Girls basketball state tournament pairings

The 2018 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Basketball Tournament seeds were released Thursday, and Watchung Hills, Somerville, East Brunswick and Bound Brook are the local teams to receive No. 1 seeds.

Franklin, which won the Tournament of Champions last year, is seeded sixth in North 2 Group IV, while Rutgers Prep, which is the two-time defending Non-Public B state champion, is seeded second in Non-Public B South.

The tournament begins Monday, Feb. 26 with first-round games in Groups I and III, with Group IV, Group II and Non-Public B beginning play the following day. Non-Public A gets underway Wednesday, Feb. 28.

Group finals are slated for Saturday March 10 and Sunday March 11, with the TOC set to start March 14 and conclude with the final on Sunday, March 18.

Here are the seeds and first-round pairings for North 2, Central and non-public sections.

North 2, Group IV

16-Columbia at 1-Watchung Hills
9-Plainfield at 8-Woodbridge
12-Elizabeth at 5-Scotch Plains-Fanwood
13-Bayonne at 4-Westfield
14-Linden at 3-Piscataway
11-East Orange at 6-Franklin
10-J.P. Stevens at 7-Ridge
15-North Hunterdon at 2-Bridgewater-Raritan

North 2, Group III

16-Parsippany Hills at 1-Somerville
9-Summit at 8-Nutley
12-Governor Livingston at 5-Middletown North
13-Voorhees at 4-West Morris
14-Irvington at 3-Warren Hills
11-Snyder at 6-Mendham
10-Cranford at 7-Red Bank
15-Ferris at 2-Chatham

North 2, Group II

16-Harrison at 1-Ridgefield Park
9-Newark Central at 8-Morris Tech
12-Fort Lee at 5-Rutherford
13-Hackettstown at 4-Newark Tech
14-Madison at 3-Bernards
11-Lyndhurst at 6-Caldwell
10-Science Park at 7-Hanover Park
15-Parsippany at 2-Verona

North 2, Group I

16-People's Prep at 1-University
9-Ridgefield at 8-METS Charter
12-Belvidere at 5-Arts
13-Technology at 4-Bloomfield Tech
14-Newark Collegiate at 3-Secaucus
11-Dunellen at 6-Hoboken
10-Glen Ridge at 7-Weehawken
15-Roselle Park at 2-Dayton

Central, Group IV

16-Hillsborough at 1-East Brunswick
9-North Brunswick at 8-Hunterdon Central
12-Princeton at 5-South Brunswick
13-Freehold Township at 4-Marlboro
14-Long Branch at 3-Colts Neck
11-Edison at 6-Middletown South
10-Trenton at 7-Sayreville
15-Monroe at 2-Montgomery

Central, Group III

16-Jackson Liberty at 1-Ewing
9-Moorestown at 8-Wall
12-Hopewell Valley at 5-Northern Burlington
13-Burlington Township at 4-Pemberton
14-Brick Township at 3-Steinert
11-Nottingham at 6-Neptune
10-West Windsor-Plainsboro North at 7-Westampton Tech
15-Pennsauken at 2-Allentown

Central, Group II

16-Bordentown at 1-Manasquan
9-Hillside at 8-Matawan
12-South River at 5-Spotswood
13-Carteret at 4-Holmdel
14-Robbinsville at 3-Rumson-Fair Haven
11-South Plainfield at 6-Delaware Valley
10-Johnson at 7-Raritan
15-Roselle at 2-Lincoln

Central, Group I

16-South Hunterdon at 1-Bound Brook
9-Perth Amboy Tech at 8-Point Pleasant Beach
12-Somerset Tech at 5-Riverside
13-New Egypt at 4-Keyport
14-Academy Charter at 3-Piscataway Tech
11-Burlington City at 6-Shore
10-Manville at 7-Academy for Urban Leadership Charter
15-Asbury Park at 2-Middlesex

Non-Public North A

9-Pope John at 8-St. Dominic, winner at 1-Immaculate Heart
5-Oak Knoll at 4-Kent Place
6-Holy Angels at 3-Union Catholic
10-DePaul at 7-Mount St. Dominic, winner at 2-Paramus Catholic

Non-Public North B

9-Newark Academy at 8-St. Elizabeth, winner at 1-Morris Catholic
5-Morristown-Beard at 4-Lodi Immaculate
6-Marist at 3-Saddle River Day
10-St. Mary-Rutherford at 7-Villa Walsh, winner at 2-Hudson Catholic

Non-Public South A

9-Bishop Eustace at 8-Paul VI, winner at 1-St. John Vianney
12-Immaculata at 5-St. Rose, winner at 4-Bishop Ahr
11-Notre Dame at 6-Camden Catholic, winner at 3-Red Bank Catholic
10-Mount St. Mary at 7-Donovan Catholic, winner at 2-Gloucester Catholic

Non-Public South B

9-Mater Dei at 8-Moorestown Friends, winner at 1-Trenton Catholic
12-Gill St. Bernard's at 5-Holy Spirit
13-Doane Academy at 4-Roselle Catholic
11-Timothy Christian at 6-Patrick School, winner at 3-Trinity Hall
10-Wildwood Catholic at 7-Holy Cross, winner at 2-Rutgers Prep