DENVILLE - Keri Bongo had just scored with 40 seconds left in the game to cap a furious 9-2 burst to tie the game at 50 and the Morris Knolls faithful were cheering wildly, anticipating the next basket that would put their team over the top.
But Kearny's Janitza Aquino got the next two points when she converted two pressure-packed free throws with 15 seconds to play and, after a Morris Knolls turnover, Vanessa Dasilva added another free throw in the final seconds for the final point of the game in Kearny’s 53-50 upset victory over the Lady Eagles in a North 1, Group 4 state playoff game played at Knolls on Tuesday, March 2.
Kearny (8-15), the No. 14 seed in the 16-team section, moves on to the quarterfinals where it will face No. 11 East Orange, which beat No. 6 Hackensack, 93-77, in another upset on Tuesday.
Morris Knolls (16-9) was trailing 48-41 in the fourth quarter when the Lady Eagles rallied to pull into the tie created by Bongo. Bongo was starting in place of Christina Vittorio, who was ill and unable to play.
Knolls led by three at the end of the first period but Kearny came back in the second quarter and the teams went into the halftime break all even at 23 each.
Kearny outscored Knolls 14-13 in the third quarter to take a 37-36 lead into the final period where the visitors went on an 11-5 run to pull ahead 48-41. Knolls came back with its 9-2 run to tie the game at 50 before Kearny scored the final points of the game on free throws to secure the victory.
Kristen Randolph was the high scorer for the Lady Eagles with 16 points. Jen Jarvis scored 12 points and Kelsey Wade added 11 as Knolls finished with three players in double-figures.
Bongo scored nine points in her emergency start and Mary Ninivaggi added two points to complete the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
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(For more game photos, point to the 'Winter Photo Pages' button and click on 'MK Girls States' when the sub-menu appears')
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Pascack Hills' 3-pointers turn back Lady Eagles
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team got a taste of how long-distance shooting can hurt as the Lady Eagles lost a 62-44 decision to Pascack Hills in a game played at Pascack Hills on Monday, Feb. 22.
Pascack Hills hit on 13 of its 3-point field goal attempts - with Krista Larezza connecting six times - to improve its season record to 10-14.
Morris Knolls (16-7) trailed 23-14 after one quarter of play and the deficit grew to 15 points at the half after Pascack Hills went on a 17-11 run in th second quarter. The second half was a little closer, but Pascack Hills had the advantage there, also, outscoring the Lady Eagles 22-19.
Jen Jarvis led Morris Knolls in scoring with 18 points, with 10 of her points coming from the free throw line. Keri Bongo added seven points; Kristen Randolph had six points; Allison Kolacy finished with five; Gianna Vitolo had three points; Kelsey Wade and Tori Clarke each finished with two points; and Heather Rivardo had a free throw to complete the scoring for Knolls.
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Lady Eagles halt two-game skid with win over Mount Olive
DENVILLE - Morris Knolls, coming off back-to-back losses to MCT top-seed West Morris, took a good half to get warmed up against 4-19 Mount Olive Thursday (Feb. 18) night before recording a 51-34 victory in a high school girls basketball game played at Morris Knolls.
The Lady Eagles (16-7) had lost a 51-26 decision to West Morris in the quarterfinal round of the MCT on Saturday, Feb. 13, and then lost a 43-26 decision in a regular-season game four days later. Both games were played at Knolls.
In their first game since the two losses, the Lady Eagles started out slowly and held leads of 8-7 and 21-17 after a sluggish first half.
The Lady Eagles outscored the visitors 13-8 in the third period and took a nine-point lead into the final eight minutes of play where they outscored Mount Olive 17-9 to complete their 17-point victory.
"We played a lackluster first half," said Knolls coach Sandy Feld after the game. "But the girls came out and played basketball the way they know it should be played in the second half."
Jen Jarvis led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 19 points, including a 12-for-14 performance from the free throw line.
Kristen Randolph scored 12 points for Knolls with Kelsey Wade and Marry Ninivaggi each adding seven. Christina Vittorio had five points and Heather Rivardo converted a free throw to complete the scoring for Morris Knolls.
Notes: Ninivaggi scored five of her seven points and Jarvis had four points when the Lady Eagles made their third-period run ... the Lady Eagles were 18-for-22 from the free throw line as a team.
