Oceanside notches playoff victory

It had been nearly a decade since the Oceanside girls’ basketball team made an appearance in a playoff game. Last Friday, the sixth-seeded Lady Sailors finally made their return to the postseason, and did not let the opportunity slip away, as they took care of No. 11 Herricks, 50-35, in front of a packed home gymnasium in a Nassau Class AA first-round matchup.

“It’s amazing,” said senior captain Emily Ott after the victory. “We worked really hard for this all season.”

Ott and fellow senior Claire McNamara led the way for Oceanside, as both players put up big numbers in the final home games of their high school careers. Ott finished with a double-double, registering 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, while McNamara scored a team-high 17 points.

“This game was especially great, because this is a very special group of seniors, and they really deserved it,” Oceanside head coach Jason Manning said. “Claire and Emily just played huge tonight. They knew it was their last night on this court, and it was a special night for them.”

Early on the story was Oceanside’s defense. The Lady Highlanders were held to just six points in each of the first two quarters, and just four field goals in the first half.

“Defensively we did exactly what we wanted to do,” Manning said. “We pressured the ball. That was the key to the game.”

The Lady Sailors were able to build a double-digit lead in the first half, partly in thanks to the performance of Ott. Her rebounding and ability to score down low proved to be crucial. “Emily Ott was just huge on the boards,” Manning said. “I don’t know how many put-back layups she had, but it was huge to just keep us in the game.”

Ott added: “Just focus around the rim. That’s all it is.”

The Lady Sailors went into halftime with a 25-12 advantage, and in the third and fourth quarters managed to stretch their lead. Ott continued to be a major presence in the paint, and McNamara came alive offensively to help ensure that there would be no comeback for Herricks.

“When the game gets tight Claire wants the ball and just takes over,” Manning said.

Senior Megan McNamara also added nine points, while juniors Risa Zucker and Cassie Cesario provided four points apiece for the Lady Sailors. Erin Rivera scored a game-high 18 points in a losing effort for the Lady Highlanders.

Oceanside will not have to deal with another long wait before its next postseason game, as the Lady Sailors were set to play a quarterfinal round matchup against Elmont, the No. 3 seed, on Wednesday after presstime.

“We’re excited. We had a scrimmage here with Elmont. We think it’s a team we can matchup well with,” Manning said. “It’s gonna be difficult, especially winning on the road. But, that’s our goal. We’re one victory away from going to a neutral site, and that’s what we want.”