Lady Rocks seek first win

One of the constants in Nassau County high school athletics has been the success of the East Rockaway girls’ basketball program. With 10 county titles, seven Long Island championships, and three trips to the New York State Final Four in the program’s history, the Lady Rocks have been looked upon as one of the more revered teams in the area.

In the past, midway through the season East Rockaway would be looking ahead to a deep playoff run. In 2010-2011, however, the Lady Rocks are still seeking their first victory. After a 58-48 loss at the hands of Locust Valley, East Rockaway is 0-4 in Conference B-C, 0-7 overall. Junior forward Ally Lark scored 12 points to lead the Lady Rocks in the loss.

Coach Karin Leary knows the importance of staying patient with an inexperienced team. “We’re building and learning,” Leary said. “It’s going to take time, but I have seen improvement since November. We only have four girls with varsity experience, so playing at this level is something entirely new to most of the team. We need to get over the hump and get that first win.”

Despite one-sided losses to Oceanside, Lynbrook, and Valley Stream South in non-league play, the Lady Rocks have been right there in three of four conference games. In the conference opener against Friends Academy, sophomore Anais Marmol, a fundamentally sound forward who has shown potential, scored a career-high 10 points to lead East Rockaway. 

The Lady Rocks were overmatched in a loss to Carle Place, but came out strong against Malverne on Jan. 4. With both teams looking for their first victory, the Mules and Lady Rocks hooked up in a good one. Junior guard Shannon Pujol scored 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to get the orange and black in the win column. Malverne got a career-high 21 points from Amanda Masson and emerged with a 37-34 overtime victory. Junior Mary Kate Vulpis was solid on the defensive end for East Rockaway.

Next up for the Lady Rocks was Locust Valley. The Lady Falcons were also winless in league play. The Falcons ran out to a 17-2 lead in the opening quarter and looked like they’d run away with it, but East Rockaway made a terrific comeback. 

With Lark and sophomore Gianna Cillufo doing a solid job on the boards, the Lady Rocks cut the Locust Valley lead to 39-37 as the teams took the court for the final eight minutes. Locust Valley’s Brooke Spallino (21 points) put the game away for the Lady Falcons with a solid fourth quarter. 

Leary likes the approach her girls are taking. “They’re positive and optimistic despite the losses,” Leary said. “I’d like to get some wins, but it’s equally important that they stay motivated. We need to play a complete 32 minutes, and figure out how to go after a win a little more aggressively.”

East Rockaway welcomes Cold Spring Harbor on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.