Lynbrook fighting to the finish

Lynbrook’s first game with Island Trees on Jan. 7 was a closely contested affair, but in the rematch last Friday an early hot shooting display by the Levittown squad made this contest far different. 

Island Trees’ Brianna Wilson sank five first half three-pointers to give the Lady Bulldogs an early 17-point lead, which proved too much of hole for the Lady Owls to make up in a 60-38 setback on their home floor. The loss puts Lynbrook at 3-7 in Conference A-III with four games remaining. 

 “The momentum just didn’t start out right but we fought,” said Lynbrook head coach Heather Manikas, whose team also fell to Island Trees, 50-40, on Jan. 7. “[Wilson] killed us in the first quarter.”

 Despite digging themselves an early 24-7 deficit, Lynbrook got back into the game with a nine-point run and trailed 33-23 at halftime. Island Trees thwarted the momentum however in starting the second half on a 10-point run and never looked back en route to its 22-point victory. 

Coach Manikas said she was proud of how her team battled late in the second quarter to be within striking distance at halftime.

“The intensity level stepped up and the momentum all of a sudden kind of switched a little bit in our favor,” she said.

The 2013-14 season has featured balanced scoring for Lynbrook with five different players leading the team through 13 games. Last Friday night was no different with four players close to double digits in Hannah Carlson (nine points), Ciara Gordon (nine), Amanda DiGiorgio (eight) and Meghan Montine (eight.)

“That is what is nice about this team is everybody contributes,” Manikas said. “It doesn’t matter starters, bench players, I know I can put in my bench and have those numbers.”

Providing leadership for the Lady Owls on and off the floor this season are senior co-captains Gabrielle LoCicero and Montine. 

“Meghan is our point guard and she’s more a leader on the court,” Manikas said. “Gabby is our talker, our communicator and she is one communicating on defense and even in practice she is the one motivating and pushing them on so it’s nice to have the two of them together.”

Despite Lynbrook’s hopes of grabbing one of Conference A-III’s playoff spots facing very long odds, Manikas is eying her team finishing the season on a strong note. The Lady Owls’ final three games feature two teams they have defeated this season in Valley Stream North and Valley Stream South.

Lynbrook is next in action on Friday evening at Valley Stream North before closing at home Feb. 10 against Valley Stream South with a 7 p.m. tipoff.  

“That desire knowing that it is the end and being hungry for a win is really what we’re pushing for,” said Manikas of her team’s mindset closing the season. “Every game is going to be who wants it more.”