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Lady Eagles lose second straight game to West Morris
DENVILLE - For the second time in a four-day span, the Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team found out the hard way why West Morris was awarded the top seed in the Morris County Girls Basketball Tournament enters its semifinal round at FDU-Florham this Friday, Feb. 19.
West Morris (18-3) held Morris Knolls (15-7) to two points in the first period and three points in the second period to take a 16-5 halftime lead en route to a 43-26 victory in a game payed at Morris Knolls on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
On Saturday, Feb. 13, West Morris beat Morris Knolls, 51-26, in one of the four MCT quarterfinal-round games held at Knolls.
Kristen Randolph was the Lady Eagles' leading scorer with eight points as - for the second straight game - Knolls leading scorer Jen Jarvis was held below double-figures, this time with seven points.
Mary Ninivaggi finished with four points for Knolls; Christina Vittorio had three points; and Keri Bongo and Allison Kolacy each added two points to complete the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
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Lady Eagles ousted from MCT by top-seed West Morris
For details on this county tourney game, please click on the 'MCT Girls Hoops' button on the menu bar at the left side of this page.
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Jarvis free throws in final seconds nip High Point
DENVILLE - Jen Jarvis, held to a season-low four points, made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to lift Morris Knolls to a 39-38 victory over High Point in a high school girls basketball game played at High Point on Thursday, Feb 11.
With High Point (16-4) leading 38-37 with the ball, Kelsey Wade took a charge with 1:30 left to return possession to Morris Knolls (15-5). The Lady Eagles ran a few offensive sets but couldn’t penetrate the High Point defense and, with time running out, Jarvis was fouled in the act of shooting.
Jarvis made both of her shots in the two-shot penalty and the Lady Eagles had their victory.
The teams battled on even terms in a 10-10 first period before High Point took a two-point lead at 19-17 at the half. Knolls fought back to take a 28-24 but High Point closed out the third period on a 7-0 run and took a 31-28 lead into the final eight minutes of play.
Wade, Kristen Randolph and Mary Ninivaggi picked up the scoring slack for the Lady Eagles as Wade finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds; Randolph scored nine points; and Ninivaggi had eight.
Tori Clarke made the most of her minutes off the bench to nail down two critical free throws during the Lady Eagles’ fourth-period comeback that saw Knolls outscore the home team, 11-7, to earn its one-point victory.
"The team really held together as a unit and really stepped up in the final quarter despite the fact that Jen Jarvis was held to four points," said Morris Knolls coach Sandy Feld after the game. "This game proved something we have been preaching all year - a team is not just one player, but the five we have on the floor plus those on the bench."
Keri Bongo made a significant contribution off the bench as she finished with five third-quarter points. Clarke finished with three points - all on free throws. And Heather Rivardo had quality minutes off the bench, too, finishing with four rebounds.
"“The game is played with both the head and the heart," Feld added. "And the team showed it had a lot of heart tonight."
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Randolph leads way in victory over Montville
DENVILLE - Kristen Randolph scored eight of her game-high 13 points in the first quarter as the Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team roared out to an early lead and was never headed in a 49-19 victory over winless (0-17) Montville at Knolls on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The Lady Eagles (14-5) held leads of 15-5 after one quarter and 28-11 at the half before the Knolls' reserves held Montville to eight second-half points.
With the Knolls' starters seeing limited action, Jen Jarvis finished with 12 points; Christina Vittorio added eight; Mary Ninivaggi and Gianna Vitolo each had four; Allison Kolacy finished with three free throws; Keri Bongo and Heather Rivardo each had two points; and Kelsey Wade rounded out the scoring with a free throw as all 10 of the Lady Eagles who suited up for the game played with nine of them scoring.
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MK topples Mtn. Lakes in first-round MCT game
DENVILLE - For details on the game, please click on the "MCT Girls Hoops" button on the menu bar at left.
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Lady Eagles rally falls short in 49-43 loss to Sparta
DENVILLE - Morris Knolls, trailing Sparta by 13 at the half, rallied to within three points before the Lady Spartans bolted out to a nine-point lead and held on for a 49-43 victory in a girls high school basketball game played at Sparta on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Morris Knolls (12-5) scored only six points in the first period and added but five in the second quarter to trail 24-11 at the half. A 16-6 third-period run by the Lady Eagles cut the deficit to three points at 30-27 going into the final period where Sparta (9-7) reestablished a nine-point lead and went on to win by six and hand the Lady Eagles their second straight defeat.
