2004-05 Summit Women's Middle School Basketball

Date Opponent Results (13-2)
Wed 12/22 Madison A Won 45-30 Melissa Scott (16 pts.) and Jamie Osmulski (10 pts.) led the team to a resounding win in their first game of the season. Playing a stifling zone and man to man defense, the Hilltoppers controlled the tempo of the game and wore down their opponent. Leading rebounders Alex Reid and Shannon Murphy controlled the boards. Madison’s press did not faze Summit, with able ball handlers Jenna Wilson and Liz Martino bringing the ball up, and Danielle Allocco and Colleen Laughlin played great defense causing numerous turnovers.(reporting by John Reid)
Mon 01/03 Berkeley Heights (Columbia MS) H Lost 48-29 The Junior Hilltoppers fought hard against a well coached Berkeley Heights team but came up short. In the first half Summit countered Berkeley Heights great height advantage with their superior quickness, and Jenna Wilson's and Allison ReDavid's ball handling helped break their pressure defense. This led to a number of baskets by leading scorers Jamie Osmulski (10 pts.) and Melissa Scott (11 pts.) Alex Reid, Liz Martino and Cassie Hall helped control the backboard, and Summit finished the first half tied 16-16. In the second half Summit took a quick 18-16 lead but it was all Berkeley Heights and their swarming, trapping zone after that. Emily Rojas led a great fourth quarter comeback effort with 3 steals and two assists, and Shannon Murphy and Abby Mell had 2 steals each, but their efforts were nullified by Berkeley Heights great second half outside shooting performance.(reporting by John Reid)
Tue 01/04 Cranford (Orange Ave) H Won 50-22 The SMS girls rebounded with an impressive all around win over Cranford today. Nine different players scored for Summit, led by Alex Reid with 18 points and Jamie Osmulski with 8. The Junior Hilltoppers played stifling zone and man to man defense all game, holding Orange to only 2 points in the first quarter. In the second quarter the team of Abby Mell, Allison ReDavid, Shannon Murphy, Michelle Burian and Liz Martino held Orange to only 3 points, and the Hilltoppers took a 28-5 halftime lead. Colleen Laughlin and Jenna Wilson contributed key steals to the defensive efforts, and Melissa Scott (4 rebounds) and Reid (10 rebounds) swept the boards and started many fast breaks. Emily Rojas and Cassie Hall contributed key plays in the second half as Summit widened their lead, and Elizabeth Garcia, Madeline Garcia and Emily Cristaldi finished off the Cranford team. (reporting by John Reid)
Fri 01/07 Watchung (Valley View MS) Won 43-19 Another sterling defensive effort was turned in today by the Junior Hilltoppers of LCJSMS The trademark of this team seems to be balanced scoring supported by a dominating defense. Today’s defensive effort was exceptional, with Jamie Osmulski and Danielle Allocco leading the charge, diving for loose balls and contributing 5 steals between them. The girls did a great job on the boards, boxing out a taller team, with Melissa Scott and Abby Mell clearing 4 boards each. The scoring was led by Jenna Wilson, Scott and Osmulski with 9, 9 and 10 points respectively. Up 21-10 at halftime, the junior Hilltoppers sealed the game by holding Valley View to 1 point in the 4th quarter. Solid all around performances by Colleen Laughlin, Shannon Murphy, Alex Reid and Elizabeth Martino rounded out the girl’s impressive effort today. (reporting by John Reid)
Fri 01/14 Kent Place A Won 38-8 Paced by the overall strong play of Colleen Laughlin (4 pts., 3 rebs.), Beth Garcia (6 pts.) and Cassie Hall (6 pts., 3 rebs.), the Junior Hilltoppers overpowered an undermanned Kent Place squad. The girls benefited from 4 days of solid practices leading up to this game, and came out on fire in a new offensive alignment and a new 3-2 zone defense. The new defense didn’t allow a point in the first quarter, building an 18-0 lead as Melissa Scott (8 pts.), Jamie Osmulski(4 pts.), Jenna Wilson (2 pts., 2 assts., 2 steals) and Alex Reid (3 rebs., 2 assts., 2 steals) dominated Kent Place’s first string. Coach Welsh substituted freely after that, giving players like Danielle Allocco (4 pts., 2 steals), Liz Martino (2 steals) and Emily Rojas chances to shine. Shannon Murphy and Abby Mell continued their strong defense and board work, shutting down their opponents as Summit built a 30-2 lead after 3 quarters. Emily Cristaldi, Maddie Garcia, Michelle Burian, and Allison ReDavid played well in the second half preventing Kent Place from getting back into the game. For their efforts, the Junior Hilltoppers were rewarded with a 30 minute session of suicides and free throw shooting after the game, as they have three big games next week! (reporting by John Reid)
Tue 01/18 Cranford (Hillside Ave MS) A Won 60-28 The Junior Hilltoppers started their tough week with an offensive explosion at Cranford's Hillside School. Led by the all around play of Jenna Wilson, who controlled the game at point and broke every press thrown at her, and Jamie Osmulski’s tenacious play at both ends, the girls stormed to a 26-16 halftime lead and then ran away from Hillside. Melissa Scott (16 pts.) and Alex Reid (12 pts.) led the balanced scoring attack as 10 players scored. Shannon Murphy and Danielle Allocco had terrific games, hitting some nice jump shots and making some amazing passes, and Liz Martino played another aggressive game on defense with a number of steals against a much taller opponent. Allison ReDavid rounded out the scoring, hitting for all her 4 points in the fourth quarter, as the better conditioned Junior Hilltoppers outscored the Cranford team 34-12 in the second half. (reporting by John Reid)
Wed 01/19 Florham Park A Won 55-12 The Junior Hilltoppers looked impressive in their latest win over a scrappy Ridgedale Junior High team from Florham Park, combining blazing speed on the fast break with stifling pressure defense to ring up win number six. Led by the scoring of Jamie Osmulski (10 pts), Alex Reid (10 pts) and Melissa Scott (11 pts), and the tenacious play of Danielle Allocco (6 pts., 2 steals), Jenna Wilson (2pts., 3 steals, 3 assts.), and Shannon Murphy (5 pts., 3 rebs., 2 blocks), the girls were never really challenged, speeding to a quick 20-0 first quarter lead. In their last 5 games, SMS has held their opponents to a remarkable average of only 7 points scored against them in the first half! Allison ReDavid, Abby Mell and Elizabeth Martino logged a lot of minutes controlling the game the rest of the way, with Martino hitting on all cylinders (2 pts, 1 reb., 2 assts and 2 steals).

