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Another season brought another round of championship performances in the Skyland Conference and western Union County. Here were the best teams in the area in 2024-25.
1. Gill St. Bernard’s (23-5) – preseason No. 2 – The Knights, who reached the 23-win mark for the second straight season, won their first Somerset County Tournament championship since 2014 and shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Rutgers Prep. GSB became the first Skyland team in 11 years to beat Rutgers Prep during the regular season and first conference team to top the Argonauts in any game since the 2016. The Knights finished a game short of the state finals, falling to Non-Public B state champ Montclair Immaculate in the Non-Public North B final
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
2. Hillsborough (26-6) – preseason No. 3 – The Raiders reached new heights, winning the Group 4 championship, the first state title in program history. Hillsborough also became the first team in six years to beat Rutgers Prep in a Somerset County Tournament, denying the Argos a trip to the finals for the first time since 2016 when Hillsborough toppled Prep in the SCT semifinals. It was Hillsborough’s first trip to the final since 2006. Three of Boro’s losses were to Gill St. Bernard’s in lopsided affairs, including 68-48 in the county final.
3. New Providence (30-2) -- preseason No. 6 -- The Pioneers posted the winningest season in program history, taking down the Group 1 championship, their second state title in three seasons and the program’s fifth overall. New Providence won the Union County Conference Watchung Division title and its second Union County Tournament crown in three seasons, with its only losses coming to Group 3 powers in Teaneck and state finalist Chatham.
4. Rutgers Prep (20-7) – preseason No. 1 -- The Argonauts’ version of a rebuilding season still featured 20 wins for the 10th straight season, a trip to the county semifinals, a berth in the sectional finals and the program’s 10th straight conference title, as they shared the Delaware Division crown. All that despite returning just one regular player from last year’s rotation and playing without a senior.
5. Westfield (24-7) – preseason No. 8 -- The Blue Devils shook off a 10-16 campaign a year ago, not only turning it around to win 24 games and return to the Union County Tournament final, but they pulled off, arguably, the biggest surprise of the state tournament, stunning Bayonne to win the North 2 Group 4 title.
6. Franklin (11-16) – preseason No. 4 -- The Warriors might have finished five games under .500, but considering the schedule, that’s still quite an accomplishment. Every team Franklin lost to was either an out-of-state power or ranked Top 20 in New Jersey. The Warriors split a pair of regular-season games with Hillsborough, before succumbing to the Raiders in the Central Group 4 semifinals.
7. Plainfield (19-8) – preseason No. 7 -- The Cardinals posted their second straight stellar campaign, as they’ve returned to prominence in Union County. Plainfield went to the county and sectional semifinals, losing a pair of hard-fought games to Westfield, which the Cardinals split with in the regular season.
8. Pingry (19-8) – preseason No. 10 -- The Big Blue, who won the Valley Division last year, were moved up to the Raritan this season and ran the divisional slate, going 10-0 to capture their second straight conference crown, while reaching the 19-win mark for the second consecutive year.
9. Somerville (23-6) – preseason not ranked – The Pioneers followed up last year’s Mountain Division championship by moving up to the Valley Division and claiming another conference crown. Somerville also reached the 23-win mark for the second straight year, notching its fourth straight winning season.
10. Bernards (23-6) – preseason not ranked – The Mountain Division champs posted a perfect conference slate, as the Mountaineers won their second divisional title in three years. Bernards also reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2018, notching its winning season in more than two decades.
Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball rankings: Skyland Conference, UCC final Top 10
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Courier News Girls Basketball Top 10
1. Gill St. Bernard’s (23-5) – preseason No. 2 – The Knights, who reached the 23-win mark for the second straight season, won their first Somerset County Tournament championship since 2014 and shared the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Rutgers Prep. GSB became the first Skyland team in 11 years to beat Rutgers Prep during the regular season and first conference team to top the Argonauts in any game since the 2016. The Knights finished a game short of the state finals, falling to Non-Public B state champ Montclair Immaculate in the Non-Public North B final
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
2. Hillsborough (26-6) – preseason No. 3 – The Raiders reached new heights, winning the Group 4 championship, the first state title in program history. Hillsborough also became the first team in six years to beat Rutgers Prep in a Somerset County Tournament, denying the Argos a trip to the finals for the first time since 2016 when Hillsborough toppled Prep in the SCT semifinals. It was Hillsborough’s first trip to the final since 2006. Three of Boro’s losses were to Gill St. Bernard’s in lopsided affairs, including 68-48 in the county final.
3. New Providence (30-2) -- preseason No. 6 -- The Pioneers posted the winningest season in program history, taking down the Group 1 championship, their second state title in three seasons and the program’s fifth overall. New Providence won the Union County Conference Watchung Division title and its second Union County Tournament crown in three seasons, with its only losses coming to Group 3 powers in Teaneck and state finalist Chatham.
4. Rutgers Prep (20-7) – preseason No. 1 -- The Argonauts’ version of a rebuilding season still featured 20 wins for the 10th straight season, a trip to the county semifinals, a berth in the sectional finals and the program’s 10th straight conference title, as they shared the Delaware Division crown. All that despite returning just one regular player from last year’s rotation and playing without a senior.
5. Westfield (24-7) – preseason No. 8 -- The Blue Devils shook off a 10-16 campaign a year ago, not only turning it around to win 24 games and return to the Union County Tournament final, but they pulled off, arguably, the biggest surprise of the state tournament, stunning Bayonne to win the North 2 Group 4 title.
6. Franklin (11-16) – preseason No. 4 -- The Warriors might have finished five games under .500, but considering the schedule, that’s still quite an accomplishment. Every team Franklin lost to was either an out-of-state power or ranked Top 20 in New Jersey. The Warriors split a pair of regular-season games with Hillsborough, before succumbing to the Raiders in the Central Group 4 semifinals.
7. Plainfield (19-8) – preseason No. 7 -- The Cardinals posted their second straight stellar campaign, as they’ve returned to prominence in Union County. Plainfield went to the county and sectional semifinals, losing a pair of hard-fought games to Westfield, which the Cardinals split with in the regular season.
8. Pingry (19-8) – preseason No. 10 -- The Big Blue, who won the Valley Division last year, were moved up to the Raritan this season and ran the divisional slate, going 10-0 to capture their second straight conference crown, while reaching the 19-win mark for the second consecutive year.
9. Somerville (23-6) – preseason not ranked – The Pioneers followed up last year’s Mountain Division championship by moving up to the Valley Division and claiming another conference crown. Somerville also reached the 23-win mark for the second straight year, notching its fourth straight winning season.
10. Bernards (23-6) – preseason not ranked – The Mountain Division champs posted a perfect conference slate, as the Mountaineers won their second divisional title in three years. Bernards also reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2018, notching its winning season in more than two decades.
Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball rankings: Skyland Conference, UCC final Top 10
Continue reading...
