Shore Sports Insider Girls Basketball 2025-26 Final Top 10

With the 2025-26 girls basketball season coming to a close this past Sunday at Rutgers University, Shore Sports Insider will begin to roll out their postseason awards. First up is the final top ten rankings. To the surprise of very few, the top two teams stayed the same all season, even though they swapped spots for a few weeks. In typical Manasquan fashion, the Warriors moved up the rankings during the season and stayed as the Shore Conference third best team for majority of the season. The biggest surprise during the season was Keansburg, who started the season 17-0 and spent several weeks inside the top ten.

 

Shore Sports Insider 2025-26 Girls Basketball Final Rankings

 

1. Red Bank Catholic (30-2) Last Week: 1  – The Caseys left no doubt who the top team is in New Jersey. After falling to St. John Vianney, RBC’s on loss to a New Jersey team this season, the Caseys won 17 straight games to end the season. During that streak, they defeated SJV to win their second consecutive Shore Conference Title and then again in the South Jersey Non-Public A final. In the Non-Public A championship against Morris Catholic, RBC won their second state title in three seasons in convincing fashion. Two other milestones were achieved in that game with Coach Joe Montano winning his 800th career game and Addy Nyemchek becoming the all-time leading scorer in RBC history with 1,781 points. This group of seniors made a major impact from the first time they stepped onto the floor four years ago and ultimately finished with a career record of 109-15. The class of 2026 will graduate as one of the best classes in Shore Conference history and have the accolades to back it up.  All seven seniors brought something different to the team and made impacts on and off the court. From Nyemchek’s greatness, Katie Liggio’s elite outside shooting, Tessa Liggio’s court vision, Daniella Maletsky’s lock-down defense, Sophie Smith and Scarlett LeVake rebounding, and Lola Giordano’s energy off the bench. With all seven seniors playing in college next fall, Red Bank Catholic will be full of new faces for the 2026-27 season. 

 

2. St. John Vianney (26-4) Last Week 2 – SJV was the only other team to hold the top spot in the SSI rankings after they defeated RBC back on January 22nd. Out of the Lancers four losses, three were against RBC and the other one was to the top-ranked team in the country, Ontario Christian (CA). Similar to RBC, SJV was very senior heavy with four players graduating. The Lancers finished the season with three players reaching the 1,000-point milestone and all three will be playing Division 1 basketball next season. SJV loses a lot inside with Stella Lockhart and Taylor Sofilkanich graduating. The height and skill of those two caused a lot of mismatches inside against opponents. Madison Kocis improved every year and rose to the occasion this season when the Lancers needed her. Her ability to get the basket this season to go along with her outside shooting made her hard to cover for defenders. SJV hit their stride this season when Charlotte Bradley returned from injury and gave leadership and energy off the bench. The Lancers are projected to return starting guards Gianna Sano and Tatum Sharpe next year as well as Antonia Jackson and Elisabeth Lyons off the bench. Those four will be expected to play a bigger role next season on the offensive side of the floor. 

 

3. Manasquan (26-5) Last Week: 3 – For the third straight season, Manasquan held up the Group 2 trophy at Rutgers University. After winning the Group 2 title in 2024, the Warriors had to replace four seniors that all had major roles in the title run. Last season new faces stepped up to repeat as champions. That team had five seniors that graduated so once again Manasquan was looking at new faces to carry the tradition and that’s exactly what they did. Led by Jordyn Hollawell, the only returning starter from last season, Manasquan won their first 11 games as they moved up the rankings. They went 6-4 in Class A North, the hardest division in New Jersey, with all four losses coming to RBC and SJV. In the SCT semifinal they had the Brookdale Community College Arena buzzing as they took SJV to the limit before ultimately falling. In the state tournament run, Hollawell came close to finishing with a triple-double in the Group 2 semifinal and final. Shannon Looney, who transferred her sophomore year, became a star this season and formed great chemistry with Hollawell. The Warriors graduate Hollawell, Looney and Logan McCarthy, who provided defense and energy off the bench, from the main rotation. Replacing those three players will not be easy, but every year new players step up. Returning from the starting lineup will be seniors Paige Donnelly and Rose Latesta and junior Calista Vowteras. Vowteras took a huge step forward in her sophomore season, including scoring 19 points in the Group 2 final. 

4. Rumson-Fair Haven (19-11) Last Week: 4 – Year in and year out Rumson plays one of the hardest schedules in the Shore Conference. This season they started with a 14-3 record with their three defeats coming to the top three teams in the Shore Conference. Rumson-Fair Haven defeated Howell to win the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic. Senior Erin Reid, a double-double machine, averaged 23 PPG and 14 RPG to earn MVP. Reid, who is committed to Brown, finishes her career with 1,247 points and 810 rebounds. The Bulldogs were a very young team with only three returning players playing a big role last season. Juniors Grace Smith and Chloe Kelly will be the leaders next season on a team that returns sophomores and freshmen that made it to the Central Jersey Group 2 final this season. Smith led the team in three-pointers made and Kelly was one of the best defenders in the Shore Conference. Freshman Emerson Gripp and Harlow James and sophomore Campbell Skinner will play bigger roles next season on the offensive side of the floor.

