Madison Girls Basketball Falls to Parsippany

The Madison High School girls basketball team traveled to Parsippany to take on the Red Hawks Thursday night, and in a fast-paced battle that saw the teams within three points of each other several times, the Dodgers fell 51-37.   

The Dodgers came out hard to take on the Red Hawks, as Sam Cicconi answered the first five Parsippany points with a steal and a driving layup. She established a quick pace that both sides were forced to maintain in the first quarter. She added a second steal and a layup, to round out the first eight minutes with four points. Tory Ellis put up five points including a deep 3-pointer to put the Dodgers ahead by one.

Parsippany started the second quarter by putting up points as well, continuing their first quarter's sharp shooting. Ali Foulsham got the Dodgers moving when she hit a jumper from the left side to keep the competition close. Rachel Misko put a shot back for two, and Ciconi took another steal to the hoop to put the Dodgers within four. After a Red Hawk run, the girls hit the locker room at halftime, trailing 26-16.

Whatever Madison head coach Stephen Finkelstein said to the girls at half must have resonated with them, because the Dodgers returned to action in the second half playing faster, harder and smarter.

Nikki Caruso registered a huge block after chasing down a would-be Red Hawk scorer, and from then on her intensity level was high as she shot and passed confidently. Caruso hit a turnaround jumper from the baseline and took a steal to the hoop for two.

The Dodgers rallied around Caruso and Cicconi, and Madison's third quarter run came to a climax when Ali Foulsham hit a deep 3-pointer to tie the game at 28.  Parsippany scored again at the end of the quarter, and the Dodgers headed trailed 32-28 going into the final eight minutes.

Madison kept fighting into the fourth quarter. Caruso hit another jumper, Ali Foulsham added a three, and Mackenzie Ellis was tough in the paint to get a put- back to make it a two-point game, at 37-35 Red Hawks.

Parsippany was not to be outdone, though, and they went on a scoring run that lasted into the final two minutes.

Evan Foulsham went 2 of 2 from the free throw line after she was fouled to stop the Red Hawk run, but the damage had been done. At the end of the fourth, the scoreboard read 51-37 in favor of Parsippany.

While the Madison girls put up a great effort, one couldn't help but wonder what kind of contribution Chelsea Davies could have made. A regular starter, Davies was sidelined with a broken nose in a game against Morris Knolls and she hasn't returned since.

"Everyone has stepped up to fill her position," Mackenzie Ellis said.

"It was big losing another guard," Finkelstein said.  "When we don't have her in, it puts pressure on everyone else.  She's so fast."

In Davies' absence, the Dodgers have been putting up points, and Ellis has been a major factor in Madison's games.

"She works hard," Coach Finkelstein said of Ellis.  "She has come along more than others.  She handled the ball well, and we had a post presence today.  I couldn't be more proud of a player."

As for the team's performance, both Ellis and her coach noted the areas in which the team needs to improve.

"We need to start cutting to the ball and get more shots," Ellis said.

"Consistency," Finkelstein said.  "Basics. Catch, turn, face basket. We fought within two–we just need consistency."