Thursday, October 1, 2026
The battle of Vikings didn’t end up the way North Shore had hoped.
In one of the most heated rivalries in Nassau County girls basketball, Seaford topped host North Shore, 47-42, on Jan. 15 in a battle of conference unbeatens. Seaford grabbed sole possession of first place in Conference A2 at 6-0 while the Vikings of Sea Cliff/Glen Head fell to 5-1.
The rematch is Feb. 12 in Seaford.
“I think we’re going to come back stronger from a loss,’’ North Shore senior power forward Sophia Efstathiadis said. “We’re all excited. It’s a good time to redeem ourselves.’’
It wasn’t sealed until Seaford point guard Bridget Grosser hit late two free throws to enlarge the lead to 5 points.
“We knew it was going to come down to the final minutes,’’ Efstathiadis said. “We played well. I just think it didn’t end the way we wanted it to but moving forward there’s a lot of lessons to be learned from the game. We know more about Seaford now and about ourselves.’’
North Shore held a 14-point lead late in the first half. Seaford did all the right things after intermission. Both Vikings are 8-4 overall.
North Shore head coach Keith Freund accepted responsibility for the first conference defeat.
“We played a tight game against a good team,’’ Freund said. “In the end, it wasn’t the girls. They gave great effort but I need to do a better job as a coach to put the girls in a better spot to succeed. I take the blame for the loss. I made too many mistakes that I hope to improve upon in the future.’’
Indeed, Freund is proud of the record. He entered the season unsure of the Viking’s prospects.
“I didn’t know what to expect,’’ Freund said. “We were so young. We have many kids first time on varsity. I was hoping to make the playoffs - the ultimate goal. After the first half of conference play, they have a chance to fight for a conference title.
“I love the culture the girls have created,” he added. “They give their best effort, go to practice, every day to learn. When I watch game film, I’m watching the bench and girls who haven’t gotten in that game are standing up, cheering with high fives. They are wonderful kids who care about the team.”
North Shore’s star Erin La Rosa had an off game (8 points.) Point guard Holly Freund, an eighth grader, had a team-high 11 points, 7 assists, 4 rebound and 2 steals. Annabella Misiti added 8 points and Eleni Amigdalos 6.
Though La Rose collected 8 rebounds, Seaford dominated the glass. “We got good looks the entire game,’’ coach Freund said. “They just didn’t fall. We struggled with rebounding. If you don’t shoot the ball and don’t rebound, you’re in trouble.’’
Yes, height is an issue. That’s why Efstathiadis took the challenge last season of switching from guard to power forward despite being 5-9. She’s played a lot bigger than that. “My entire my life I played guard but last season there wasn’t a lot of height,’’ she said. “I just did that role and it’s continued.’’
Freund added, “We forced her to play down low because we were lacking in size. And she did everything we asked. Rebounding, playing help defense, being a leader and encouraging. There’s a selflessness to these girls I appreciate.’’
