State tournament basketball will commence Monday, Feb. 27 around the state with 17 boys’ and 17 girls’ squads from Union County qualifying.
Top seeds on the boys’ side include defending champion Linden in North 2, Group 4; Rahway in North 2, Group 3 and Patrick School in Non-Public, South B.
The only girls’ qualifier to earn a top seed was Patrick School in Non-Public, South B.
If Linden and Newark East Side take care of business and win their first three games on the boys’ side, then we will have a second straight Newark East Side at Linden final, scheduled again for March 7 – this time a Tuesday night.
The section North 2, Group 4 was set up last year as Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday for the first three rounds and then a quick Monday night for the final. Last year’s final at Linden was sold out, with many fans turned away nearly two hours before tipoff.
This year N2, G4 is set up for Monday (Feb. 27), Wednesday (March 1) and Friday (March 3) for the first three rounds and then Tuesday, March 7 for the final – which will be at Linden again as long as the Tigers win their first three games.
Most fans are planning for a second straight Newark East Side at Linden matchup, this time on March 7 again, but a Tuesday night. This time there will be three days off before the final instead of just one, which was the case last year.
Last year’s game was one of the most intense high school sporting events I’ve ever covered, with Linden prevailing 62-59 in overtime. Linden was a slight favorite, but it appeared for a brief moment in the fourth quarter that the Tigers might not come out on top.
Linden went from almost losing the sectional final to going all the way to the Tournament of Champions final against favored St. Anthony. Newark East Side attempted a 3-point shot to try to tie the game at the end of overtime, but missed.
Should Linden be fortunate enough to reach the TOC final again this year, there’s a good chance the Tigers would be the favorite this time.
Here’s a look at which Union County boys’ and girls’ basketball teams qualified for state tournament play:
UNION COUNTY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
IN STATE TOURNAMENT
NORTH 2, GROUP 4 (4):
Linden, Scotch Plains, Westfield, Union
16-Perth Amboy at 1-Linden
12-Westfield at 5-Woodbridge
13-Union at 4-Millburn
14-North Hunterdon at 3-Scotch Plains
NORTH 2, GROUP 3 (3):
Rahway, Summit, GL
16-Voorhees at 1-Rahway
9-Warren Hills at 8-Summit
10-Gov. Livingston at 7-Mendham
NORTH 2, GROUP 1 (2):
Dayton, Roselle Park
11-Secaucus at 6-Dayton
10-Roselle Park at 7-University
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2 (3):
Johnson, Roselle, New Providence
12-New Providence at 5-North Plainfield
14-Holmdel at 3-Johnson
10-Roselle at 7-Point Pleasant Boro
NON-PUBLIC, NORTH A (1):
Oratory Prep
9-Oratory Prep at 8-DePaul
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A (1):
Union Catholic
10-Bishop Ahr at 7-Union Catholic
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH B (3):
Patrick School; St. Mary’s, Elizabeth; Roselle Catholic
16-St. Joseph, Hamm. at 1-Patrick School
14-St. Rose at 3-St. Mary’s, Elizabeth
10-Wildwood Catholic at 7-Roselle Catholic
UNION COUNTY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
IN STATE TOURNAMENT
NORTH 2, GROUP 4 (3):
Westfield, Union, Linden
12-Linden at 5-Bridgewater-West
14-Columbia at 3-Westfield
11-Union at 6-Edison
NORTH 2, GROUP 3 (4):
Cranford, GL, Rahway, Summit
16-Summit at 1-Somerville
13-Rahway at 4-Chatham
11-Gov. Livingston at 6-Voorhees
10-Cranford at 7-West Morris
NORTH 2, GROUP 1 (3):
Dayton, Brearley, Roselle Park
9-Brearley at 8-Arts
14-North Arlington at 3-Dayton
11-Roselle Park at 6-Newark Collegiate
CENTRAL JERSEY, GROUP 2 (2):
New Providence, Johnson
14-Bordentown at 3-New Providence
15-Johnson at 2-Rumson-Fair Haven
NON-PUBLIC, NORTH A (1):
Kent Place
6-DePaul at 3-Kent Place
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A (2):
Oak Knoll, Union Catholic
9-Union Catholic at 8-Donovan Catholic
5-Paul VI at 4-Oak Knoll
NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH B (2):
Patrick School, Roselle Catholic
16-Timothy Christian at 1-Patrick School
9-Trinity Hall at 8-Roselle Catholic