Jen Jarvis and Kelsey Wade each had five points and Mary Ninivaggi added four as the Lady Eagles made their third-period comeback attempt.
"The girls never gave up and came back hard in the third period," said Knolls coach Sandy Feld after the game. "In the end, however, we couldn’t overcome the size advantage that Sparta had on us."
Wade finished with 11 points to lead the Lady Eagles in scoring. Jarvis finished with eight points and Christina Vittorio and Ninivaggi each finished with six. Kristen Randolph and Heather Rivardo each scored five points and Keri Bongo had a field goal to complete the scoring for Knolls.
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Roxbury scores last six points of game to defeat Knolls
DENVILLE - Roxbury scored the last six points of the game - finishing with the winning field goal with six seconds to play - to defeat Morris Knolls, 40-38, in a high school girls basketball game played at Roxbury on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
The late flurry by the Lady Gaels offset a comeback by Knolls that saw the Lady Eagles erase a four-point deficit at the end of three periods by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter to take a 36-32 lead.
After the teams traded baskets, Roxbury scored six unanswered points - a field goal by Jenna LoBrace, two free throws by Cori Younghins that tied the game at 38 with 38 seconds to go, and the winning basket by Joelle Cancelliere with six seconds left that was set up by a Morris Knolls turnover.
Morris Knolls (12-4) took a 12-10 lead after one period of play, but Roxbury (11-6) surged ahead and took a 21-19 lead at halftime. An 11-9 Roxbury third period gave the Lady Gaels a 32-28 lead going into the final quarter before Morris Knolls went on its run that was erased by Roxbury’s winning surge at the end of the game.
Jen Jarvis scored 14 points - eight from the free throw line - and Kristen Randolph added 12 points to lead the Lady Eagles in scoring.
Kelsey Wade added seven points; Heather Rivardo and Tori Clarke each finished with two points; and Christina Vittorio had a free throw to round out the scoring totals for the Lady Eagles.
Notes: The starting time for the Morris Knolls-Mountain Lakes first-round MCT game at Knolls on Saturday, Feb. 6, is still being worked on by the two school.
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MK beats Morris Vo-Tech, 50-30, in MCT prelim
DENVILLE - For details on the game, please click on the "MCT Girls Hoops" button on the menu bar at left.
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Lady Eagles turn back Morris Hills, 45-39
DENVILLE - Morris Knolls junior Jen Jarvis' 21-point effort was a major reason why the Lady Eagles defeated sister-school Morris Hills, 45-39, in a high school girls basketball game played at Hills on Thursday, Jan. 28.
Christina Vittorio and Mary Ninivaggi had major roles in the victory, too, but Vittorio's six-point contribution and Ninivaggi�s one are not the main reasons they played such important roles in the Lady Eagles' victory.
"They helped control our offense against Hills' 1-3-1, a defense with which we always struggle," said Morris Knolls head coach Sandy Feld after the game. "They were very patient and worked together real well and did a real nice job for us. Christina also had 10 rebounds from her guard spot, which was also a big help to us."
And Kelsey Wade's 13-point performance can't be ignored, either, as the Lady Eagles needed every point against a Morris Hills team that stayed close throughout the game.
Kristen Randolph finished with four points to complete the scoring for Knolls, which led by as many as seven points midway throught the third quarter but Morris Hills was able to keep the lead about three until the end.
Gabby Sagese led Hills with 17 points and was followed by Casey DeSa (10 points), Jenna Chirico (4), Colleen Monahan (4), Dana Castellano (2), and Rachel Sihlanick (2).
Jarvis got the bulk of her points on free throws as she was constantly driving to the basket and getting fouled. Jarvis finished 13-for-16 from the free throw line and the entire team was 22-for-30.
The win came on the heels of the Lady Eagles' upset loss to a 2-11 Morristown club earlier in the week, a loss that snapped a four-game winning streak. Morris Hills (4-10) brought a two-game winning streak into the game.
