Millburn Seventh Grade Girls Travel Basketball Team Win Championship

The Millburn Recreation Department seventh grade girls basketball team won the Suburban League Championship for the second consecutive year and completed a perfect 16-0 season by defeating Nutley 28-25 on Friday in Millburn.

The game was a rematch of last year’s championship game that Millburn won 26-24 in overtime.  This year’s game did not go into overtime but was just as close and exciting as last year, and Millburn needed a late rally to pull out the win.  

The game was close throughout with Millburn holding a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, led by Lauren O'Neill's quick 5 points, and a 15-11 lead at halftime.

After Nutley rallied to tie the score at 15-15, Millburn went on a 7-0 run to end the third quarter sparked by Liz Elder’s floor leadership and key three-point shot.  Nutley came right back and started the fourt quarter with a 10-0 run of their own to take a 25-22 lead. But in the final few minutes Millburn showed why they have won 31 of 32 league game in two years and are now two-time champions.

Jess Alexander converted two free throws to pull Millburn with one point. Then Paige Krikorian scored the go-ahead basket with just under two minutes to play and added two free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory. Millburn’s team defense was excellent down the stretch, holding Nutley scoreless over the last four minutes.

Krikorian led all scorers with eight points.  Alexander finished with six points and 10 rebounds, Elder had five points and three assists and Lauren O’Neill finished with five points.  Meg Damstrom played the role of defensive stopper and also contributed four points and six rebounds, and Kelsea Brown had eight rebounds.  Other strong performances off the bench included Ava Altenburger, Elisa Dalton, Lindsay Dinowitz, Caitlin Lally, Jacqueline Marino and Jennifer Jacobs.