Oceanside filling scoring void

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As a first-year-starting guard last season, Oceanside's Camryn Weinberg stood out in a supporting cast around Sailors girls' basketball teammate Brianna Amenta, whose captivating run as a senior to 1,000 career points culminated last February.

Now her club's captain and sole returning starter, Weinberg – whose 22 points in a Sailors non-league win over Hewlett Jan. 3 marked a team season high – has taken a lead role, though she’s found herself sharing the spotlight with junior shooting guard Karley Handleman.

Through eight games the Sailors duo has quieted concerns of an offensive void in the wake of Amenta’s departure, posting a combined 22 points per game, evenly split.

Sailors head coach Jared Stoler – whose club features four first-year starters, three fresh from JV – sees his team’s new offense, post-Amenta, shaking out along more egalitarian lines, as Oceanside (3-5 overall, 1-1 Nassau Conference AAA-1) enters league play in earnest led by its backcourt tandem.

“I think we’re fortunate not relying on one person to score this year,” Stoler said. “With Cameron, we are relying on her to score more, and she’s stepping into that nicely, playing with more confidence. Her talent level speaks for itself. But with Karley also scoring, they’re like 1A and 1B. Whichever one has the ball can score.”

While Weinberg earned the keys after a full season of dues-paying, Handleman’s rise has been more of a revelation, springing full-blown as her team’s top scorer after averaging fewer than five points per game off Oceanside’s bench as a sophomore. Her game-high 19 points – on top of Weinberg’s 17 – sealed Oceanside’s rout of East Rockaway, 55-29, Dec. 5 in the South Side Holiday tournament.

“Karley’s been great in her first season starting,” Stoler said. “We don’t take her off the floor.”

A key to Oceanside’s aims of returning to postseason play, said Stoler – whose club missed a berth by one win last season – is the hoped-for the emergence of a true third scorer. Sophomore Ella Murray, a first-year combo guard, has made continued strides towards a breakthrough – putting up 20 points across two of Oceanside’s last three games to boost her season average to 6.6, with a team third-leading eight three-pointers.

“Ella’s one of our best athletes; she has more talent than I think she realizes,” Stoler said. “We love having her out there.”

Late addition Kendall Quinones (junior) has averaged eight points in two games at reserve forward – sweetening Oceanside’s options in the post, with junior Gianna Belone and sophomore Bella Marcicano in the starting rotation.

“Fortunately, we have a couple more post players than we have in the past,” Stoler said. “We want to try and get them involved a little more. It’s been a baptism of fire for all three of them, coming straight from JV. But they’re all very athletic and aggressive. There’s great potential there.”

Added Stoler: “We were coming into this year with a brand new varsity team, with very little experience. We’re still definitely a work in progress. But, I can confidently say we’re getting close to firing on all cylinders. Hopefully, in another couple weeks, we’ll be there.”