Morris Knolls is the No. 8 seed in the Morris County Girls Basketball Tournament that start Saturday, Jan. 30, with 11 preliminary games due to the largest field in the tournament's 36-year history.
The Lady Eagles play host to No. 25 Morris Tech in a 6 p.m. start following the boys 4 p.m. prelim against Mount Olive.
Morris Knolls is participating in a tourney-wide "Shooting for the Cure" campain to raise money for the American Cancer Society. T-shirts with the MCT logo on it were made for the girls on all the teams and there will be extra shirts on sale for $10 at Saturday's game.
Donations are also being accepted and all proceeds from the concession stand will also go to the American Cancer Society.
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Lady Eagles upset by Morristown's 18-7 game-ending run
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team was upset by Morristown, 41-39, when the visiting Lady Colonials scored the last five points of the third quarter and then outscored the Lady Eagles 13-7 in the final period at Knolls on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Morris Knolls (10-3) held a 21-19 lead at the half and had moved out to a 32-23 lead when Morristown (2-11) started its comeback that saw it outscore Knolls 18-7 the rest of the way.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Knolls while the win ended a six-game losing streak for Morristown.
Jen Jarvis, who was held to seven points, scored on a driving layup with one second left on the clock. Morris Knolls fouled before the inbounds pass and Morristown missed the free throw, but the Lady Eagles could not get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded.
Kelsy Wade led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 14 points, including eight in the third period when Knolls extended its lead to nine points.
Kristen Randolph finished with 10 points for Knolls while Kerri Bongo had five. Christina Vittorio's two points and Mary Ninivaggi�s free throw completed the scoring totals for Knolls.
Morris Knolls travels to Morris Hills for a 7 p.m. game on Thursday, Jan. 28, a night that has been designated as "Coaches vs. Cancer Night" by the girls basketball programs at both schools.
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Wade, Jarvis lead Lady Eagles to 10th win
DENVILLE - Kelsey Wade scored 12 points and Jen Jarvis added 10 as Morris Knolls beat Mount Olive, 53-31, in a high school girls basketball game played at Mount Olive on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The Lady Eagles (10-2) led 16-12 after one quarter and extended their lead to 29-19 at the half before outscoring Mount Olive (2-11) 9-5 in the third period and 15-7 in the fourth to seal the victory.
Tori Clarke finished with eight points; Kristen Randolph added six; and Keri Bongo and Heather Rivardo each had five points for Knolls.
With all 10 Lady Eagles seeing time on the court and nine different Lady Eagles scoring, Christina Vittorio finished with three points and Allison Kolacy and Gianna Vitolo each had two points to complete the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
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Late field goal by Jarvis beats Randolph, 38-37
DENVILLE - A field goal by Jen Jarvis with less than a minute to play was the final basket of the game as Morris Knolls defeated Randolph, 38-37, in a high school girls basketball game played in Randolph on Friday, Jan. 22.
Morris Knolls led by as many a 14 midway through the third period before Randolph started a comeback that saw the Lady Rams take the lead at 37-36 with a minute left in the game.
Jarvis, who finished with a game-high 20 points, scored the game-winning two-pointer on a drive to the hoop with 45 seconds still left on the game clock.
Randolph was able to launch three shots in an attempt to regain the lead but missed them all. The Lady Rams got one final chance to pull out the game when Knolls turned the ball over with six seconds left to play, but Randolph did not get off another shot.
Morris Knolls (9-2) held a 13-10 lead after one quarter of play and moved out to a 10-point halftime lead after a 12-5 run in the second period. Randolph (7-4) cut the lead to six point going into the final period and then held the Lady Eagles to five points in the final eight minutes of play before Jarvis scoring her game-winner.
Keri Bongo finished with six points for Knolls while Kristen Randolph and Kelsey Wade each scored four points. Christina Vittorio hit a 3-point field goal for her only three points of the game and Heather Rivardo hit a free throw to complete the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
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Lady Eagles jump out to early lead in win over Mendham
DENVILLE - Morris Knolls held Mendham to one shot in running out to a 13-1 first-period lead and the Lady Eagles went on to score a 60-41 victory in a high school girls basketball game held at Knolls on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Kristin Randolph scored six points and Jen Jarvis added four to spark the first-period run by the Lady Eagles.
