Summit @ Rutherford High School Second Round, NJSIAA, North II, Group II 2/27/2008

Summit traveled to the Group 2 playoffs against the number #1 ranked Rutherford Bulldogs who are ranked 13^th in the state, for their second round playoff game.  It marked a culmination of a great season that had come full circle: Summit’s first scrimmage this season was in the same gym against the same team.  Summit came out playing as hard as they could, but unfortunately the results were similar to the original scrimmage. Summit has no answer to Rutherford’s two D-1, over 6 foot tall, players, who scored 34 points tonight. But Summit, as they have all season, played hard until the final buzzer, they just couldn’t get any reasonable shots off against their taller opponents inside.  The pace of the first half was frenetic, and Jamie Osmulski and Alex Reid had a number of steals against Rutherford, but Rutherford had the same number against Summit and hit on almost every shot they took for a 19-3 lead.  Jenna Wilson’s brave drive down the lane and a foul were all the points Summit could muster in the quarter, while only Shannon Murphy seemed to be able to combat their tall players inside for rebounds.  While the second quarter was more of the same, Summit came out in a zone for the third quarter and changed the pace and momentum of the game. Summit held Rutherford to just 6 points for the first 7 minutes of the quarter while scoring 5 themselves, three on a nice shot by Emily Cristaldi, and only a flurry of points from their 6’2” center/three-point shooter in the final minute widened Rutherford’s lead.  Rutherford left their starting line-up on the floor pressing until 4 minutes left in the game, but the entire fourth quarter belonged to the Lady Hilltoppers.  The best play of the game occurred when Cassie Hall stood her ground and swatted away a driving attempt by Rutherford’s star player, corralled the loose ball, and sent it down court, where Melissa Scott drained a 20-footer! Summit was driving fearlessly towards the hoop and getting fouled, and Reid and Osmulski hit on five of their foul shots to raise Summit’s point total.  And the rest of the team pitched in on defense to hold Rutherford to just 2 points.  Summit’s fourth quarter defense was led by Michelle Burian, Claire Cummins, Najla Austin, Natalia Angelo, Lauren Zarsky and Megan Trindell, who did a great job, which bodes well for next season!