Summit faced its biggest test of the year traveling to Chatham to take on a tough 6-2 Cougar team. Their record included a 10 point victory over a New Providence squad who drubbed the Hilltoppers earlier in the season.
Chatham jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and it looked like it might be a long night. But Summit clawed their way back with a 7-0 run to take a 9-7 lead. After a Chatham bucket, Summit went on a massive 8-0 run to close the quarter up 17-9. The Hilltoppers never trailed again.
Holding a big lead, Summit let the game come to them. Charlie Schaffer was poised in the point guard role – calmly running the offense and seizing opportunities as they came. Brett Colon was lights out from behind the arc, scoring 9 straight at one point. Rhett Grieco smothered Chatham leading scorer Ryan Leskauskas.
The Hilltoppers entered halftime with a huge 37-20 lead – easily their best half of basketball of the season. The Summit student section was loud and the team felt energized. But going into the second half, you had the feeling the Cougars weren’t going down without a fight.
The 3rd quarter was more of the same – great in-control basketball by the Hilltoppers. Summit was patient on offense, frustrating the Cougars with their patience and taking advantage of mistakes. Surprisingly, Chatham didn’t make any adjustments and let Summit completely dictate the pace of play. Summit extended their lead to 49-30 by the end of the third.
Chatham finally started to bring full court pressure in the fourth, but it was too little too late. At the midway point of the quarter, the Cougars waved the white flag and cleared their bench down 21.
Schaffer, Colon, and Grieco all played their best games of the year. Schaffer scored a game-high 20 points while bringing calmness to Summit’s offense running the point. Colon was a knockdown shooter, adding 17 including 4 buckets from downtown. Grieco held Chatham’s Leskauskas to a quiet 10 and added 12 points of his own, including a bunch of clutch backdoor cuts.
It was a great night to be a Hilltopper! Final score 61-39.
Full stats: https://highschoolsports.nj.com/game/698136