The Lady Eagles (8-2) increased their edge to 28-15 at the half and took a 19-point lead into the final period after outscoring Mendham (5-4), 15-9, in the third period.
Jarvis and Gianna Vitolo led a solid offensive effort by the Lady Eagles as Jarvis finished with a team-high 13 points and Vitolo added 11.
Randolph finished with eight points and Christina Vittorio added another eight points, hitting on two three-point field goals and a pair of free throws.
Mary Ninivaggi finished with seven points; Kelsey Wade contributed six points; Tori Clare had four points; and Keri Bongo hit a three-point field goal to finished with three points to round out the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
Eagles take early lead to beat Nutley, 57-37
DENVILLE - Jen Jarvis scored 14 of her game-high 17 points in the first half as Morris Knolls jumped out to a 14-point lead after two periods and went on to beat Nutley, 57-37, in a high school girls basketball game played at Nutley on Saturday, Jan. 16.
The Lady Eagles (7-2) held a 14-10 lead after one quarter of play and moved out to a 32-18 advantage at the half and never looked back, outscoring the host club 25-19 to secure their 20-point victory.
Kelsey Wade scored 12 points for Knolls and was 4-for-5 from the free throw line where the Lady Eagles outscored Nutley, 16-2.
Mary Ninivaggi, although held scoreless, played a big role in the game as she controlled the offense, handed out a season-high nine assists, and had an ... outstanding day running the floor for us, according to Knolls assistant coach Rob Moore.
Kristen Randolph finished with seven points; Heather Rivardo and Christina Vittorio each had six; Gianna Vitolo scored three points; and Keri Bongo, Tori Clarke and Allison Kolacy each had two to complete the scoring for Knolls.
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Lady Eagles rally in OT for 46-42 road victory
DENVILLE - They had just come off a second quarter where they had scored one point ... they were on the short end of a 25-12 halftime score ... and they were on the road, sitting in an unfamiliar lockeroom, totally bewildered by what had happened in the previous eight minutes.
But as bleak as things looked, the players on the Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team still came back ... and back ... and back ... to defeat Pope John, 46-42, in overtime at Pope John in Sparta on Thursday, Jan. 14.
The Lady Eagles (6-2) scored their second-period point late in the quarter when Jen Jarvis sank a free throw to avoid being shut out for the eight-minute period.
Then, they cut into the 13-point halftime lead by outscoring Pope John (3-6) by a 9-5 count in the third period.
Still, Knolls trailed 30-21 going into the final quarter.
Mary Ninivaggi's three-point field goal with a minute to play tied the scored at 39 and capped an 18-9 run Knolls' fourth-period run that tied the game at 39 and forced the exttra period.
Jarvis scored first in the overtime session, but Pope John responded with a three-point field goal for a 42-41 lead.
The Lady Eagles then scored the final five points of the game as Jarvis scored again and Ninivaggi hit three of four pressure-packed free throws to seal the victory.
"This was a great win by a great group," Morris Knolls head coach Sandy Feld said after the game. "This team displayed a great heart and a great desire to win.
"They never quit ... even when they were down by 13 at the half."
Jarvis, held to two points in the first half, fueled the second-half comeback by scoring 12 of her team-high 18 points over the third and fourth periods before adding four points in the overtime session. Ten of her points came on free throws where she finished 10-for-12 from the line.
Christina Vittorio finished with 12 points - all on three-point field goals - and came up with a key steal in the overtime period to help seal the win.
Kristen Randolph finished with 10 points, including a 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line where Morris Knolls outscored Pope John, 19-1.
Ninivaggi rounded out the scoring with six points - the trey that tied the game and the three free throws that sealed it.
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Free throws help Knolls turn back Whippany Park
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team outscored Whippany Park, 18-2, from the free throw line but still had to fight off a second-half rally before registering a 44-38 victory over the Lady Wildcats in a game played at Morris Knolls on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Christina Vittorio was 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 20 seconds of the game to seal the victory and Kelsey Wade was 9-for-12 from the line for the game to account for her nine points.
The Lady Eagles (5-2) took a 10-5 first period lead that they expanded to 23-16 at the half before Whippany Park (7-2) - which stayed in the game by knocking down six three-point field goals to the Lady Eagles' two - started its second-half comeback.
Whippany Park closed to within two points at 32-30 after outscoring Knolls, 14-9, in the third period.
