Girls Basketball: Courier News Top 10 and notebook

(through Sunday’s games)

1. Rutgers Prep (5-1) – preseason rank #1: The Argonauts got a wakeup call before Christmas, falling to Franklin, but rebounded nicely, blasting Gill St. Bernard’s in a regular-season tilt, before sweeping through the Mount St. Dominic Holiday Classic, a run that included a victory over defending state TOC champ St. John Vianney.

2. Gill St. Bernard’s (1-2) – preseason rank #2: The Knights are off to a rough start as they have yet to play at full strength, getting upset by North Hunterdon on opening night, before getting blasted by Rutgers Prep before the holidays.

3. Franklin (4-2) – Preseason rank #4: The Warriors pulled off a massive upset, toppling Rutgers Prep in a regular-season game before Christmas, before taking losses to state powers St. John Vianney and Rumson-Fair Haven at the Mount St. Dominic Holiday Classic.

4. Somerville (5-0) – Preseason rank #3: The Pioneers head into Tuesday’s matchup with Voorhees as one of only three Skyland Conference teams still undefeated. Somerville was challenged at Delaware Valley two weeks ago, and needed overtime to get through Watchung Hills in the Keith Benovengo Holiday Tournament final at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, so Tuesday’s game should be a big test.

5. Hunterdon Central (5-1) -- Preseason rank #6: The Red Devils were bested by Franklin in a regular-season game before Christmas, but have handled the rest of what’s been thrown at them, including three straight at the Cougar Holiday Classic at Chatham.

6. Voorhees (5-0) – Preseason rank #7:  The reigning Skyland Conference Valley Division, HWST and North 2 Group III champs have yet to play any of the other contenders in conference, but did take care of business at the John Molinari Holiday Tournament at Hopewell Valley, claiming that title. The Vikings visit Somerville at 7 p.m. Tuesday in their first serious test.

7. Bound Brook (5-0) – Preseason rank #9: The Crusaders have picked up where they left off after going to the NJSIAA Group I final a year ago, having little trouble with its early-season schedule, including capturing the title at their inaugural Crusader Holiday Tournament.

8. Immaculata (4-2) – Preseason rank #8: The Spartans got their bell rung opening night, falling by 33 to Rutgers Prep, but rebounded with two conference victories and 2-of-3 at the Len Sepanak event at Ridge last week.

9. New Providence (4-2) – Preseason rank #10: The Pioneers took their first loss before Christmas, falling to Union County power The Patrick School, and fell in the final of the Lincoln Holiday Tournament to Saddle River Day.

10.Watchung Hills (4-2): Preseason rank NA: The Warriors fell opening night at Bridgewater-Raritan, also losing their lone starting senior, Emma Zucker, to a season-ending knee injury after graduation losses had already decimated the roster. Still, led by junior star Julia Cunningham, and key contributions from emerging underclassmen, Watchung Hills has persevered, scoring an inspired victory over North Hunterdon before Christmas and then taking undefeated Somerville to the brink in overtime in the final of the Keith Benovengo Holiday Tournament at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

Dropped out: Delaware Valley (2-3)

Also receiving consideration: North Hunterdon (4-1), Bridgewater-Raritan (3-2), Westfield (4-0).

HERE’S TO THE WINNERS

Six local teams captured holiday tournament championships last week, with four more sweeping through round-robin matchups at non-tournament formatted holiday events.

Voorhees, Somerville and Bound Brook remained undefeated with tournament titles, as the Vikings won the John Molinari Holiday Tournament at Hopewell Valley, the Pioneers captured the Keith Benovengo Tournament at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and host Bound Brook took the inaugural Crusader Tournament crown.

North Hunterdon (A.L. Johnson Tournament), Governor Livingston (Madison Tournament) and Middlesex (Clem Santy Christmas Tournament at Dunellen) also won championships.

Rutgers Prep (Mount St. Dominic Classic), Hunterdon Central (Cougar Classic at Chatham), and Westfield (Len Sepanek at Ridge) each swept through three games over the holidays, while host Bridgewater-Raritan won both at the two-game Vaughn Stapleton Classic.

BARATTA REACHES MILLENNIAL MARK

Bernards senior Caroline Batratta became the first player of the new season to reach the 1,000-point plateau when she did so last Wednesday during the Mountaineers’ victory over host Metuchen in the Bulldog Holiday Classic.

Baratta needed 23 points in the game to reach the mark, and did so on a fourth-quarter layup, taking a pass from Anna Lockward. She finished with 26 points.

The senior, who eclipsed the 100-hit mark last spring on the softball field, is only the third girls basketball player in program history to achieve the feat, joining former teammate and 2015 graduate Sarah Ryan, and 2,000-point scorer Catherine Carr (class of 2007).

Other local players within reach of the 1,000-point milestone include Manville’s Julie Pankowski, who entered the season needing 237 points, and Delaware Valley’s Veronica Christ, who needed 178. Gill St. Bernard’s senior Alexia Allesch and Immaculata senior Anna Oliveri are among the players who also entered the season within striking distance.

Staff writer Simeon Pincus can be reachedCNGirlsHoops@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus and on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SimeonPincusCN