By TONY BELLISSIMO
"I knew most games would be competitive," Richards said. "I'm prepared for just about every one to come down to the wire. Knowing how close the games will be helps us stay sharp in practice because the girls understand how important it is to pay attention to detail."
After winning its first three out of the gate South Side endured two tough defeats to open the Conference ABC-I slate. Over a six-day span it failed to protect an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter at Garden City in the conference opener, falling 49-46, and dropped a 52-51 decision at home against New Hyde Park. Last Saturday brought a 47-46 loss to Calhoun in the first round of the Freeport Lady Devils Holiday Tournament. "It's a long season and we're still upbeat," Richards said. "I don't our confidence is broken down, but I think the next few games are important. We're playing good enough to win. We're just not closing out games."
Calhoun senior Megan Vasquez, who has more than 1,650 career points, netted 27 on Saturday including a game-winning lay-up with two seconds remaining. Junior Colleen Burke put the Lady Cyclones (3-3) ahead eight seconds earlier. Sophomore Megan Lonergan paced the offense with 11 points.
Foul troubles proved costly in the loss to Garden City, which scored 15 points from the free throw line in the Dec. 17 conference opener. Barbara Sullivan had 22 points, with eight coming in the decisive fourth quarter. Sophomore Christina Merrifield continued her impressive start with 15 points for South Side, which led 39-31 heading into the fourth. "Their having opportunities to shoot free throws down the stretch made the difference," Richards said. "We got into the penalty early in the second half and it slowed the game down to their advantage."
The run of close contests began Dec. 3 when the Lady Cyclones outlasted Sacred Heart, 50-45, to capture their host tournament title. Lonergan (16) and Merrifield combined for 29 points and senior Tara Lonergan added nine points and five rebounds. For Merrifield, it signaled the start of a stretch that saw her average 13.2 points per game. She had a career-high 16 against New Hyde Park-an opponent that also saw Burke hit for 19. "Christina's off to a fantastic start," Richards said of Merrifield, a 5-foot-10 forward who provides a spark off the bench. "She made a lot of strides on JV last season, and her strong play has carried over."
South Side visits Roosevelt on Saturday at noon. The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 19 but was postponed due to snow.
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
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