Defense sparks South Side comeback

South Side used a stifling defense in the second half last Saturday to come from behind to beat visiting Roslyn, 40-33, and in the process took a huge step toward qualifying for the Nassau Class A girls’ basketball playoffs.

The Lady Cyclones, who evened their Conference A-I record at 3-3 and improved to 7-6 overall, pitched a shutout in the fourth quarter and allowed only five points in the second half after falling behind by as many as 11 in the first half. Senior Caitlin Wallace had 10 points and 15 rebounds, and senior Maggie McGowan and sophomore Jessica Hawley chipped in nine points apiece to lead the way.

“It’s a huge win as far as playoffs go, and it’s big for our confidence,” South Side coach Katelyn Dunn said. “It didn’t look good early, down 20-9 and with two starters in foul trouble, but we changed defenses a lot in the second half and moved the ball better against their zone.”

Nina Hadzibabic’s game-high 20 points paced the Lady Bulldogs, who now trail the Lady Cyclones by two games and must finish ahead of them outright to gain the conference’s final playoff spot. “She does a lot for them,” Dunn said of Hadzibabic. “She handles the ball and brings it up the floor, and she also plays down low. We did a tremendous job against her in the second half.”

The double-double was the second for Wallace this season. The first also came against Roslyn when her 17 points and 10 rebounds highlighted a 51-34 victory Jan. 6. “Caitlin got after the ball and found it,” Dunn said. “Fifteen rebounds is a lot for anyone, and six were offensive, and it’s something we needed because we haven’t been doing a great job on the boards.”

Roslyn led 11-9 after the first quarter and scored the first nine points of the second, but back-to-back three-pointers by junior Charnae Jenkins and McGowan ignited a spark for South Side and the margin was down to four — 28-24 — by halftime. “The biggest adjustment we had to make offensively was to move the ball quicker against their zone,” Dunn said. “We had a great last three quarters. The third quarter is usually our best.”