East Meadow adds to playoff streak

Don’t call it losing out to a pair of old nemeses; call it finishing in the money.
And clinching a hard-earned playoff spot for the eighth consecutive season.
As breakout senior Lindsay Solenski gets more and more used to seeing her name comingled with the league’s elite, and forward Isabella Pota bounces back from a season-preempting ankle sprain in time for some postseason tune-ups, the East Meadow girls’ basketball team – at 6-3 in Nassau Conference AA2 (9-5 overall) – trails league co-leaders Baldwin and Plainview JFK by three games with as many left on its regular-season schedule.
Still walking tall after a season full of trials – playoff passport now in hand after walloping Westbury, 78-51, Jan. 26 – the Jets, said head coach Pete Olenik, are not at this point too concerned with making up any ground.
“We’re in third place and that’s where we’re going to stay,” said Olenik, whose club has gone 3-1 since losing at Baldwin (6-0 overall and AA2) Jan. 11. “We can’t move up, and we’re not moving down, so we’re finishing third. That’s it.”

It was eagerly broached to the veteran coach that final league standings were not yet faits accompli; hypotheticals involving both the Bruins and Hawks collapsing to end the regular season permit the possibility of a Jets finish higher than third.
“Yeah,” said Olenik, pondering a moment. “That’s not going to happen.”
Perhaps not. But then again . . .
In addition to league No. 3 scorer Solenski’s bankable 17.5 points per game, East Meadow has lately enjoyed increased production from guard Brooke Vislocky (10.1 ppg), whose 22 points in the Westbury win marked a season high for the sophomore, while fellow first-year starter Charlotte Viola (sophomore), second on the Jets with 12.6 ppg, has begun to draw increased attention – and expensive resources – from opposing defenses. It was Westbury’s employment of a box-and-one on Viola that created the conditions for Vislocky’s big night, which also saw Solenski capitalize scoring a season-high 28.
“What’s nice is that we have four options now, with Pota back,” Olenik said. “Westbury totally shut down Charlotte, but now we have three girls to score in her place. In that game it was Lindsay and Brooke that stepped up. Lindsay has been an absolute treasure this year. Brooke gets better and better each game.”
Pota, who returned from her preseason injury to lead the Jets with 10 points in the Baldwin loss, continues to inch her way back into form, averaging 7.5 points through five games, two of which saw her utilized only sparingly off the bench. “We brought Isabella back partially at first,” Olenik said. “It’s been difficult getting her stamina back, but she’s getting better each passing game.”
Added Olenik: “With four scoring options we’re in good shape for the playoffs. I’d be happy to avoid Baldwin in the first round. But the girls are confident. They’re playing well. For now, all we’re looking to do is take two of our next three. Then we’ll see what happens.”