County and conference tournament season is in full swing as JSZ goes around the Garden State on a busy Saturday in high school hoops. Top-ten teams collide as Rutgers Prep tangles with Montgomery in the Somerset County semifinals. The Burlington County Tournament gets underway as we bring you highlights from Shawnee/Doane Academy and Bordentown/Cherokee. Plus in girls hoops, Manasquan takes on Howell in the Shore Conference Tournament in our ACI Medical and Dental School Game of the Week. Check back throughout the day as the highlights are posted!

Rutgers Prep 65 Montgomery 57 | Boys | Somerset County Tournament Semifinal

No. 9 Rutgers Prep boys basketball is headed to their 6th straight Somerset County Tournament final after defeating No. 10 Montgomery 65-57 on Saturday! The Cougars started the game on a 8-2 run, but the Argonauts then went on a 14-5 run of their own to take the lead into the 2nd. After trading the lead, Prep would finish the 2nd with a 14-6 run, and they would not give up the lead the rest of the way.

Rutgers Prep sophomore Will Brunson was the team’s high scorer with 20 points, and he added 11 rebounds for his 7th double-double of the year. Nic Nsenkyire followed him with 15 points. Montgomery’s Mike Simborski led all scorers with 31 and Penn commit Ethan Lin had 20, only being held to 5 in the first half.

The Argonauts will now face either No. 4 Gill St. Bernard’s or Immaculata in next Saturday’s final at Montgomery High School.

JSZ’s Ryan Sudol has all the highlights from Franklin:

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Rutgers Prep is made possible by JAG Physical Therapy.

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Montgomery is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.

Cherokee 51 Bordentown 21 | Boys | Burlington County Tournament First Round

The Chiefs stormed out of the gates with a 14-0 run to open the game and never looked back on their way to a first round win over the Scotties. Louis Galasso poured in a game-high 15 points, while Johnny Comito and Chris Walters added 11 points each for fourth-seeded Cherokee (16-9). Chase Martin scored a team-high seven points in the loss for thirteenth-seeded Bordentown. Cherokee will host fifth-seeded Westampton Tech in the Burlington County quarterfinals on Monday.

JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Marlton: