Lady Owls rally into semis

The game was billed as one of the most intriguing match ups of the Nassau girls’ basketball playoffs, and it lived up to the hype. There was a torrid start, a slew of turnovers, an incredible comeback, and a frantic finish. And in the end it was the play of a freshman phenom that made the difference.

Freshman Jen Fay scored a career-high 31 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to lead No. 5 Lynbrook (15-4) to a thrilling 69-68 road win over No. 4 North Shore in the quarterfinal round of the Class A playoffs on Feb. 22. Junior Brooke Gerstman added 21 points for Lynbrook.

With the victory, the Lady Owls earned a return trip to the Final Four where they lost a tough 42-35 semifinal decision to defending champion Division on Tuesday at Freeport High School.

Lynbrook head coach Heather Manikas was proud of her team's win at North Shore. “We got a chance to see what we are made of,” she said. “The girls could have quit when we fell behind, but they fought back. They showed a tremendous will to win. We just wanted it a little more.”

Early on, it looked like North Shore would win going away. The Lady Vikings hit three consecutive shots from behind the arc to open up a quick 9-0 lead. With Lynbrook struggling to handle North Shore’s defensive pressure, the Lady Vikings increased the lead to 15-2.

The county’s top scorer was frustrated by the team’s poor start. “Their pressure really took us out of our game,” Gerstman said. “We were panicking. It was just turnover after turnover. Thankfully, we were about to regain our poise and regroup. We didn’t want this to be our last game.”

The Lady Owls closed out the first quarter on a 13-5 run to get back into the game, but North Shore continued to dominate in the second quarter. The Lady Vikings held a 43-29 lead at the half.

Manikas switched from man defense to a 3-2 zone in the second half, and the move paid off. Led by Fay’s 12 third-quarter points, Lynbrook rallied to tie the score at 52 apiece as the teams took the floor for the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair. The Lady Owls finally took their first lead of the game with just under five minutes remaining. Aided by some questionable calls, the Lady Vikings were in position to win the game in the waning moments, but failed to convert a pair of free throws with :07 on the clock.

Gerstman gave all the credit to her young teammate, who set a program record for points in a game by a freshman. “Jen was a beast,” Gerstman said. “Every time we went down the court, I knew she was going to score or get fouled. I was looking to get her the ball. It’s the best she’s ever played.” 

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