Something positive for Lady Sailors

Friday the 13th brought some good fortune for Oceanside’s girls’ basketball team, which had 11 players score in a much-needed 47-31 victory over visiting Hempstead in a Conference AA-I game.

Junior forward Woodlyn Daniel (12 points) paced the offense for the Lady Sailors for a ninth straight game, senior Deanna Viola added nine points, and senior Ashley Artus and junior Ashley Engelhard chipped in six points apiece. Eyavonne Drayton had a game-high 17 points for Hempstead, which trailed 13-4 after the first quarter and never mounted a serious threat.

“We’re looking for this to be a momentum-building game,” Oceanside coach Jason Manning said. “We needed that winning feeling back.

“We came out strong and a lot of kids got some well-deserved playing time and contributed,” he added.

Daniel was the catalyst once again. While constantly drawing help defense and being the focus of opposing coaches, she’s averaging 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. “Woodlyn’s our MVP,” Manning said. “She’s kept us in so many games. She’s found different ways to score and she’s been a consistent rebounder.”

Facing a schedule stacked with talented teams like Massapequa, Uniondale, Freeport and Farmingdale has been taxing on the Lady Sailors, who entered this week’s action with a record of 1-4 in Nassau Conference AA-I and 2-7 overall.

“The kind of defensive pressure we’re seeing every game is tough,” Manning explained. “To be successful in Conference I, you need strong guard play and we’re as young in the backcourt as anyone.”

Guards Megan and Claire McNamara, freshman twins, Jeannie Callahan, a sophomore, and Eric Kelly, a freshman, are being asked to do a lot and are coming along nicely, Manning said. “There’s growing pains associated with adjusting to the speed of varsity basketball,” Manning said. “To go from middle school to varsity is a big jump.”

Oceanside showed its potential in a 55-46 home loss to Freeport on Jan. 6. The Lady Red Devils score the first 12 points of the game, led by as many as 15 and never trailed, but the margin was cut to as little as six. “Our girls kept plugging away,” Manning said. “We just couldn’t get it to the point where it was a one-possession game.” Daniel scored 21, but Freeport’s Monique Jones was equal to the task with 20.

After a lackluster performance at Farmingdale that resulted in the worst loss of the season Jan. 10, Manning said the Lady Sailors responded with two quality practices leading up to the Hempstead game. Now he’s looking for more of the same in preparation for Syosset.

“We have to treat the Syosset game almost as if it’s the playoffs,” he said. “We’re similar teams, and we split last season with each of us winning on the road.

“It’s good to see the girls smiling again after a game,” Manning added. “It would be good if we can string a couple of wins together.”