NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament Preview: The Shore in Group 3
NJSIAA Tournament: Group 3 Playoff Preview
Central Jersey Group 3
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 1 Colts Neck, No. 2 Neptune, No. 3 Middletown South, No. 5 Brick, No. 6 Red Bank, No. 12 Freehold Boro, No. 13 Middletown North, No. 14 Brick Memorial, No. 15 Matawan
Top Seed: Colts Neck
Defending Champion: Neptune
Favorite: No. 1 Colts Neck. The Cougars have not won a sectional title since 2014, but behind possibly the best sophomore class in the Shore Conference, they will be favored to change that this season. Colts Neck won a strong Class B North division outright matched up against the likes of Trinity Hall and Howell who are both ranked in the Shore Sports Insider Top 10. They took a strong Rumson-Fair Haven team down to the wire in the Shore Conference Tournament. Sophomores Julianna Jasina and Allison McAndrew are the top scorers averaging over 13 points per game.
Colts Neck’s Allison McAndrew (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
Contender: No. 2 Neptune. The defending sectional champions probably would have been the favorite to repeat if not for some devastating injuries towards the end of the season. Star sophomore forward Tyeera Howard has been out since late January with a knee injury. Sophomore guard London Carey has been out with a hand injury since early February. Despite the injuries, the Scarlet Fliers have persevered with a 16-3 record behind the scoring of junior guard Lana Ellington who has averaged over 14 points per game and the interior presence of sophomore center Bryanna Edgerson.
Neptune winning the 2025 Central Jersey Group Championship at Red Bank Regional on 03/07/25. Photo by Nick Lowe
Contender: No. 4 Ewing. The Blue Devils finished with a 15-8 record against a strong schedule that included several Shore Conference opponents. Ewing lost to Trinity Hall by a score of 62-55 early in the season. They defeated Shore 66-44 and Marlboro 65-48. Ewing has had a strong presence in this section in recent years and appear to be the top team from outside the Shore Conference. Senior guard Lillie Alston (5-foot-7) averages over 13 points per game as the team’s leading scorer.
Dark Horse: No. 6 Red Bank. The Bucs were thrown into the gauntlet this season finishing 1-9 in Class A North, the top division in New Jersey. The good news for Red Bank, there are no teams in this section quite like Red Bank Catholic, St. John Vianney, and Manasquan. Senior guard Synai Blychanton is the team’s top scorer averaging just shy of 12 points per game. This team has as much experience against top-level competition as anyone and has a chance to show everyone why they were thrown into the Shore Conference’s top division.
Red Bank’s Synai Blynchanton drives to the basket Photo Credit: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com
The Shore’s Bracket Breakdown: Colts Neck will be heavily favored to beat Northern Burlington and the winner of the Allentown/Westampton Tech game. Things could get challenging in the sectional semifinal where Ewing or Brick appears to be the most likely team to advance after matchups against Freehold Boro and Middletown North. Brick has rounded into form in the latter-half of the season winning 12 of their final 13 games behind sophomore guard Ariana Wissen’s scoring. Wissen is scoring an impressive 19.5 points per game. If we picked an extra contender, it would likely be Brick.
On the bottom half of the bracket, Brick Memorial and Matawan have daunting tasks having to travel to Middletown South and Neptune respectively. Red Bank will be favored against Hopewell Valley before likely traveling to Middletown South, a team they beat 41-31 on the road already this season.
Nothing is guaranteed for a Neptune team that has been cursed with injuries, but should they win the first two games they are favored in they would likely prefer to see a Middletown South team they have beaten two times so far this season over a Red Bank team seeking revenge from last year’s sectional final.
While Colts Neck is the clear favorite in the top of the bracket, the bottom of the bracket appears to be wide open.
First Round
(16) Northern Burlington at (1) Colts Neck
(9) Westampton Tech at (8) Allentown
(12) Freehold Boro at (5) Brick
(13) Middletown North at (4) Ewing
(11) Hopewell Valley at (6) Red Bank
(14) Brick Memorial at (3) Middletown South
(10) Steinert at (7) Lawrence
(15) Matawan at (2) Neptune
Doug’s Predicted Champion- Colts Neck
Nick’s Predicted Champion- Colts Neck
South Jersey Group 3
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 6 Toms River East, No. 7 Toms River South
Top Seed: Cherry Hill West
Defending Champion: Cherry Hill West
Favorite: No. 1 Cherry Hill West. The Lions stormed through this section last season, winning three games by double-digits with the lone exception being a 50-43 win over Moorestown in the sectional final. Cherry Hill West then went on to knock off Neptune and Chatham to win the Group 3 State Championship. The Lions lost five seniors from last season, but return junior scoring sensation Kirsten Gibson (5-foot-8) who has over 1,300 career points.
Contender: No. 2 Moorestown. The Quakers finished with a 17-9 record this season against a daunting schedule that included the likes of Red Bank Catholic, Manasquan, Paul VI, and other South Jersey powers. Moorestown split with Cherry Hill West in the regular season. Senior guard Analyse Intenzo (5-foot-10), a Fairleigh Dickinson commit, is Moorestown’s top player with over 1,600 career points.
Contender: No. 3 Mainland. The Mustangs did not play either of the top two seeds in the regular season, but did fairly well against a strong schedule finishing with a 17-9 record. Mainland defeated Southern 57-49 and Toms River East 54-23. The Mustangs top scorer is junior guard Brielle Smith (5-foot-7).
Dark Horse: No. 4 Shawnee. The Renegades finished with a 16-11, but split with top-seeded Cherry Hill West in the regular season. Junior forward Olivia Gasik (5-foot-11) and senior forward Maggie Lutz (5-foot-10) are the team’s top scorers.
The Shore’s Bracket Breakdown: Toms River East will be a slight favorite against Triton. Should they win, a rematch with Mainland looms. The Raiders lost that matchup 54-23 earlier this season and would need to play their best game of the season to have a chance.
Toms River South will be a slight favorite against Timber Creek. A win would likely send them down to Moorestown where they would be significant underdogs.
First Round
(16) Cumberland at (1) Cherry Hill West
(9) Clearview at (8) Delsea
(12) Absegami at (5) Hammonton
(13) Ocean City at (4) Shawnee
(11) Triton at (6) Toms River East
(14) Winslow at (3) Mainland
(10) Timber Creek at (7) Toms River South
(15) Seneca at (2) Moorestown
Doug’s Predicted Champion- Moorestown
Nick’s Predicted Champion- Mainland
