Lynbrook pushes champs to limit

Defending Nassau Class A girls’ basketball champion North Shore may have wrapped up the Conference A-IV title and No. 1 playoff seed with a 52-43 victory over Lynbrook on Feb. 4, but the slim margin between two teams sent shockwaves throughout the county.

North Shore, which beat Lynbrook by 42 points in the first meeting and won each of its previous eight conference games by at least 27, inched away after seeing its 16-point first-half cushion trimmed to six with 2:30 remaining in regulation. Both teams had three players score in double figures, with the Lady Vikings’ Samantha Capobianco leading the way with 15. Alexandra Cantwell added 14 and Gabrielle Zaffiro had 12.

“Before the game we talked about effort, energy and execution, and every girl that stepped on the floor gave us all three things,” Lady Owls head coach Steve LoCicero said. “The first time we played, we didn’t settle down until the second half. This time, we got going at the start of the second quarter.

“When we got it down to six, I thought there was a chance we could pull it off,” he added. “We did everything we could and I think there’s a buzz about us now. North Shore is such a tremendous team. They stuck a big three to get it back to nine and held us off.”

Lynbrook (12-4 overall, 8-2 in A-IV) got 13 points from sophomore Kerrin Montgomery, and 12 apiece from senior Ciara Gordon and freshman Sophia LoCicero. The visitors trailed 17-9 after the opening quarter but played North Shore even—35-35—the rest of the way.

“Our defense kept us in it,” the coach said. “We play four different defenses and used them all. We didn’t want them to get comfortable in anything they were doing. Our girls did a great job executing and we held them to a season-low point total.”

North Shore entered the contest averaging 68 points per game and was on pace after the first quarter but managed only 21 in the second half. “Down 31-15 late in the first half, that’s where the game took direction,” LoCicero said. “We didn’t allow it to go the way of the first game.”

Originally scheduled for Jan. 30 but postponed due to weather, the makeup gave the Lady Owls three games in four days last week. They sandwiched wins over Valley Stream South and Roosevelt around the confidence-building defeat at North Shore.

“You want to be playing your best basketball at the end of the season, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” the coach said. “We’re a difficult team to cover, and I think we’ll be a tough opponent in the playoffs.”

Montgomery’s 19 points and 19 rebounds, and LoCicero’s career-high 14 points led last Friday’s 63-35 win at Roosevelt. Gordon and junior Amanda DiGiorgio had eight points apiece, sophomore Erin Bond chipped in seven, and junior point guard Kacie Curran had six assists and led the defensive effort.

Lynbrook visits Glen Cove in the opening round of the Class A playoffs this Saturday at 12 p.m.