The top seed has been very successful the last three seasons, all of them going on to win the championship with the added pressure of being expected to do so.
So will top-seeded Roselle Catholic – also the last team to knock off a top seed – make it four straight?
Those questions and many more will begin to get answered once the 38th annual Frank J. Cicarell girls’ basketball Union County Tournament commences with preliminary round games scheduled to begin – weather permitting – Saturday at Rahway.
Roselle Catholic is seeking its fourth title in the last five years and fifth overall. The Lions won as the top seed in 2010 and 2011. As the fourth seed in 2009, Roselle Catholic defeated top-seeded Scotch Plains in a semifinal at RC.
Roselle Catholic captured its first title in 2003, defeating Union Catholic in the final at the Dunn Sport Center in Elizabeth.
With a record of 16-3 as of Thursday, Roselle Catholic’s only county losses are its two to Governor Livingston in Watchung Division play. Roselle Catholic ended up winning the Watchung Division title for the third year in a row.
Cranford (14-6) earned the second seed as a result of its two wins over GL in Watchung Division play. The Cougars lost in the final last year and are seeking to win their second title and first since 2006.
Cranford will be attempting to do what GL did last year, which is win the title one year after losing in the championship game.
Defending champion GL (16-4), with less overall losses than Cranford and a 2-0 record over Roselle Catholic, earned the third seed. The Highlanders, who won their first crown a year ago and as the top seed, reached the past two finals.
New Providence (18-2) has a county-leading eight-game winning streak as of Thursday and its losses were close, first at GL 44-42 and then at Roselle Catholic 60-53 in a span of four days. Those consecutive setbacks followed a 10-0 start.
New Providence also won the Mountain Division for the second time. The Pioneers – who won the division for the first time in 2011 – were perfect in the division, fashioning a 14-0 mark.
Watchung Division teams Linden (12-9) and Union (13-8) earned the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively. Linden swept Union in division play. Union split with GL and Cranford and Linden split with Cranford.
Rounding out the top eight seeds were Mountain Division squads Westfield at 7 and Oak Knoll at 8. Westfield (14-7) and Oak Knoll (17-3) split Mountain Division games. In conference-crossover contests against Watchung Division foes, Westfield defeated Linden and Oak Knoll downed Scotch Plains.
Westfield sports a seven-game winning streak as of Thursday.
Valley Division repeat winner Hillside had a nine-game winning streak snapped at Johnson 51-46 Tuesday. The Comets, with a record of 12-4, earned the 11th seed.
Twenty of the 23 teams situated in the Union County Conference are participating. The only ones that are not include Valley Division teams Roselle Park, St. Mary’s of Elizabeth and Benedictine Academy.
For the third straight year the final will be played at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union on the day before the state tournament commences.
The site for the semifinals, scheduled for Feb. 18, will be determined once the quarterfinals are completed and the matchups are set.
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE 2012-2013 CHAMPIONS
WATCHUNG DIVISION: Roselle Catholic for the 3rd straight year
MOUNTAIN DIVISION: New Providence for the 2nd time
VALLEY DIVISION: Hillside for the 2nd straight year
38TH ANNUAL FRANK J. CICARELL
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
SEEDS: 1-Roselle Catholic. 2-Cranford. 3-Gov. Livingston. 4-New Providence.
5-Linden. 6-Union. 7-Westfield. 8-Oak Knoll.
9-Dayton. 10-Scotch Plains. 11-Hillside. 12-Summit.
13-Plainfield. 14-Johnson. 15-Union Catholic. 16-Elizabeth.
17-Kent Place. 18-Brearley. 19-Rahway. 20-Roselle.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
Saturday, Feb. 9
At Rahway
20-Roselle vs. 13-Plainfield, noon
18-Brearley vs. 15-Union Catholic, 1:30 p.m.
17-Kent Place vs. 16-Elizabeth, 3 p.m.
19-Rahway vs. 14-Johnson, 4:30 p.m.
FIRST ROUND
Monday, Feb. 11
At Rahway
10-Scotch Plains vs. 7-Westfield, 6 p.m.
UC-Brearley winner vs. 2-Cranford, 7:30 p.m.
At Roselle Catholic
11-Hillside vs. 6-Union, 6 p.m.
Johnson-Rahway winner vs. 3-Gov. Livingston
At both Johnson gyms
9-Dayton vs. 8-Oak Knoll, 6 p.m.
Plainfield-Roselle winner vs. 4-New Providence, 6 p.m.
Elizabeth-KP winner vs. 1-Roselle Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
12-Summit vs. 5-Linden, 7:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, Feb. 14
At Rahway
TOP SIDE OF THE BRACKET:
6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
At Roselle Catholic
BOTTOM SIDE OF THE BRACKET:
6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Monday, Feb. 18
At a site still to be determined.
6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
FINALS
Sunday, Feb. 24
At Kean
Junior Varsity: 4 p.m.
Varsity: 6 p.m.
FRANK J. CICARELL UCT
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS
2012 – Gov. Livingston – first time
2011 – Roselle Catholic
2010 – Roselle Catholic
2009 – Roselle Catholic
2008 – Westfield – first time
2007 – Scotch Plains
2006 – Cranford – first time
2005 – Scotch Plains
2004 – Scotch Plains – first time
2003 – Roselle Catholic – first time
2002 – Roselle – first time
2001 – Union Catholic
2000 – Union – first time
1999 – Summit – first time
1998 – Union Catholic
1997 – Elizabeth
1996 – Elizabeth
1995 – Elizabeth – first time
1994 – Linden
1993 – Linden
1992 – Union Catholic
1991 – Linden – first time
1990 – New Providence – first time
1989 – Union Catholic
1988 – Union Catholic
1987 – Union Catholic
1986 – Union Catholic
1985 – Hillside – first time
1984 – Plainfield
1983 – Plainfield
1982 – Plainfield
1981 – Plainfield
1980 – Plainfield
1979 – Plainfield – first time
1978 – Mother Seton – first time
1977 – Union Catholic – first time
1976 – Benedictine – first time
Championships: Union Catholic 8; Plainfield 6; Roselle Catholic 4;
Linden, Elizabeth, Scotch Plains 3;
Benedictine, Mother Seton, Hillside, New Providence, Summit,
Union, Roselle, Cranford, Westfield, Governor Livingston 1.