Sweet victory for Clarke

Say goodbye to the Lady Rams’ 36-game losing skid that spanned all the way back to the 2009-10 season.

Senior guards Alyssa Colletti (13 points) and Danielle Ferrara did their part to get Clarke’s girls basketball team off the schneid, as they combined for 21 points in a 32-29 victory last Friday over visiting Conference A-IV rival Roosevelt.

According to Lady Rams first-year coach Jessica Dlabola, tasting victory for the first time in over 750 days was only possible because of the efforts of Colletti, Ferrara, and the other veterans on the roster. “The seniors have been busting their tails and working really hard,” Dlabola said. “We had a few great practices after the Winter break, and they’ve been so focused. They really wanted this.”

Clarke (1-8 overall) led by as many as 10 points midway through the first quarter, but Roosevelt inched its way back, closing the distance to 18-12 by halftime. Colletti was the shining star of the first half, as she scored eight points in the first 16 minutes. Roosevelt countered by double-teaming Colletti through much of the second quarter, but that didn’t stop her from sinking a majestic shot from beyond the arc to put the Lady Rams up by nine with 2:31 to go in the second quarter.

But Roosevelt’s Frances Gonzalez got hot when action resumed after halftime, as she scored seven of her team-high 12 points in the second half to help erase the early deficit and close the gap to 28-21. When the Lady Rams got into some late foul trouble, Gonzalez responded by tallying two late free throws to pull her team to within six with 1:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

The Lady Rams have seen early leads evaporate in the past, and it was beginning to look like another heartbreaking finish was on the horizon, but Colletti preserved Clarke’s advantage by slowing the pace of the offense in the final minute of regulation with precious time ticking off the clock. “She kept her composure and took care of the ball,” Dlabola said of Colletti’s clock management. “She showed plenty of leadership out on the floor. She stepped up when we needed it. I told the girls that as long as we play Clarke basketball with intensity and heart, things were going to start to work out for us.”

With Clarke up 32-29 and 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Roosevelt’s Tiara Ware (nine points) misfired on a three-pointer that would have tied the contest, and the Lady Rams gained possession to essentially seal the win.

Clarke is back in action this Saturday at Noon when it travels to Valley Stream North.