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Another season brought another round of championship performances in the Greater Middlesex Conference and southern Union County. Here were the best teams in the area in 2024-25.
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (23-7) – preseason No. 1 – The Trojans again end the season where they started, on top of the Home News Tribune area rankings. St. Thomas went undefeated against Middlesex County competition, including 14-0 vs. GMC Red Division opponents, and won its sixth consecutive GMC Tournament, defeating their four GMCT opponents by an average of 59 points. Three St. Thomas players – Leah Crosby, Gianna Chuffo (255 career 3-pointers) and Trista Whitney – surpassed the 1,000-point plateau this season. Jordan Barnes will start her senior season with 882 career points. Leah Kearney and Lauryn Downing were also key contributors for St, Thomas, which won a state tournament game before falling to Red Bank Catholic.
2. Monroe (20-10) – preseason No. 2 – The Falcons reached the championship game of both the GMCT and Central Group 4 Tournament, falling to state-ranked squads in the title tilts, including state Group 4 champ Hillsborough in the sectional final. Evangelina Francisco (1,335 points) will graduate as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Sophomore Kiera Longo averaged 11 points, 8.5 rebounds and two steals per game to help Monroe win three games in both the GMC and the sectional tournaments.
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
More: Monroe jumps to early lead, cruises to Central Group 4 girls basketball final
3. Middlesex (21-9) – preseason No. 6 – The Blue Jays reached the semifinals of the GMC Tournament (second straight season) and Central Jersey Group I Tournament, with HNT Girls Basketball Player of the Year Jessica Devine leading the way. Junior Mallory Gianchiglia averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, sinking 36 trifectas, including four (and 22 points) in a season-ending game vs. eventual Group I state champion New Providence. Sophomore Taylor Lawrence (231 rebounds and 38 steals) and freshman Avery Iskra (176 points, 16 3-pointers) also contributed to Middlesex’s White Division championship.
4. Spotswood (18-8) – preseason No. 7 – The Chargers won the GMC Blue Division last season and finished second in the White Division this winter. Sophomore Gabrielle Hill will start next season with 705 career points. Hill averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and two assists per game for Spotswood, whose season included a win over neighborhood rival East Brunswick for the Noppenberger/Visokay Cup. Senior Lizzie Calandruccio (14.6 ppg, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game) nailed 59 3-pointers her senior season and 179 for her career.
5. East Brunswick (13-14) – preseason No. 3 – Freshman Ava Catanho averaged 17.3 points per game to help the Bears win nine divisional contest, finish third in the Red Division, and win a game in the Central Group 4 Tournament. Catanho also contributed 4.4 rebounds to the Bears’ attack. Catanho sank 64 3-pointers for the Bears, who also received strong 3-point shooting from Sophia Tannura (48 trifectas) and Makenna Gay (43). Senior Rotem Barda was East Brunswick’s leading rebounder (10 per game) and Zoey Aleixo added 18 3-pointers to the Bears’ attack.
6. Edison (17-11) – preseason not ranked – With Olivia Smart leading the way, Edison finished third in the White Division. Smart averaged a double-double in her senior season (12.1 rebounds and 11.5 points per game) and concluded her career with 927 rebounds. Freshman Carmela Arana, who sank 59 3-pointers, averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game for the Eagles, who dropped a one-point decision to Monroe in a GMC Tournament quarterfinal. Angelisa Kearns and Isabella Charles made strong contributions for Edison, which won two games vs. Red Division squads.
7. Piscataway (12-14) – preseason NR – The Red Division grind prepared the Chiefs well for tournament time, as 11th-seeded Piscataway advanced to the GMCT quarterfinals. Piscataway, which defeated Timothy Christian and South Brunswick in the GMC Tournament, notched a victory against Watchung Hills in the North 2 Group 4 Tournament. Sophomore Sarae Croley-Battle, who averaged a double-double with 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, will start her junior season with 658 points. Freshman Caelyn Cook averaged 11.5 points per game.
8. South Brunswick (13-13) – preseason No. 4 – The Vikings finished fourth in the GMC Red Division and garnered the No. 6 seed for the GMC Tournament. Alexis Lease-Springer, who scored 1,157 points in her career, led the way for South Brunswick, which registered an impressive, three-game winning streak vs. North Plainfield, Piscataway and Monroe in late January. South Brunswick, which posted an 8-6 division record, received strong seasons from seniors Avery Jenne and Kendall Dixon and sophomore Madison Rorie.
9. North Plainfield (9-18) – preseason No. 5 – The Canucks, slowed by multiple injuries and a challenging non-conference schedule, in addition to a rugged Red Division slate, got hot at the right time, advancing to the GMC Tournament semifinals as the No. 13 seed. With Layla Gutierrez and Jordyn Patrick leading the way, North Plainfield defeated Perth Amboy and then upset Spotswood and Old Bridge, before falling to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas in the semis. Jasmine Pac and Saniaah Patrick also contributed to the late-season run for last year’s Coach of the Year, Derrick Eatman.
