Carey preps for stretch run

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Caylee DeMeo has already established herself as one of the greatest players in Carey girls’ basketball history. Now, in her final season, can she again lead the Seahawks back to the playoffs and possibly beyond?

DeMeo is poised for another All-County selection and Conference Player of the Year honor thanks to her 24-point scoring average. She was instrumental in helping Carey snap an eight-year playoff drought a year ago and the team is set up nicely for another postseason appearance next month thanks to a 7-8 record and, more importantly, a 3-2 mark in Conference A3 play with five division games remaining.

On Jan. 7, DeMeo became just the fourth female Seahawk to reach 1,000 career points when she netted her 27th of 28 points in a 67-36 win over Glen Cove. She has scored at least 20 points in 13 of her 15 starts this season, including games of 34 and 30.

“She’s just a special athlete,” Carey head coach Anthony Turco said. “We were 1-5 [in the conference] last year going into the last five games and we got on her back and she really willed us to get into the playoffs last year. The 1,000 points are important, but I think the five-game winning streak at the end of the year and knocking off Garden City the last game of the season to get into the playoffs was, I think, the pinnacle of her career.”

Carey started the season 0-3 before recovering to win four in a row in mid-December. The Seahawks eked out a 53-51 win over Great Neck South to begin the run on Dec. 8, but Turco felt the 59-49 comeback victory at Hewlett 12 days later was more significant because it came against a conference opponent. 

January has also been unkind to the team with three losses in four tries before a 66-50 non-league victory over Friends Academy on the 17th that gave the Seahawks some positive vibes entering their nine-day break before the stretch run.

Leila Paz has formed a formidable 1-2 punch with DeMeo and continues to make tremendous strides in her sophomore year. She is averaging over 14 points, including a career-high 31 in a 67-57 win over St. Dominic on Dec. 29, and has impressed Turco with her improved mid-range jumper and being the “ultimate teammate”.

“I can’t be more proud of what she’s turned into,” Turco said. 

But if the Seahawks want to be a playoff threat, they may need to find a consistent tertiary top scorer. The third-highest scoring average belongs to sophomore Mikayla De Paolo at 5.3 points and junior Valentina Falanga (4.3) and sophomore Alessandra Varuzzi (3.6) could also fill that role.

“I need 6-8 points from everybody else that contributes,” Turco said. “That’s Alessandra, that’s Mikayla, that’s Brianna [Suarez-Oubina], that’s Val. If I get 6-8 points from those four or five girls, that’s 34-36 points on top of the other two.”

The Seahawks complete their home schedule against Hewlett on Thursday and Division next Monday.