In the halftime game, the seventh graders were led by Cassie Hall who put up 14 points in 10 minutes and Beth Garcia with 4, leading to a 21-0 romp in their game. Emily Cristaldi, Maddie Garcia, Emily Rojas and Michelle Burian all played well and contributed to the shutout.

Coach Welsh’s team appears ready for their toughest match this year, a return game against Berkeley Heights.
Fri 01/21 Berkeley Heights (Columbia MS) A Lost 43-24 The Junior Hilltoppers rode a five game win streak into Berkley Heights to face a well coached and very tall Columbia squad, and despite a tremendous effort, came up short. The score did not reflect the intensity of the game, as the Hilltoppers had more rebounds, more shots, more steals and more foul shots. The game was all about shooting percentage, and the Columbia girls shot lights out in the first half, including two three-pointers, racing to a 22-10 lead which turned out to be too big to overcome. Scoring leaders Melissa Scott (7 pts), Alex Reid (6 pts) and Shannon Murphy (4 pts.) made some tough baskets underneath the hoop, and Scott’s 4 steals, Reid’s 6 rebounds and Murphy’s 3 rebounds helped keep the girls in the game. The all-around tough play of Jamie Osmulski (2 pts., 2 rebs, 2 assts., and 3 steals) and Danielle Allocco (a great three pointer) kept the team fighting till the last second of the game. The girls won the “halftime game” 2-0 as Ally ReDavid made a key bucket and Liz Martino controlled the ball from the point the entire game.
Mon 01/24 No. Plainfield MS A Postponed
Tue 01/25 Oak Knoll H Won 34-14 Bouncing back from last week’s loss, the Junior Hilltoppers registered a 34-14 victory in a ragged but overwhelming effort against Oak Knoll. The Hilltoppers recorded an amazing 23 steals as they threw every defensive alignment they have in their arsenal at the Oak Knoll team. Jamie Osmulski, with 8 points and 8 steals was all over the court, and Alex Reid, with 4 rebounds and 7 steals backed up the defensive effort. Melissa Scott continues to score with powerful drives to the basket, coming up with 9 points, including shooting 5 for 8 from the free throw line. Danielle Allocco had a strong overall game with 6 points, 2 rebs., 1 asst. and 4 steals, and Jenna Wilson, hobbled by a groin pull, still brought the ball up court against their press effectively. A new shot blocker emerged in Shannon Murphy, who soared to reject 3 shots under the basket, along with 4 points. Abby Mell, with 4 rebounds, played tough underneath against a taller team. Colleen Laughlin and Liz Martino made great drives to the basket to beat the 2-3 zone defense of Oak Knoll.

