This isn’t just about winning a third straight Conference 1 title. For the Lynbrook girls’ basketball team, it’s about winning it all.
And why not? The Owls marched to the Nassau County semifinals last season without their star point guard Brooke Mazzei, who had injured her ankle and missed the final months.
Now Mazzei’s back and Lynbrook’s freight train is on track for greatness, storming to a 10-2 record including 5-0 in conference.
”We’re coming with the same fuel and it’s doubled from last year,’’ said Mazzei, averaging 12.5 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. “We want to win the county championship. It’s been our goal for a while. Unfortunately for me, I was hurt and unable to play. Now that everyone’s together again and we returned so many seniors, almost the whole team, we’re ten times more motivated to win it.’’
Head coach Koren Pena’s defense has been stalwart. The Owls’ four senior starters are thriving in their own way – Mazzei, small forward Sophia Dwyer, center Cate Jennings and guard Kaitlyn Benedict.
“The kids came out really focused,’’ Pena said. “They understood what the mission was this year. They’ve been ready for this since Day 1. They come to practice driven.’’
The most noteworthy victory came Dec. 17 - a 58-37 crushing of Wantagh, which had knocked out the Owls in the Class A semifinals.
In the 2023-24 regular season, Lynbrook had beaten Wantagh twice, but all three of last season’s meetings came minus Mazzei. Wantagh still stands as Lynbrook’s biggest conference threat.
“To beat them this year by 21 points was huge,’’ Pena said. “We played them three times without Brooke. She proved to be something different they hadn’t seen. Having her back adds a sense of energy to the team. She’s so dynamic, a great team leader and senior presence.’’
Holding Wantagh to just 37 points was indicative of Lynbrook’s hounding defense that creates a galore of turnovers.
“Our defensive effort has been tremendous,’ Pena said. “They understand defense is where everything begins. Through defense, our offense follows.’’
Mazzei, who missed a chunk of the regular season and all of the playoffs, has been at the center of the defensive thrust.
“It’s really exiting to be on the court again playing with my teammates,’ Mazzei said. “They did amazing last year. I really missed playing but I cheered them on, coached them. We’re all together again, everyone’s healthy and we’re doing amazing.’’
At small forward, Dwyer also is weaving a brilliant season (13 ppg, team-leading 4 steals, 8 rebounds). “She’s a slasher with a beautiful outside shot but really can get to the basket with ease and rebounds really well,’’ Pena said.
Jennings averages a double-double (11.5 ppg, 10 rebounds) and Benedict is the team’s best 3-point shooter. The fifth starter is Jessie Vuotto, only a sophomore.
Lynbrook’s only two losses were rugged non-leaguer bouts vs. St. Dominic’s (Oyster Bay) and Garden City. “It’s great having a senior-heavy team,’’ Mazzei said. “I can rely on them. There’s no stress whatsoever.’’