10. South Plainfield (16-11) – preseason No. 9 – The Tigers won a game in both the GMC Tournament and the North 2 Group 3 Tournament. South Plainfield avenged two losses to White Division foe J.P. Stevens with a 54-43 victory against the Hawks in the GMCT, and scored a 57-48 road win at Payne Tech in the sectional event. Senior Stella Sweeney, who finished with 1,171 career points, led the way for South Plainfield, which also received strong seasons from senior Olivia Kapolka and underclassmen Samantha Moench, Makenzie Harris and Jiselle Lennon.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball rankings: GMC, area UCC final Top 10
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Home News Tribune Girls Basketball Top 10
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (23-7) – preseason No. 1 – The Trojans again end the season where they started, on top of the Home News Tribune area rankings. St. Thomas went undefeated against Middlesex County competition, including 14-0 vs. GMC Red Division opponents, and won its sixth consecutive GMC Tournament, defeating their four GMCT opponents by an average of 59 points. Three St. Thomas players – Leah Crosby, Gianna Chuffo (255 career 3-pointers) and Trista Whitney – surpassed the 1,000-point plateau this season. Jordan Barnes will start her senior season with 882 career points. Leah Kearney and Lauryn Downing were also key contributors for St, Thomas, which won a state tournament game before falling to Red Bank Catholic.
2. Monroe (20-10) – preseason No. 2 – The Falcons reached the championship game of both the GMCT and Central Group 4 Tournament, falling to state-ranked squads in the title tilts, including state Group 4 champ Hillsborough in the sectional final. Evangelina Francisco (1,335 points) will graduate as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Sophomore Kiera Longo averaged 11 points, 8.5 rebounds and two steals per game to help Monroe win three games in both the GMC and the sectional tournaments.
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
More: Monroe jumps to early lead, cruises to Central Group 4 girls basketball final
3. Middlesex (21-9) – preseason No. 6 – The Blue Jays reached the semifinals of the GMC Tournament (second straight season) and Central Jersey Group I Tournament, with HNT Girls Basketball Player of the Year Jessica Devine leading the way. Junior Mallory Gianchiglia averaged 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, sinking 36 trifectas, including four (and 22 points) in a season-ending game vs. eventual Group I state champion New Providence. Sophomore Taylor Lawrence (231 rebounds and 38 steals) and freshman Avery Iskra (176 points, 16 3-pointers) also contributed to Middlesex’s White Division championship.
4. Spotswood (18-8) – preseason No. 7 – The Chargers won the GMC Blue Division last season and finished second in the White Division this winter. Sophomore Gabrielle Hill will start next season with 705 career points. Hill averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and two assists per game for Spotswood, whose season included a win over neighborhood rival East Brunswick for the Noppenberger/Visokay Cup. Senior Lizzie Calandruccio (14.6 ppg, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game) nailed 59 3-pointers her senior season and 179 for her career.
5. East Brunswick (13-14) – preseason No. 3 – Freshman Ava Catanho averaged 17.3 points per game to help the Bears win nine divisional contest, finish third in the Red Division, and win a game in the Central Group 4 Tournament. Catanho also contributed 4.4 rebounds to the Bears’ attack. Catanho sank 64 3-pointers for the Bears, who also received strong 3-point shooting from Sophia Tannura (48 trifectas) and Makenna Gay (43). Senior Rotem Barda was East Brunswick’s leading rebounder (10 per game) and Zoey Aleixo added 18 3-pointers to the Bears’ attack.
6. Edison (17-11) – preseason not ranked – With Olivia Smart leading the way, Edison finished third in the White Division. Smart averaged a double-double in her senior season (12.1 rebounds and 11.5 points per game) and concluded her career with 927 rebounds. Freshman Carmela Arana, who sank 59 3-pointers, averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game for the Eagles, who dropped a one-point decision to Monroe in a GMC Tournament quarterfinal. Angelisa Kearns and Isabella Charles made strong contributions for Edison, which won two games vs. Red Division squads.
7. Piscataway (12-14) – preseason NR – The Red Division grind prepared the Chiefs well for tournament time, as 11th-seeded Piscataway advanced to the GMCT quarterfinals. Piscataway, which defeated Timothy Christian and South Brunswick in the GMC Tournament, notched a victory against Watchung Hills in the North 2 Group 4 Tournament. Sophomore Sarae Croley-Battle, who averaged a double-double with 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, will start her junior season with 658 points. Freshman Caelyn Cook averaged 11.5 points per game.
8. South Brunswick (13-13) – preseason No. 4 – The Vikings finished fourth in the GMC Red Division and garnered the No. 6 seed for the GMC Tournament. Alexis Lease-Springer, who scored 1,157 points in her career, led the way for South Brunswick, which registered an impressive, three-game winning streak vs. North Plainfield, Piscataway and Monroe in late January. South Brunswick, which posted an 8-6 division record, received strong seasons from seniors Avery Jenne and Kendall Dixon and sophomore Madison Rorie.
9. North Plainfield (9-18) – preseason No. 5 – The Canucks, slowed by multiple injuries and a challenging non-conference schedule, in addition to a rugged Red Division slate, got hot at the right time, advancing to the GMC Tournament semifinals as the No. 13 seed. With Layla Gutierrez and Jordyn Patrick leading the way, North Plainfield defeated Perth Amboy and then upset Spotswood and Old Bridge, before falling to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas in the semis. Jasmine Pac and Saniaah Patrick also contributed to the late-season run for last year’s Coach of the Year, Derrick Eatman.
10. South Plainfield (16-11) – preseason No. 9 – The Tigers won a game in both the GMC Tournament and the North 2 Group 3 Tournament. South Plainfield avenged two losses to White Division foe J.P. Stevens with a 54-43 victory against the Hawks in the GMCT, and scored a 57-48 road win at Payne Tech in the sectional event. Senior Stella Sweeney, who finished with 1,171 career points, led the way for South Plainfield, which also received strong seasons from senior Olivia Kapolka and underclassmen Samantha Moench, Makenzie Harris and Jiselle Lennon.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball rankings: GMC, area UCC final Top 10
Continue reading...
