-30
  • (7) Thrive Charter def. (10) Manville, 57-20
  • (2) Bound Brook def. (15) Dayton, 54-26

Non-Public South B

  • (8) Doane Academy def. (9) Holy Cross Prep, 55-36
  • (5) Stuart Day def. (12) Noor ul-iman, 80-22
  • (11) Ranney def. (6) Moorestown Friends, 64-40
  • (7) Koinonia def. (1) Calvary Christian, 78-44

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 (QUARTERFINALS)

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Franklin, noon
  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (4) Hunterdon Central, 4 pm
  • (6) Princeton at (3) Hillsborough, 11 am
  • (7) Marlboro at (2) East Brunswick, 11 am

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (9) Woodbridge at (1) Bayonne, 1:30 pm
  • (5) Columbia at (4) Plainfield, 1 pm
  • (11) Union at (3) Piscataway, 10 am
  • (10) Watchung Hills at (2) Westfield, 12 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (9) Spotswood at (1) Manasquan, 11 am
  • (13) Metuchen at (12) Robbinsville, 5 pm
  • (11) Governor Livingston at (3) Johnson, 2:30 pm
  • (7) Point Pleasant Boro at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven, 12 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (9) Ridgefield Park at (1) Caldwell, 11 am
  • (12) West Morris at (4) Voorhees, 11 am
  • (6) Hackettstown at (3) Madison, 11 am
  • (7) Hanover Park at (2) Bernards, 1 pm

MONDAY, MARCH 2 (QUARTERFINALS)

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (8) Summit at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
  • (5) Chatham at (4) Cranford
  • (6) North Hunterdon vs. (3) Millburn
  • (7) Mendham at (2) Colonia, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (8) Shore at (1) New Providence
  • (5) Brearley at (4) South Amboy
  • (6) Roselle Park at (3) Keansburg
  • (7) Thrive Charter at (2) Bound Brook

Non-Public North A

  • (9) Oak Knoll at (1) Morris Catholic, 7 pm
  • (5) Mount St. Dominic at (4) DePaul, 4:30 pm
  • (6) Pingry at (3) Pope John, 5:30 pm
  • (10) Paramus Catholic at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A

  • (8) Union Catholic at (1) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
  • (5) Trinity Hall at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm
  • (6) Camden Catholic at (3) Paul VI, L:30 pm
  • (7) Bishop Eustace at (2) St. John Vianney, 5 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic, 4:30 pm
  • (7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 4:30 pm

Non-Public South B

  • (9) Holy Cross Prep at (1) Rutgers Prep, 5 pm
  • (5) Stuart Day at (4) Holy Spirit
  • (11) Ranney at (3) Wildwood Catholic
  • (7) Koinonia at (2) Gloucester Catholic

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

Non-Public North B Semifinals

  • (4) Villa Walsh at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
  • (3) Hudson Catholic/(6) Mount St. Dominic vs. (2) Saddle River Day/(2) Roselle Catholic

by Mike Pavlichko

Boys’ Basketball Roundup: St. Joseph hits the century mark, two-time defending CJ4 champ Montgomery rolls, Ridge upsets Elizabeth, Perth Amboy takes buzzer-beater as state tourney opens at long last

It was a two-day wait to start the NJSIAA state high school basketball tournament for public schools in Groups 2 and 4, but for eight schools from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, it was well worth the wait.

CJSR-area squads went 10-10 on the opening day of the three-week tournament, with two non-publics winning games that were originally scheduled for Thursday anyway.

Here’s a look at some of the key wins, followed by all results, and the upcoming schedule.

St. Joseph hits 100…

The Falcons scored 103 points in a season-opening 103-36 win over Wesley College (Australia). Thursday night, the newly-minted GMC Tournament champions opened the state tournament as the fourth-seed in Non-Public South A, beating 13th-seed Donovan Catholic out of the Shore Conference, 100-44.

Junior and GMC Tournament MVP Andrew Kretkowski led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds, while fellow junior Aidan Carter added 19, and sophomore Joel Patrick recorded his second double-double of the season, with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

The Falcons (27-1) now will play fifth-seed Red Bank Catholic (20-7) in the sectional semis. The Caseys were a Shore Conference Tournament finalist, falling to CBA, and opened with a 41-39 win over rival St. John Vianney Thursday night.

Aquinas wins in OT…

Two free throws from senior Dan Jennings – a transfer last season from St. Joe’s – with 2.1 seconds to go in overtime helped the Trojans pull out a 77-76 upset win at 11-seed Immaculata.

Click here to read the full story, and hear postgame reaction from Jennings and first-year head coach Tom Weiler, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen.

Abreu’s putback sends Perth Amboy…

The 6th-seeded Panthers got their first playoff win since 2015 Thursday night when Kasey Abreu’s putback off a miss from downtown beat the buzzer, giving them a 54-43 victory over 11th-seed North Star Academy in the Bay City Thursday night.

Abreu finished with a game-high 15 points, and also grabbed eight rebounds, while Yandel Susana added 13 for Perth Amboy (22-5).

