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Girls Basketball Defeats Oak Knoll 41-38

Hilltoppers improve to 2-0 to start season.

In a close game that had fans of both sides energized, the Summit Hilltoppers girls basketball team improved to 2-0 with their 41 -38 victory over cross-town rival  Oak Knoll.

Summit looked unstoppable in the first quarter, dominating on both offense and defense and shutting out Oak Knoll. Hilltopper Emily Cristaldi scored six of her 11 points during the first 8 minutes, while her teammate Kelly Osmulski championed the defense, at one point chasing down an Oak Knoll breakaway and fighting the ball free, then seconds later making another stop and launching the ball to center Cassie Hall like a quarterback leading a receiver to the end zone. Hall took it to the hoop for an easy lay-up and brought Summit up 11-0 as the first quarter came to an end.

Oak Knoll looked hopeless in the first, but they started to mount a comeback that lasted the rest of the game in the second, at one point lessening the 11-0 lead to 11-9. The Royals outscored Summit 11-8 in the second quarter of play, but as the half ended, momentum was swung back into the Hilltoppers' favor.

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As the clock winded down to halftime, Kate Martino of Summit held the ball at the top of the key waiting for a play to develop. Martino passed it ball to Cristaldi, who turned and drained a shot as the buzzer sounded. Summit led 19-11 at half.

The Royals continued their uphill battle in the second half, and with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter Oak Knoll was only 3 points behind Summit. The third quarter ended with another buzzer beater, this time by Kerry Kennedy of Oak Knoll, bringing the score to 27-25 Summit.

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The Royals took the lead for the first time in the game in the fourth quarter with just under 4 minutes remaining on a lay-up by Molly Moran, making the score 32-31. Less than a minute later, Cristaldi was fouled and made both foul shots to recapture the lead for Summit. Cassie Hall helped the Hilltoppers pull away when she was fouled on a successful shot, and then drained the subsequent foul shot, making the score 36-32 with less than 2:30 remaining in the game.

Oak Knoll brought the score to 36-34, but after Martino was fouled twice and made all four foul shots during the last minute of the game, the score was 40-36 and time was running out for the Royals.

Martino seemed unfazed by the pressure: "I just relaxed and did it as I did it in the driveway," she noted after the game.

"We were very lucky to come away with the victory," said head coach Brian Erickson. "Oak Knoll is a good team."

"I think our girls really learned how to win tonight… we executed well in the last 2 minutes," he added.

The Hilltoppers' next game is at the Hackettstown Holiday Tournament, at 3 p.m. on Dec. 28.

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