As expected, Patrick School, Roselle Catholic, Elizabeth and Linden – in that order – garnered the top four seeds for the 84th annual boys basketball Union County Tournament.
The championship game is Feb. 29 at Kean University, with top-seeded Patrick School expected to take on second-seeded and two-time defending champion Roselle Catholic in the final.
In their first two meetings this year, Patrick School defeated Roselle Catholic 72-64 Dec. 23 in the Kyrie Irving Invitational at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. and 43-40 Feb. 1 at the Tom Richel Memorial HoopFest at RC.
84th ANNUAL BOYS BASKETBALL
UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
SEEDS: 1-Patrick School. 2-Roselle Catholic. 3-Elizabeth. 4-Linden.
5-Westfield. 6-Union Catholic. 7-Summit. 8-Plainfield.
9-Union. 10-Rahway. 11-Oratory Prep. 12-Scotch Plains.
13-Gov. Livingston. 14-Cranford. 15-New Providence. 16-Hillside.
17-Sinai. 18-Roselle. 19-Johnson. 20-Dayton.
21-Brearley.
PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Played by Thursday, Feb. 13
21-Brearley at 20-Dayton
FIRST ROUND:
Played by Saturday, Feb. 15
13-Gov. Livingston at 12-Scotch Plains
14-Cranford at 11-Oratory Prep
15-New Providence at 10-Rahway
16-Hillside at 9-Union
17-Sinai at 8-Plainfield
18-Roselle at 7-Summit
19-Johnson at 6-Union Catholic
Brearley/Dayton winner at 5-Westfield
SECOND ROUND
Wednesday, Feb. 19
4 games at higher seeds
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, Feb. 22
Matchups, TBA
SEMIFINALS
Wednesday, Feb. 26
At Kean University
FINAL
Saturday, Feb. 29
At Kean University
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
Watchung Division: Roselle Catholic (4-0)
Mountain Division: Westfield (8-0)
Valley Division: Summit (9-1)
Sky Division: Hillside (12-0)
* * *
WILL WESTFIELD AND NEW PROVIDENCE GIRLS CLASH FOR A 2ND TIME?
The Westfield girls basketball team is scheduled to host New Providence this Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11:30 a.m. in a Union County Conference-crossover clash featuring two of the best teams in Union County.
If the Blue Devils and Pioneers are destined to tangle one more time this season there will be a trophy on the line.
That’s because Westfield was awarded the top seed and New Providence the second seed for the 45th annual girls basketball Union County Tournament.
Westfield enters Tuesday’s home game against Morristown with a 13-5 record and season-high nine-game winning streak. The Blue Devils reached the final three of the past five years, including last year, and lost all three times to The Patrick School of Elizabeth. Patrick School does not have a team this year.
Westfield captured the UCC’s four-team Watchung Division title at 5-1. Patrick School won the title the past four seasons.
New Providence got out to the first 18-0 start in school history before falling at Union Catholic 40-36 last Tuesday in UCC-Mountain Division play. The Pioneers won at Mountain Division rival Summit 45-38 this Tuesday, Feb. 11, to improve to 19-1 overall and gain a share of the Mountain Division championship with Union Catholic. New Providence and Union Catholic both finished 9-1 in league play, with New Providence winning by four at home over Union Catholic 51-47 on Jan. 14.
Westfield and New Providence have won the UCT just once, New Providence in 1990 and Westfield in 2008.
The championship game is scheduled to be played at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union on Saturday, Feb. 29.
Preliminary round games must be, weather permitting, completed by this Saturday, Feb. 15. They will be played at the higher seeds.
The eight first round games, also at the higher seeds, are scheduled to be played next Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The quarterfinals are scheduled to be played Friday, Feb. 21, two twinbills at two sites to be determined.
The semifinals are Tuesday, Feb. 25, times and site still to be determined.
The UCC’s outright Sky Division champion, Hillside, was awarded the 10th seed. The Comets began the week 16-2 overall and 9-0 in the Sky Division. Hillside is on a 14-game winning streak and is the only team in Union County that has not lost to a team from Union County.
Gov. Livingston (12-8) earned the seventh seed and Elizabeth (13-6) the eighth seed. They both began the week 8-1 and with one division game remaining in the pursuit of the UCC’s Valley Division championship.
Union Catholic, with an overall record of 14-4 and a final 9-1 mark in the Mountain Division, is the No. 3 seed. Oak Knoll, 11-8 overall and finished 4-2 in the Watchung Division, is the fourth seed. Oak Knoll did beat Union Catholic in a UCC-crossover.
Summit earned the fifth seed and Cranford the sixth seed. Summit defeated Cranford in a UCC-crossover.
45th ANNUAL GIRLS BASKETBALL
UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
SEEDS: 1-Westfield. 2-New Providence. 3-Union Catholic. 4-Oak Knoll.
5-Summit. 6-Cranford. 7-Gov. Livingston. 8-Elizabeth.
9-Johnson. 10-Hillside. 11-Roselle Catholic, 12-Scotch Plains.
13-Plainfield. 14-Kent Place. 15-Roselle. 16-Dayton.
17-Linden. 18-Rahway. 19-Union.
PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Played by Saturday, Feb. 15
19-Union at 14-Kent Place
18-Rahway at 15-Roselle
17-Linden at 16-Dayton
FIRST ROUND:
Tuesday, Feb. 18
9-Johnson at 8-Elizabeth
10-Hillside at 7-Gov. Livingston
11-Roselle Catholic at 6-Cranford
12-Scotch Plains at 5-Summit
13-Plainfield at 4-Oak Knoll
Union/Kent Place winner at 3-Union Catholic
Rahway/Roselle winner at 2-New Providence
Linden/Dayton winner at 1-Westfield
QUARTERFINALS:
Friday, Feb. 21
2 twinbills at 2 sites, TBA
6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS:
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Sites and times, TBA
FINAL:
Saturday, Feb. 29
At Kean University
Time, TBA
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS:
Watchung Division: Westfield (5-1)
Mountain Division: New Providence (9-1) and Union Catholic (9-1)
Valley Division: still to be decided, Elizabeth and GL are both 8-1 with one division game remaining.
Sky Division: Hillside (9-0)
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