They get third-seed Union Saturday (time TBA) in the semifinals, after the Farmers rolled past 14th-seed Ferris, 53-28, in the opening round.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (1) Hillsborough def. (16) Old Bridge, 74-44
  • (8) Freehold Twp. def. (9) Franklin, 83-59
  • (5) Jackson Twp. def. (12) Hightstown, 83-55
  • (4) East Brunswick def. (13) Edison, 91-61
  • (3) Montgomery def. (14) Manalapan, 76-40
  • (6) Trenton def. (11) Hunterdon Central, 78-44
  • (7) Sayreville def. (10) South Brunswick, 82-49
  • (2) Marlboro def. (15) Princeton, 68-47

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (1) Piscataway def. (16) JP Stevens, 75-30
  • (9) Columbia def. (8) Dickinson, 59-48
  • (5) Bayonne def. (12) Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 71-61
  • (4) Plainfield def. (13) Bridgewater-Raritan, 60-39
  • (3) Union def. (14) Ferris, 53-28
  • (6) Perth Amboy def. (11) North Star Academy, 45-43
  • (10) Ridge def. (7) Elizabeth, 54-53
  • (2) Linden def. (15) Westfield, 49-45

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (1) Wall def. (16) Bordentown, 61-44
  • (8) Holmdel def. (9) Robbinsville, 60-46
  • (5) Manasquan def. (12) Roselle, 66-40
  • (4) Delaware Valley def. (13) Spotswood, 67-58
  • (3) Ocean Twp. def. (14) Governor Livingston, 67-53
  • (6) Johnson def. (11) Monmouth, 54-47
  • (7) Rumson-Fair Haven def. (10) Point Pleasant Boro, 75-74 (OT)
  • (2) Metuchen def. (15) Delran, 57-31

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

  • (1) Newark Collegiate def. (16) Newark West Side, 70-43
  • (8) Weequahic def. (9) Bernards, 72-50
  • (5) Hackettstown def. (12) Hanover Park, 58-50
  • (4) Madison def. (13) Rutherford, 66-28
  • (3) Ridgefield Park def. (14) Snyder, 49-43
  • (6) Caldwell def. (11) Becton, 80-53
  • (10) Hillside def. (7) Voorhees, 62-46
  • (2) Lyndhurst def. (15) McNair, 94-43

Non-Public South A

  • (9) Union Catholic def. (8) St. Augustine, 63-51
  • (5) Red Bank Catholic def. (12) St. John Vianney, 41-39
  • (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen def. (13) Donovan Catholic, 100-44
  • (3) St. Peter’s Prep def. (14) Notre Dame, 80-25
  • (11) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (6) Immaculata, 77-76 (OT)
  • (7) Camden Catholic def. (10) Pingry, 58-53

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 (FIRST ROUND)

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (16) North Hunterdon at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
    (9) Somerville at (8) Randolph, 5 pm
  • (12) Payne Tech at (5) Mendham, 7 pm
  • (13) Summit at (4) Warren Hills, 7 pm
  • (14) Nutley at (3) Millburn, 4:15 pm
  • (11) Cliffside Park at (6) South Plainfield, 6 pm
  • (10) North Plainfield at (7) Cranford, 7 pm
  • (15) Fort Lee at (2) Chatham, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

  • (16) Keansburg at (1) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
  • (9) Bound Brook at (8) Henry Hudson, 5:30 pm
  • (12) New Providence at (5) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
  • (13) Roselle Park at (4) Shore, 4 pm
  • (14) South Hunterdon at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
  • (11) Dunellen at (7) Manville, 7 pm
  • (10) Dayton at (7) South Amboy, 6 pm
  • (15) Perth Amboy Magnet at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North B

  • (9) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (8) Pioneer Academy, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
  • (11) Franklin School at (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Morris Catholic
  • (10) Koinonia at (7) Timothy Christian, 5 pm; winner at (2) Roselle Catholic

Non-Public South B

  • (9) Princeton Day at (8) St. Rose, 6 pm; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
  • (12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Bishop Eustace, 6:30 pm
  • (13) Moorestown Friends at (4) Doane Academy, 6 pm
  • (11) Calvary Christian at (6) Ranney, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Holy Spirit
  • (10) Wildwood Catholic at (7) Gloucester Catholic, 5:30 pm; winner at (2) Holy Cross Prep

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 (SEMIFINALS)

Note: Not all game times have been announced. This schedule will be updated as game times are set.

Central Jersey Group 4

  • (8) Freehold Twp. at (1) Hillsborough, 1 pm
  • (5) Jackson Twp. at (4) East Brunswick, 1 pm
  • (6) Trenton at (3) Montgomery, 1 pm
  • (7) Sayreville at (2) Marlboro, 11 am

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (9) Columbia at (1) Piscataway, 11:30 am
  • (5) Bayonne at (4) Plainfield, 3 pm
  • (6) Perth Amboy at (3) Union, 1 pm
  • (10) Ridge at (2) Linden, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

  • (8) Holmdel at (1) Wall, 12 pm
  • (5) Manasquan at (4) Delaware Valley, 1 pm
  • (6) Johnson at (3) Ocean Twp., 12 pm
  • (7) Rumson-Fair Haven at (2) Metuchen, 12p

Non-Public South A

  • (9) Union Catholic at (1) Paul VI, 7 pm
  • (5) Red Bank Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
  • (11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
  • (7) Camden Catholic at (2) Christian Brothers Academy, 6 pm