Lady Cougars topped by Freeport

Freeport pulled out to an early eight-point lead, but every time the Red Devils tried to widen the gap, Kennedy fought its way right back in. Despite leaving the court at halftime with a one-point lead, the Lady Cougars fell 59-46 at Freeport in the first round of Nassau Class AA girls’ basketball playoffs Feb. 17.

With senior captain Allie Keller out with an injury, seniors Carly Thea and Morgan Kitton stepped up to lead the Lady Cougars with 16 and eight points, respectively. Though the Red Devils took an early lead, Kennedy’s defense was able to force Freeport to the outside. Freeport had luck from the three early in the first quarter, but a tighter zone by Kennedy’s defense put an end to their three-point game. The Cougars were able to hold off Freeport and close at the first half with a 28-27 lead. 

“I think Bellmore did a great job of zoning us,” Freeport coach Meredith Jones said. ‘”We’re usually a team that penetrates well and for some reason the girls weren’t looking to penetrate, that’s not really our game.”

Struggling to play its game on offense, Freeport came out strong defensively in the second half with a full court press. Led by Monique Jones, the Red Devils went on an eight-point run to take back the lead; Jones led all scorers with 27-points. 

“[Kennedy] took us out of our normal offense it was really our defense that helped keep us in it and then finally put the game away at the end,” Coach Jones noted.

Kennedy looked frustrated but a three-pointer from Victoria Ferry kicked off a turnaround for the visitors. “I think our team performed well, I think we did a great job, we were fighting, we were right in it at the end,” Lady Cougars coach Debra Cipolla-Minafo said. 

Kitton’s presence on the court was missed for a large part of the second half, having gotten into foul trouble; a problem Cipolla-Minafo knew was a factor in the outcome. “We got Morgan in a little foul trouble,” she said. “Obviously she plays a big role on the team and it hurt us.”

Freeport capitalized off her absence and went on a seven-point run in the fourth quarter to widen the lead once and for all. Thea and Ferry fought back for Kennedy, grabbing steals on defense and as many boards as possible, but the gap was too big. 

“It’s always a team effort and every player steps it up the way they always do,” Thea said of her team’s relentlessness. “I know that no matter what happens I play my toughest when either a player is down or we’re down.”

Kennedy finished the regular season third in Conference AA-III.