DENVILLE - Their top scorer got hot at the right time ... they made their free throws when it counted most ... they got their hands involved on defense ... and they rebounded just enough to deny second-chance shots at key times.
It all added up to the Morris Knolls High School freshman boys basketball team winning its own tourney - The Morris Knolls Frosh Invitational - with a 58-51 victory in over Morristown in the championship game played at Knolls on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 13.
Zach Caggins was the Eagles’ high scorer with 21 points and he got 12 of those 21 points in the third period when Knolls made the move that won the game, outscoring Morristown 23-12 in the quarter to take a 47-34 lead into the final period of play.
Morristown went on an offensive blitz in the final eight minutes of play, outscoring the Eagles 17-11 to bring the final margin of victory down to seven points.
All but two of those 11 points for the winners came from the free-throw line as Knolls shot 9-for-11 from the line in the final quarter when Morristown was forced to foul in an attempt to play catchup basketball.
Mike Zvolensky was a perfect 5-for-5 from the line; Caggins was 3-for-4 on his free-throw attempts; and Mike Signer was 1-for-2 from the line.
Morris Knolls held Morristown to only eight first-period points in building up a 12-8 lead. Morristown cut into the Eagles’ advantage with a 14-12 second quarter that sent the teams into the lockerroom with Knolls on top, 24-22.
But the third period was the key for the Eagles as Caggins knocked down two 3-point shots and went 2-for-2 from the line in putting up his 12 third-quarter points.
Caggins had help, of course. Signer, who finished with 13 points, also hit a 3-point field goal and was 2-for-2 from the line for five points; John-Lucas Duffy, who also finished with 13 points, had four points; and Rob McCormick got his only two points of the game to help spark the rally that sent the Eagles into the final eight-minutes of play with a 13-point advantage that enabled them to hold off Morristown’s final offensive charge.
The Eagles finished the game with seven steals - two each by Signer and Zvolensky and one each by Caggins, Duffy and McCormick.
Signer had a game-high 10 rebounds; Caggins added five; Duffy and Zvolensky each had three and McCormick finished with two.
The teams had met once before in the regular season with Morris Knolls winning a 57-54 overtime thriller, handing Morristown its first loss of the season in a game played at Morristown.
Morris Knolls advanced to the title game with a 51-42 victory over Delbarton while Morristown advanced by beating Mendham in the other semifinal.
Earlier, Knolls beat Randolph in a quarterfinal after opening the tournament with a first-round victory over Hanover Park.
Morris Hills went two games deep into the tournament, beating Pequannock in the opening round and falling to Mendham in the quarterfinals.
The tournament is sponsored by the Morris Knolls Boys Basketball Booster Club and is the major fund-raiser of the year for the high school's basketball program.
