Locust Valley wins first-ever LIC

The girls basketball program at Locust Valley continues to make history.
One week after winning their second straight Nassau County title and five days after breaking the county record for consecutive victories, the Falcons cruised past Greenport/Southold, 55-17, on Wednesday at Shoreham-Wading River High School, capturing their first Long Island championship.
Senior Lindsay Hogan scored a game-high 21 points and junior Payton Tini added 15 to lead Locust Valley in the L.I. Class B championship game/Southeast Regional. It was the 54th win in a row for the Falcons, who last week surpassed the previous mark of 52, set by Hempstead from 1980 to 1983, and advanced to face Red Hook or Putnam Valley on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hofstra University, with a trip to the state Final Four on the line.
“I was in eighth grade the last time we lost, and it’s just incredible to be on the streak we’re on,” said Tini, recalling Locust Valley’s last defeat, at the hands of Floral Park in the first round of the Nassau Class A playoffs on Feb. 15, 2019.
“We have such great chemistry on and off the court,” she added. “We want to keep this going as long as we can, and it would be a dream to get three more [wins] and a state championship.”

Hogan, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this season, had 7 points in the opening quarter, and Tini scored 7 in the second as the Falcons (23-0) built a commanding 28-6 halftime lead. It was the second straight elimination game in which they held the opposition to just a handful of baskets in the first half.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to do something for the first time in school history,” said head coach Michael Guidone, a Locust Valley graduate who is in his 13th season at the helm. “Our defense right now is about as good as it could possibly be. We’re making stops, rebounding well and turning the defense into offense.”
Tini and senior Amber Linden set the defensive tone in the backcourt, while Hogan, junior Olivia Del Tatto and sophomore Reily Roberts dominated the boards.
Linden had 7 points and Roberts added 6. The Porters (15-5) were led by Brienna McFarland’s 6 points.
“We understand what’s at stake, and we wanted this game really bad, since we didn’t get to play for a Long Island championship two years ago because of Covid,” Hogan said. “It was great to have so much support out here.
“We had a fan bus make the trip.”
With a victory over Red Hook or Putnam Valley, the Falcons would be headed upstate to Troy.
“Of course we want to go all the way, and this team is on a mission,” Guidone said. “I think even if we don’t win three more, after the dust settles, we’ll be able to look back and feel over the moon about everything we accomplished.”