5. Colts Neck (23-7) Last Week: 5 – The young Cougars brought home to Colts Neck their first sectional title since 2014. A team with only one senior gave a preview of what to expect the next two seasons in the Shore Conference. Playing a challenging schedule during the regular season, Colts Neck won the Class B North title by defeating Trinity Hall in the last divisional game of the season. Colts Neck advanced into the SCT quarterfinal before losing to Rumson in a back-and-forth game. Once the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional tournament started, the Cougar defense took their game to the next level. They held every opponent under 30 points to win the sectional title. Sophomore transfer Allison McAndrew had an All-Shore caliber second half of the season. She finished in double-digits in their final 10 games. The combination of McAndrew and Julianna Jasina, last year’s Freshman of the Year, provides Colts Neck with two dangerous post options for the next two seasons. Sophomore guards Emily Donahue and Avery Wallace can both handle the ball and get to the basket to help get their teammates open. With the graduation of Gabby Bryce, juniors Julianna Camera and Mattilyn Caffiero will step into the leadership roles next season.

6. Howell (24-6) Last Week: 6 – Howell proved they belonged in the conversation with the top teams in the Shore Conference as soon as the season started. They reached the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic final after defeating Brick in the semifinal. They played Rumson hard for 32 minutes, ultimately falling 54-51. Howell surprised many when they defeated Trinity Hall early in the season in a Class B North game to cause a three-team division race until the end of the regular season. After falling to rival Colts Neck in both regular season games, Howell defeated Trinity Hall for the second time to help Colts Neck win the B North title. The Rebels continued their success in the South Jersey Group 4 sectional, reaching the final. In the semifinal, they travled down to second-seed Egg Harbor and won 43-30. They fought hard for three quarters against Lenape, the eventual Group 4 champion, before falling. Howell has a few key players to replace next season including BellaRose Marino, who was one of the best defenders in the Shore Conference. Kylee Beam, who reached the 1,000-point milestone this season, returns, but will need other players to step up in the scoring department.

7. Trinity Hall (20-8) Last Week: 7 – Trinity Hall had their second straight 20-win season despite playing a difficult out-of-conference schedule. The Monarchs started the season 6-0 with wins over St. Rose, Demarest and Lenape. All eight losses came against ranked teams, either in the Shore Conference or in the state. A senior-laden team, expectations were high for Trinity Hall and now they will have a lot of players to replace next season. They were dealt a blow when Teegan Drennan suffered a season-ending injury prior to the season. Grace Feeney, who reached the 1,000-point milestone this season, has been the focal point the last two seasons for the Trinity Hall offense. Seniors Bridney Rigney and Whitney Hobson played important roles in running the offense and drew tough assignments on the defensive side of the floor. Freshman Ella Krayl played a big role this season on the offensive side of the floor, leading the team with 58 three-pointers made and scoring 219 points. 

8. Red Bank (14-13) Last Week: Not Ranked – Red Bank’s record is a bit deceiving as 12 of their 13 losses came to teams ranked inside the top ten in the Shore Conference. Playing in Class A North, the Bucs went 1-9 with their only win against St. Rose. Red Bank’s senior-heavy team had a lot of expectations and was an early season favorite in Central Jersey Group 3. Entering the sectional playoffs as the sixth seed, the Bucs defeated defending-champion Neptune in the semifinal, getting revenge after last year’s loss in the sectional final. Red Bank ended up falling to Colts Neck in the final. With only two underclassmen in the main rotation, Red Bank has a lot of roles to fill for next season. Leading scorer Synai Blychanton has played an important part of the Red Bank offense since transferring her sophomore season. Besides graduating their leading scorer, Red Bank needs to replace last year’s Defensive Player of the Year Riley Joyce. Joyce made every opponent work hard from baseline to baseline. Casey Miranda, who finished with 112 points and 166 rebounds, is the only starter that returns next season for Red Bank.

9. Neptune (18-4) Last Week: 8 – The defending Central Jersey Group 3 champions started the season with ten straight victories and won 14 out of 15 games. Unfortunately, Neptune battled injuries in the second half of the season, losing Tyeera Howard for the season and London Carey for the majority of the postseason. Neptune graduates Majiah Quarles and Ke’Ziha Pinnock so their future remains bright. Junior Lana Ellington will be one of the leaders next season and took major steps forward this season. Ellington led the team in scoring and became the player Neptune looked for once Howard got hurt. Sophomore Bryanna Edgerson took advantage of her bigger role this season, going from 1.5 PPG to 10 PPG this season. If Howard returns healthy next season, Neptune will be one of the favorites in Central Jersey Group 3.

10.Brick Township (18-9) Last Week: 9 – Brick started the season with a lot of hype in the preseason top ten rankings, but got off to a slow start with a 4-6 record. Things changed midway through the season, and the Dragons won nine straight games, including the first round game in the SCT against Holmdel without leading scorer Ariana Wissen. Unfortunately, their SCT ended in the next round when Howell defeated Brick for the third time in the season. Brick struggled on the boards against Ewing in the second round of the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional with AnnaClaire Staudt missing the game due to a foot injury. With only one senior in the rotation, the future is bright for Brick. Ariana Wissen scored 516 points this season, giving her 883 in her career. Guards Kendall Fredricksen and Ilyani Pozo combined for 85 three-pointers to go with Wissen’s 70 to give Brick three dangerous outside shooters. A healthy Staudt provided the Dragons with an inside threat and was a force on the boards, grabbing 253 rebounds. Sophomore Olivia Dolan, who started the season coming off the bench, played a big part in the postseason on both ends of the floor. She scored double-digits in three postseason games and attacked the boards. 

 

Bubble:

Toms River South, Toms River East, St. Rose