In the second game the seventh grade squad ran away from the Oak Knoll girls 14-2, exhibiting a great shooting touch from outside. Beth Garcia and Maddie Garcia had 4 and 2 points respectively, and Emily Cristaldi hit two nice jump shots. Emily Rojas was all over the court scoring 4 points, and Cassie Hall had two great blocks to keep the opponents from scoring. Bringing the ball up flawlessly against pressure was Michelle Burian and Ally ReDavid.
Fri 01/28 Kent Place H Won 51-7 The seventh grade Junior Hilltoppers got a chance to show Coach Welsh what they could do for an entire game and he must have left the game with a smile as the team demolished Kent Place. Dominating from the opening tip off, the girls exhibited great skills that bode well for next year’s team, with an awesome combination of speed, aggression and few turnovers. Right from the start, the inside tandem of Maddie Garcia and Cassie Hall dominated the paint with strength and agility, scoring 16 and 23 points respectively. Maddie and her sister, Beth Garcia, were amazing on the boards, carding 9 rebounds each. The backcourt duo of Emily Rojas (9 steals, 4 assts.) and Ally ReDavid (4 steals, 2 assts.) didn’t allow the Kent Place guards to penetrate, and created numerous easy scoring opportunities off their steals. At the point, Michelle Burian had a great all around game (4 pts., 2 rebs., 2 assts., 2 steals), breaking any pressure their defense generated. And Emily Cristaldi continued to exhibit the best outside shooting touch on the team, hitting great jumpers from the side, scoring 4 points and dishing out 2 assists. The eighth graders cheered on their teammates and enjoyed the rest, as they have 4 consecutive games next week.
01/31 N. Plainfield Won 46-15 An inspiring performance by Colleen Laughlin and Shannon Murphy highlighted another amazing win by the team. Facing an opponent that they lost to last year, the Junior Hilltoppers were locked in a tight 6-5 game when Coach Welsh inserted Laughlin and Murphy. Two steals and two breakaway lay-ups later by Laughlin, they had a solid 10-5 first quarter lead and were never challenged after that. Laughlin had her finest game of the season, with 8 pts., 3 rebs., 2 assts., and 5 steals. Murphy registered a season high in minutes, and contributed 4 pts., 7 rebs., 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots. Her all around play was supported by another strong game from Jamie Osmulski, with 10 points, 3 rebs., 5 assts., and 1 steal. Leading scorer Melissa Scott had another solid scoring game with 15 points and 2 steals. The backcourt got another workout as point guard Jenna Wilson is still hobbled by a pulled groin, so Danielle Allocco and Liz Martino shared more of the ball handling responsibilities. Anchoring the defense was Alex Reid with 4 steals and 3 rebs., Abby Mell and Cassie Hall

In the halftime game, the undefeated 7th graders dominated 9-2, with Ally ReDavid hitting for 4 pts. and Michelle Burian and Maddie Garcia for 2 each. Emily Rojas hit a clutch free throw, and Beth Garcia and Emily Cristaldi played great defense.
Tue 02/01 Watchung (Valley View MS) H Won 39-20 Another great team victory was registered by the Junior Hilltoppers today in defeating Valley View. Rebounding ferociously from start to finish, the team had 30 rebounds, led by board clearers Shannon Murphy (9 rebs.), Alex Reid (5 rebs.), Abby Mell (4 rebs.) and Cassie Hall (4 rebs.). A smothering man to man press defense led to 10 girls having steals, with Liz Martino and Jamie Osmulski totaling three each. Leading scorers were Melissa Scott (11 pts.), Colleen Laughlin (6 pts.), Reid and Osmulski (6 pts. each). Jenna Wilson and Danielle Allocco did a great job bringing up the ball, as the team rolled to a 27-10 halftime lead. The team of Beth Garcia, Maddie Garcia, Emily Rojas, Emily Cristaldi, Ally ReDavid and Michelle Burian did a good job in the final quarter protecting the large lead.
Wed 02/02 Harding MS A Won 58-18 In a rout of a well coached Harding squad, the Junior Hilltoppers looked unbeatable today as they improved their record to 10-2 with a great all around performance. Led by Alex Reid with 10 points and 10 rebounds, Shannon Murphy with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Melissa Scott with 13 points and 3 rebs., the team raced to a 29-16 halftime lead. Perhaps spurred on by the seventh grade game at halftime (a dominating 22-2 victory), the girls ran away from Harding, only allowing an incredible 2 points in the second half! Danielle Allocco had a terrific game, with 7 points, 3 rebs., 2 assists and 3 steals. Liz Martino was all over the court, and also had 3 rebs. and 3 assts. Further scoring was contributed by Colleen Laughlin with 4 points, Maddie Garcia with 4 pts., and Emily Cristaldi with 2 pts. Defensively, Jamie Osmulski (6 pts., 4 assts.) and Jenna Wilson (5 steals and 4 assts.) wore down Harding with their relentless defense. Anchoring the frontcourt with terrific rebounding was Abby Mell with 4 rebounds and numerous blocked shots.