But Knolls hit its free throws with Vittorio icing the win with her three pressure-packed free throws in the game�s final 20 seconds.
Junior Jen Jarvis led all Knolls scorers with 12 points with Wade right behind her with her nine. Kristen Randolph had six points; Keri Bongo and Vittorio finished with five points, with all of Bongo's points in the first half when Knolls jumped out to its early lead; Heather Rivardo had four points; and Mary Ninivaggi finished with three points to complete the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
Vittorio finished with a team-high eight rebounds while Wade had seven and Jarvis six to give the Lady Eagles a solid presence on the boards. Randolph finished with four rebounds and Tori Clarke had three.
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Jefferson strong start sinks Lady Eagles, 55-35
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team couldn't overcome a strong start by Jefferson as the Lady Eagles lost a 55-35 decision to the visitors in a game played at Morris Knolls on Friday, Jan. 8.
Jefferson (5-1) led 16-7 after the first period as game high-scorer Cassie Flaherty scored eight of her 21 points to spark the surge. The Lady Falcons upped their lead to 27-14 at the half and then outscored the Lady Eagles 19-11 in the third period to put the game out of reach.
Junior Jen Jarvis led Morris Knolls (4-2) in scoring with 12 points while Christina Vittorio added seven points - six coming on a pair of three-point field goals.
Kelsey Wade finished with six points; Keri Bongo hit a three-point field goal to finish with three points; Allison Kolacy, Mary Ninivaggi and Kristen Randolph each scored two points; and Gianna Vitolo had a free throw to complete the scoring for Morris Knolls.
At halftime, the eighth-grade girls rec team from Denville and Rockaway Townsip played a mini-game for the enthusiastic crowd.
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Lady Eagles' rally in 4th period beats Vernon
DENVILLE - Morris Knolls, trailing by three points going into the final period, closed out the game with a 15-7 run to defeat Vernon, 45-40, in a girls high school basketball game played at Morris Knolls on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Jen Jarvis scored seven of her game-high 21 points in the final period to spark the rally for Morris Knolls (4-1). Christina Vittorio hit a big three-point field goal - her only points of the game - and Mary Ninivaggi scored three pressure free throws near the end of the game to help seal the victory.
Vernon (5-2) took a 14-10 lead after the first period, but the Lady Eagles came back to tie the score at 20 at the halftime break. Vernon held a 13-10 advantage in the third-period scoring to establish the three-point lead that it took into the final eight minutes of play when Knolls started its comeback.
Kelsey Wade scored nine points and pulled down six rebounds for the Lady Eagles. Ninivaggi finished with five points; Kristen Randolph and Vittorio each had three points; and Allison Kolacy and Heather Rivardo each had a field goal to complete the scoring for Knolls.
Jarvis, a junior who had two three-point field goals, finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to record her first varsity double-double ... Ninivaggi led the team in assists with six ... Vittorio had four steals ... Randolph blocked two shots.
The Lady Eagles basketball program will hold its annual Rec Night on Friday, Jan. 8, when the Jefferson Lady Falcons visit for a 7 p.m. game. At halftime, a mini-game between the Rockaway Township and Denville eighth-grade girls travel teams will be held in the Knolls gym.
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Lady Eagles fall in final of Lady Dodger Holiday Tournament
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team was held to 14 points for 32 minutes - including only four points in the second half - as the Lady Eagles lost their first game of the season, a 29-14 decision to the host Madison club in the championship game of the Lady Dodger Holiday Basketball Tournament at Madison on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Knolls, which averaged 45.7 ppg in its three previous games, was hampered by an off-shooting night that was also helped along by a Madison pressing defense that fell back into a zone defense.
Madison senior Ali Foulsham outscored the entire Lady Eagles team by herself as she finished with a game-high 15 points while Nikki Caruso, voted the tournament MVP by the coaches in attendance, finished with eight points as Madison won its second straight Lady Dodger title.
Madison (3-2) outscored Knolls (3-1) 7-4 in the first period and 10-6 in the second period to take a 17-10 halftime lead. The Lady Dodgers continued to outscore the Lady Eagles in the slow-paced game as Madison held an 8-3 advantage in the third period to take a 25-13 lead into the final eight minutes of play.
