Thursday, October 1, 2026
After bursting out of the gate with a 6-1 start, the East Rockaway girls’ basketball team has spent much of the season navigating injuries, conference competition and a challenging midseason stretch. Now, with four games remaining, the Rocks are focused on getting healthy for the postseason.
East Rockaway’s early success came largely against non-Conference AB-3 opponents, but league play proved more difficult. The Rocks dropped seven straight games, including four against divisional foes, before snapping the skid with a decisive 61-25 win over West Hempstead last Saturday. Despite the struggles, East Rockaway will automatically advance to the playoffs as one of four ‘B’ teams in the conference and currently holds the fourth seed.
“We did come out of the gate very strong,” head coach Cheri Poland said. “Once we got into conference, we did struggle with some injuries. So, I think that kind of put us sideways a little bit.”
Injuries have played a significant role throughout the season, particularly among the team’s youngest contributors. Seventh graders Scarlet Bey and Arianna Gonzalez have both missed time after emerging as key offensive pieces.
Bey is averaging nearly 11 points a game in the 11 contests she has played, and Poland is hopeful she will be back for the Jan. 31 game against Carle Place.
Gonzalez, who is averaging just over nine points per game, missed three contests with a hamstring injury before returning in a big way against West Hempstead. She scored 20 points in the win, helping the Rocks earn their second conference victory of the season — both against the one-win Rams.
Junior Paulina Cuthbert has not played since Jan. 6 due to an ankle injury, but junior Colleen Lynch has been a steady presence on both ends of the floor. Lynch is averaging nearly 10 points per game and has recorded multiple double-doubles, including a 16-point, 14-rebound performance against Valley Stream South on Dec. 15 and a 14-point, 12-rebound effort last Saturday.
“Colleen has really been great on defense,” Poland said. “She’s been a rim protector for us and I think she’s really turned a corner.”
Defense has been East Rockaway’s calling card. The Rocks are allowing just 38.2 points per game, the lowest average among Conference AB-3 teams. Poland credited the team’s commitment to its press defense — installed with help from district superintendent and former girls’ JV coach James DeTommaso — for keeping games close during the losing streak, when the offense averaged just 34.7 points per contest.
“We said defense wins games, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Poland said.
Poland also praised the contributions of sophomore Leila Perez and junior Victoria Vargas, noting Perez’s versatility and leadership and Vargas’ impact despite dealing with injuries of her own.
East Rockaway faces Carle Place, Oyster Bay, Cold Spring Harbor and Wheatley to close the regular season. The Feb. 3 matchup against Oyster Bay looms large in the race for the third seed in Class B.
