Long Beach remains upbeat

It has been a challenging start for the Long Beach girls’ basketball team, with the Lady Marines winning one of their first four conference games coming into play last Saturday. But head coach Kristin Ciccone does not seem discouraged, and says she has seen plenty of improvement in the club’s play in recent weeks.

“From the beginning of the season to now, it’s two completely different teams,” Ciccone said. “Our confidence is growing. We’ve had a lot of people stepping up that weren’t expected to.”

While Long Beach seems to be showing signs of progress, wins continue to be difficult to come by. The Lady Marines hosted Herricks last Saturday afternoon, and fell by the final of 45-36. A slow offensive start put Ciccone’s team in an early hole, something that she says been a reoccurring problem for the squad this winter.

“That is our M.O. for this season,” she said. “They dig themselves in a hole, and then wait another quarter to start playing better, and it’s just too late.”

Long Beach registered just four points in the opening quarter, and only 10 points in the first half. The Lady Marines were able to enter halftime trailing by just seven points, thanks to a strong defensive effort over the first 16 minutes. 

In the third quarter, Long Beach began to come alive offensively, led by junior Siobhan Rafferty. She scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, helping keep the hosts within striking distance of the Lady Highlanders. 

The strong inside play of Kaitlin Rivera also was key for Long Beach, as the senior frequently forced her way to the hoop for easy baskets and foul shot opportunities. “Kaitlin is a bull. She will knock anybody down, and is fearless inside,” Ciccone said. “She scored a lot of points, and she’s pivotal out there. If we didn’t have her, I don’t think we’d be as aggressive.” 

With 7:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, Rafferty converted a layup that cut Herricks’ lead to just 26-21. But, it would be as close as the Lady Marines would come to tying the contest, as the Lady Highlanders responded with a 10-2 run, to put them back in full control.

Alannah O’Shea provided a double-double for Herricks, scoring 14 points and pulling in 12 rebounds. Chase McGahan (9 points, 9 rebounds) and Valentina Morakis (8 points, 10 rebounds) also flirted with double-doubles. Senior Bridget Rafferty and sophomore Samantha Inselberg combined to give Long Beach seven points off the bench in the contest, five of which came in the second half.

Despite the disappointing result, Ciccone still believes her team is heading in the right direction, and saw many encouraging signs. 

“This is the closest game that we’ve lost by,” Ciccone said. “I think if they commit to the offense, and commit to what me and my assistant coach tell them to do, then they’ll be successful.”