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Senior guard Elizabeth Miller is a big reason why Valley Stream North stormed out of the gate with five victories in its first six games.
Janette Pellegrini/Herald
Coming off a season that saw it capture its first girls’ basketball conference championship in school history, Valley Stream North has picked up where it left off with five wins in its first six games including a 3-0 start in Conference ABC-IV.
In their last action before the holiday break, the Lady Spartans knocked off Hewlett, 61-36, behind 21 points from senior guard Elizabeth Miller and 17 points from senior center Jacqueline Canny. Junior Sam Rodriguez paced the Lady Bulldogs with eight points.
“I think winning the conference really helped us gain our confidence coming into this season,” North coach Kathy Gray said. “Now it’s an expectation that we’re going to execute, play defense and do our job offensively. I’m very proud of what they’re doing.”
North outscored Hewlett in each of the last three quarters after the hosts jumped out to a 9-8 lead after eight minutes. Miller scored 10 points to lead a 23-9 second-quarter run and added seven points in the third when the Lady Spartans extended their 13-point halftime lead to 22. Sophomore Madeline Nelson chipped in seven points and junior Michelle Nevarez added six. The Lady Bulldogs, who had 10 players score, got five points from senior Makisa Francis.
“I’ve sensed a carryover from last season,” Gray said. “We’re still young with only two seniors but we brought back a lot. Our six new players are developing and some of them are stepping up.”
One of the newcomers, freshman guard Lauren Collura, came through in the clutch in the team’s 41-40 victory at Jericho in the conference opener on Dec. 15. With North trailing by two and time winding down, Collura drained a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation to win it. She finished with 13 points and another freshman guard, Dana Morgante, added seven. “It’s nice to see everyone contributing,” Gray said. “They’ve been working hard.”
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