The Lady Dodgers scored only three points in the final period while holding the Lady Eagles to one free throw to create Madison's final 15-point margin of victory.
Junior Jen Jarvis, who had carred a 19 ppg average into the game, was held to only five points. Kelsey Wade scored four points for Knolls; Kristen Randolph added three points; and Gianna Vitolo and Christina Vittorio each hit a free throw to round out the Lady Eagles' scoring totals.
In the consolation game played before the title game, Boonton defeated Hopatcong, 57-40, to nail down third place in the tournament.
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Knolls go wire-to-wire to beat Boonton in tourney opener
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls High School girls basketball team led from start to finish as the Lady Eagles opened the Lady Dodger Basketball Tournament with a 45-25 victory over Boonton on Monday, Dec. 28, in Madison.
The victory puts the unbeaten (3-0) Lady Eagles into the tournament's championship game against the host Madison club in a game that is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Madison (2-2) beat Hopatcong, 43-31, in the game played following the Knolls-Boonton game.
Morris Knolls junior Jen Jarvis was the game's high scorer with 20 points.
Jarvis scored eight of her 13 first-half points in the second period when Knolls extended an 8-3 first-quarter lead to lead Boonton, 21-10, at the half.
Jarvis, who was 10-for-11 from the free throw line, scored five more points in the third period when Knolls put the game out of reach, outscoring Boonton 12-5 to give the Lady Eagles an 18-point advantage going into the final period of play.
Sophomore Kristen Randolph scored eight points for the Lady Eagles while junior Mary Ninivaggi added five; sophomore Tori Clarke scored four; junior Christina Vittorio scored three points by hitting the Lady Eagles only three-point field goal for the game; senior Heather Rivardo and sophomore Gianna Vitolo each had two points; and sophomore Allison Kolacy's free throw completed the scoring for Knolls.
NOTES: Jarvis, who is averaging 19.0 points a game after her first three games, has been the Lady Eagles' high scorer each game this season ... Both of Madison's losses have been by one point ... Boonton and Hoptacong meet at noon in the consolation game, a game that features a pair of 0-3 teams ...
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Knolls goes wire-to-wire to beat Bloomfield
DENVILLE - The Morris Knolls girls basketball team jumped out to an early lead and maintained an advantage the rest of the way as the Lady Eagles defeated Bloomfield, 51-34, in a high school game played at Bloomfield on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Junior Jen Jarvis led the way with 20 points - seven in the second quarter when the Lady Eagles outscored Bloomfield 16-4 to take a 25-10 lead at the half.
Kelsey Wade was also in double figures as she finished the game with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds
Allison Kolacy had seven points for the Lady Eagles; Kristin Randolph had six; Heather Rivardo finished with four; and Christina Vittorio and Tori Clarke had two to round out the scoring for Knolls.
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Jarvis goes 15-for-17 from the line as MK wins opener
DENVILLE - Junior Jen Jarvis made all that time practicing free throws pay off as she scored 15 of her game-high 17 points from the line as Morris Knolls defeated Parsippany Hills, 41-33, in a girls high school basketball game at Parsippany on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
Jarvis, who picked up most of her fouls while driving to the basket, finished the game with free throw stat line of 15-for-17.
Junior Christina Vittorio added 10 points - a total that included two three-point field goals - as the Lady Eagles opened their 2009-2010 season on a successful note.
Parsippany Hills (0-2) took a 14-13 lead after one quarter of play, but Knolls went on a 9-3 run in the second quarter to take a 22-17 halftime lead.
After each team scored nine points in the third period, the Lady Eagles outscored their hosts 10-7 in the final quarter to establish their eight-point margin of victory.
"It was obvious we had some opening-night jitter out there," said Knolls coach Sandy Feld after the game. "But it was still a very good opener for us.
"There are a lot of interchangeable parts to this team ... we could have a different high scorer each game out. We were able to get in all 10 players against Parsippany Hills."
Junior Kelsey Wade scored six points for Knolls; sophomore Kristen Randolph added four; and junior Keri Bongo and sophomore Allison Kolacy each finished with a field goal to round out the scoring for the Lady Eagles.
Getting minutes but not scoring were Tori Clarke, Mary Ninivaggi, Heather Rivardo and Gianna Vitolo.
