Sewanhaka ups record to 16-2

Since falling in last year’s Nassau Class A semifinals, the Sewanhaka girls’ basketball team has had its sights set on a return trip to the Final Four with hopes of taking things a step further. The Lady Indians have been the epitome of consistency this season and appear to be playing their best at just the right time.

After a hard-fought 63-51 victory over a stubborn Roslyn five, last Friday night, the team improved to 16-2 overall, 11-0 in Nassau Conference A-II. Junior Carly Bolivar scored 26 points, and added five assists and seven steals to lead Sewanhaka. Senior Kate Weinschreider scored nine points and dished out four assists, and sophomore Mia Weinschreider also scored nine points while grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds.

The starting five accounted for 58 of the team’s points, however head coach Alex Soupios thought depth was the key to victory. “It doesn’t always show up in the box score, but our bench has been great for us,” Soupios said. “The contributions from the girls off the bench over the past five of six games have been a constant. Overall, we’re getting stronger and we’re starting to peak.”

With the Lady Indians struggling to pull away from Roslyn in the second half, junior Jessica Williams hit a huge three, her only bucket of the game, to give the team some breathing room. Williams, Paola Aquino, Samirah Akinwunmi, and Nia Lariosa all gave Soupios solid minutes off the bench. Junior captain Flo Hunte had 10 points and three assists.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Indians clinched their first conference title since 2012 when they came from behind to beat Plainedge. Hunte scored 13 points, dished out four assists, and knocked down four free throws down the stretch to lead the way. Bolivar, who leads the team with an average of 18.7 per game, scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

“Carly is always the catalyst,” Soupios said. “She’s as consistent as it gets. She has a motor that just never stops on either end of the court, and she’s got a knack for reading what the opponents are looking to do.”

Ashley Cattle, who had a superb performance when she scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 65-52 win at Glen Cove, has been outstanding on the defensive end. She takes on the task of guarding the opponent’s top forward each game.

Before beginning what Soupios hopes will be a long playoff run, the team will look to go undefeated in league play when it takes on a Hewlett team it beat by 32 points back in January.

“I definitely feel like we’re hitting our stride at the right time,” Soupios said. “We are playing with a lot of confidence. The key in the playoffs is being prepared for the challenge that’s ahead. We need to stay focused. Every team needs a little luck come playoff time, but luck favors those who are prepared.”