Summit's Muhlenberg-bound standout Emily Cristaldi (5) enjoyed an outstanding career as a Hilltopper girls hoopster. Unfortunately, the fine Union County squad saw its splendid season come to an end on Monday at No. 1 Shabazz in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final (Sideline Chatter photos)

Summit's backcourt ace Kate Martino (11, right) has been strong on both sides of the ball for the Hilltoppers, who completed a superb 23-4 season.

Summit’s Strong Season Ends
While RC Is Also Eliminated
By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com

One of the finest seasons the Summit girls’ basketball team ever had came to a conclusion Monday in Newark.

After being down by only four points at the half, the Hilltoppers saw the No. 1 team in the state outscore them 24-2 in the third quarter en route to a convincing 64-37 triumph.

Top-seeded Shabazz won its 16th straight, improved to 29-1 and advanced to last night’s scheduled Group 2 semifinal at Southern Regional against the South Jersey, Group 2 champion.

Shabazz captured Central Jersey, Group 2 its first year in the section.
Third-seeded Summit finished 23-4 after reaching its first sectional final in 10 years. The Hilltoppers lost in the 1999 and 2000 North 2, Group 3 finals to Mendham, with both of those games at neutral site Rahway.

After Shabazz led 19-12 going into the second quarter, Summit outscored the host Bulldogs 14-12 in the second to only be down 30-26 at intermission. Shabazz, with its only loss to a Florida team, put the game away in the third quarter. The Bulldogs won the fourth 10-9.

Summit standout senior sharpshooter Emily Cristaldi poured in 19 points in her final high school game to finish her senior season with 591 and her career with 1,202.

Cristaldi was Union County’s leading scorer this year and finished with an average of 21.89. She also set the school record for points in a season, breaking the mark of 538 set in 1995 by Renee Green.

Cristaldi finished third on the all-time scoring list behind Green’s 1,220 total and Lindsay Burns’ 1,382 mark. Burns and Green are 1995 graduates.

Senior forward Cassie Hall, one of the top rebounders in Union County scored 10 points. Kate Martino and Kelly Osmulski netted three points each and Olivia Galuppo two.

Summit captured the first Union County Conference-Watchung Division championship and reached the Union County Tournament quarterfinals, falling to Westfield 47-45.

“I didn’t think we would accomplish all that we did,” fifth-year head coach Brian Erickson said. “I say that because we were in a new conference and we didn’t know a whole lot about the teams we were going to be playing.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these girls for the season that they had.”
The Hilltoppers split with Linden in league play, finishing 12-1 in the Watchung Division. Summit’s other loss was a non-league setback at Roselle Catholic.

Arguably, the best girls’ basketball team at Roselle Catholic had its season end - at least in its eyes - too early.

The top-seeded Lions were defeated at home by fourth-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy of Washington Township 53-47 Monday night in a Non-Public, North A semifinal.

Both teams scored the same amount of points in the first and fourth quarters, with IHA outscoring RC by two points in the second and four in the third. IHA was led by sophomore Raquel Scott, who paced all scorers with a 28-point performance.

Roselle Catholic senior Allison Skrec led her team with 18 points while senior Meghan Faughnan also scored in double digits with 10.

Skrec finished the season with 491 points in 26 games for an 18.89 average. She will graduate as RC’s all-time leading scorer, including boys’, with a four-year varsity total of 1,338.

Seniors Anthonia Ajumobi and Jenny Malone finished with seven points, while junior Melissa Tobie netted five.

Roselle Catholic had a 12-game winning streak snapped and finished a more-than-fine season at 23-3. The 23 wins is a program record.

The Lions repeated as Union County Tournament champions for the first time and won their third crown overall.

Roselle Catholic also captured the first Union County Conference-Mountain Division championship after winning the last Mountain Valley Conference-Mountain Division title last year.

Immaculate Heart improved to 22-5 and will play in the sectional final Wednesday night at 8 at Paterson Kennedy.

Roselle Catholic entered the game ranked No. 12 in The Star-Ledger Top 20.

IHA led throughout the second half and by as many as eight. RC got to within two points with about two minutes left, but no closer.

IHA made 10 of 12 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.

Skrec scored eight points in the fourth quarter and Scott 16 in the first half.

Roselle Catholic was trying to reach the final for the first time since winning the section for the only time in 2005.

Roselle Catholic went 45-7 the past two seasons, including 22-4 last year.

Roselle Catholic's senior star Allison Skrec scored 18 points in her final high school game as the Lions were beaten by Immaculate Heart, 53-47, in a Non-Public, North A state tournament semifinal on Monday night. RC saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end. (Photo by Sean Buldiger)

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