Boys Basketball Win Earns Team UCT Berth

Senior Cris Cafiero scores game-winning bucket with 40 seconds remaining.

The Summit High School Boys Basketball teammay  have only gotten their second win of the season Thursday night, but that win earned them a berth in the Union County Tournament on Saturday. The Hilltoppers rallied to defeat Roselle Park 49-46. Senior Cris Cafiero scored 13 points including the winning basket with 40 seconds left in the game. Ba'Shawn Mickens had 16 points and Clayton Johnson 11. The Hilltoppers will face Roselle Catholic on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Rahway High School.

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Boys Basketball Can't Claim Revenge over Scotch Plains

Hilltoppers close the gap in rematch with Raiders but can't taste victory.

The Game: Playing at an earlier time to contend with weather issues, the Summit Hilltoppers boys basketball team was defeated by Scotch Plains, 54-39.  Despite the loss, it was still an improvement over the 72-53 beating Summit received from Scotch Plains earlier in the season. Summit hung close at certain points of the game, but never controlled the lead. The Hilltoppers fall to 1-7 for the season. The Players: Summit's leading scorers were: Post-game Reaction: Head coach Eugene Maxwell declined comment after the game. Up Next: The Hilltoppers host Union at 7 p.m. Friday night. 

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Boys Basketball Suffers Fifth Straight Loss

Hilltoppers drop a close game, 57-54 to the Governor Livingston Highlanders Tuesday afternoon.

The game: The Summit High School boys basketball team played a close game against Governor Livingston Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers held a late four-point lead, but just couldn't do enough to put the Highlanders away, falling to Governor Livingston, 57-54. The loss sends the team to an 0-5 start to the season. The Players: The Hilltoppers made twelve three-pointers and kept the game close all afternoon. Sharp-shooting sophomore Ba'Shawn Mickens scored a career-high 20 points, with 18 of them coming off of his six three-pointers. Cris Cafiero also had a strong game with 16 points. Post-game Reaction: "All we're trying to do is just get better each and every game," said Summit head coach Eugene Maxwell. "We're improving offensively and we'…

Boys Basketball Ousted by Manasquan in State Playoffs

Hilltoppers tournament run ends in 59-35 loss.

MANASQUAN–The Summit High School basketball team started the season with high hopes for making the state tournament this season but wound up playing their last game of the year after being ousted by a determined Manasquan High School team in the first round of the NJSIAA State Playoff's for Central Jersey Group II, in Manasquan. The final score was 59-35. Summit went into the game without three important players, junior center Ryan O'Malley, senior forward Dwaine Dabney, and senior forward David Newton, one of the team's top scorers. Newton could not play due to a chronic knee injury. O'Malley and  Dabney could not play due to a suspension. Manasquan's top scorer, senior guard Matt Vadas, opened the game with a quick three, which was …

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Boys Basketball Bounced from County Tournament

Defensive letdowns allow A.L. Johnson to avenge earlier losses in 67-54 win over Summit.

Less than 48 hours after the Hilltoppers broke a three-game losing streak with a 14-point victory over A.L. Johnson, the Crusaders returned the favor by exploiting Summit with fast breaks and baskets inside on their way to a 67-54 victory in the preliminary round of the Union County Tournament at Rahway High School on Sunday evening. While the Hilltoppers (8-10) were busy launching 30 shots from beyond the arc, Johnson was content to pound it inside, drive it inside or simply rush through the Summit defense for breakaway buckets. As a result, the Crusaders made 11 of 14 shots in the second half, and spent a great deal of time at the line as well. The long-range shooting started off quite well for Summit, which made 5 of 7 three-pointers–…

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Summit Stuffs A.L. Johnson on Senior Night

Hilltoppers improve to 8-9 after 56-44 win.

SUMMIT–In their previous meeting this season, Summit barely squeaked by A.L. Johnson on the road, 46-45. Friday night's game was much different, however, as the Hilltoppers went on an 11-0 run in the first quarter that the Crusaders tried but could not overcome for the remainder of the game. The Hilltoppers played well despite injuries to their top two scorers. Senior David Newton was unable to play due to a nagging leg injury, and Shawn Hillas played just a handful of minutes due to an ankle injury sustained in last week's loss to Cranford. Senior forward Matt Wholey was back in action, though, after being sidelined in the team's previous game due to illness. "I'm feeling a lot better," Wholey said. "Not 100 percent yet, but I'm getting …

Hillas Goes Down with Ankle Injury in Boys Basketball Loss

Hilltoppers fall to Cranford 50-37.

The Summit Hilltoppers had injury added to insult on Friday night when Cranford rolled into town. Not only did Summit suffer its third loss in its last four games, 50-37, one of their top scorers went down with an ankle injury. Shawn Hillas, one of the few bright spots for the Hilltoppers on Friday when he scored 13 points and grabbed four steals, rolled his ankle early in the fourth period and spent the rest of the game on crutches. "I went for a steal and stepped on the kid's foot," he said as he was getting his ankle taped after the game. "It's hurting a lot right now, but I don't know how bad it is." The reeling Hilltoppers can't afford much more bad news. After a lackluster performance on Tuesday night in a loss to Rahway, Summit's …

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Summit Boys Basketball Falls to Roselle

Hilltoppers fall to Rams 59-42.

The Summit High School boys basketball team took on the Roselle Rams yesterday, hoping to get an important road win and their second victory against the Rams this year. Unfortunately, miscommunication and a lack of urgency both contributed to a Hilltoppers loss, as they were beaten 59-42. The Hilltoppers got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Clayton Johnson hit Matt Wooley under the hoop for two to start it off, but Roselle answered with a 14-0 run that left Summit in a daze. The revitalized Rams, who Summit beat earlier in the year, now possessed a great scoring threat in a freshman who was hurt for the beginning of their season. Shawn Hillas pulled up for a 3-pointer to stop the Roselle scoring, but the Rams added a 3-pointer and…

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Summit Boys Basketball Withstands Late Errors for Third Straight Victory

Hilltoppers pick up 46-45 victory over A L Johnson.

Time and again Summit threatened to put the game away, but never could. When the Hilltoppers led by seven with the ball and two minutes remaining, it looked like it was over. When they got a turnover with 31 seconds and a four-point lead, it looked like it was over. But even when the game was over, it wasn't really over. The Hilltoppers went to the line with a two-point lead and three seconds remaining at A.L. Johnson on Tuesday night. Even when Cris Cafiero missed both free throws and Johnson's Frank Carnovale got the rebound, Summit seemed all but assured of its third consecutive victory. But Shawn Hillas got too close to Carnovale as he heaved a desperation 65-foot shot and was whistled, incredibly, for the foul as time expired. …

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Hilltoppers Get Special Visit, Beat Union Catholic By 8

The Hilltoppers were visited by Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals mens' basketball team Thursday and beat the Union Catholic Vikings 58-50 Friday night.

The Summit High School boys basketball team pulled off their second win in a row tonight, when they downed the Union Catholic Vikings at home, 58-50. A sense of team composure, fast ball movement, and great shooting were factors in the victory, but the fact that the boys got to meet Coach Rick Pitino and watch the Louisville Cardinals practice was a plus as well.  The Cardinals were in town to square off against Seton Hall Thursday night, and they needed a place to practice.  Since they were staying at the Hilton in Short Hills just a few minutes away, Summit High got the call. "We found out 10 minutes before they got here," Dwaine Dabney said.  "I was in the locker room and then Coach Pitino was in my face.  I got to shake his hand!" "…

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