In the seventh grade game at halftime, Cassie Hall rang up a quick 10 points and 5 rebounds and looked to everyone in the gym as a future center to be reckoned with in Summit. Ally ReDavid had a great performance with 4 pts., and 2 steals, and Emily Rojas gave her usual 150%, recording 4 pts., 1 reb., 1 asst. and 2 steals in a very short game! Michelle Burian and Beth Garcia controlled the ball most of the game and never had a turnover.
Thu 02/03 Oak Knoll A Won 30-23 In a very competitive, hard fought game, the Junior Lady Hilltoppers were not to be denied, pulling away in the second half. Coach Welsh stuck with his most experienced 7 girl line-up most of the game to combat a well coached team. While being held to 7 points, Jamie Osmulski played almost the whole game, and was assigned to guard Oak Knoll’s talented and very quick point guard. Pressing her all over the court, Osmulski’s relentless defense finally wore down her opponent, and she provided the aggressive spark that allowed the team to open up some breathing room from the 13-12 halftime lead. Right from the start, this was not going to be an easy game as the Hilltoppers put up shot after shot without much to show for it. Alex Reid kept the girls close, scoring early and getting 6 steals, most in the first half, along with 9 boards. Melissa Scott generated a much needed 11 points, most the tough inside kind, but also hit two nice shots from the outside, to go with her 6 rebounds. Jenna Wilson did an amazing job bringing the ball up against pressure, and had 3 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. Danielle Allocco worked her way free to shoot over the Oak Knoll zone, and was all over the court diving for loose balls. Super subs Colleen Laughlin and Shannon Murphy contributed quality minutes during the game, with Laughlin getting 4 key points and Murphy as usual clearing 5 boards. With a minute left and Osmulski on the bench, the Oak Knoll team mounted one last challenge and drew to within 5 points and had the ball, but a quick steal by Murphy and a pass to Reid for a lay-up sealed the victory and allowed the very vocal Summit crowd to finally breathe easy.

In another strong victory the 7th grade girls won their abbreviated game 7-2, with buckets by Cassie Hall, Michelle Burian and Beth Garcia and strong rebounding by Maddie Garcia. Ally ReDavid had a nice steal and Emily Cristaldi ripped down an amazing rebound underneath the hoop. Another nice free throw by Emily Rojas put away the Oak Knoll challenge.
Tue 02/08 Garwood MS A Won 58-20 In a resounding victory that capped an incredible turnaround season, the Summit Junior Hilltoppers overwhelmed a game Garwood squad in Garwood. Playing in their final game, the eighth graders had a spectacular game, led by the trio of Alex Reid, Jamie Osmulski and Melissa Scott, who combined for 26 points in just three quarters of work. Reid with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 7 steals, was always around the ball and shot 5 for 6 from the field. Osmulski, who seemed to be operating at a different speed than the other team, also had 10 points, 5 steals and 2 assists, and numerous tie ups defensively. Scott, held scoreless in the first half, came out in the third quarter on fire, hitting for 6 quick points to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The backcourt triumvirate of Jenna Wilson, Danielle Allocco and Liz Martino, placed constant pressure on the ball and helped to hold Garwood scoreless in the third quarter. Wilson, recovering from a leg injury, showed some of her old speed, hitting for 6 points and getting 5 steals. Allocco had some amazing drives to the hoop and had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Martino may have saved her best game for last, with an all around great performance, hitting all her free throws and dishing 3 assists and 3 steals. And off the bench the trio of Shannon Murphy and Colleen Laughlin attacked the ball and fed Abby Mell, who had a season high 4 points. In the 4th quarter the seventh grade girls got a chance to show Coach Welsh what he can expect next year, outscoring the Garwood team 15-7, led by Ally ReDavid and Cassie Hall with 4 points each, and a great three pointer by Maddie Garcia. Michelle Burian, Emily Cristaldi and Beth Garcia played flawless aggressive ball to bring home the victory at the final whistle, capping off a tremendous season. Coach Welsh has to be commended for orchestrating this amazing year, building a single cohesive unit and then drawing out each player’s maximum potential all season long, to form a team that would not be denied in reaching their 13-2 record.