Falcons focus on building fundamentals

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Just getting on the court last season was satisfying enough for Valley Stream South’s girls’ program, which is struggling with participation numbers and went without a JV team.

“It was just a blur,” head coach Deirdre Gordon said of the shortened spring season. “We were super young and didn’t get all the games in, but everyone was really happy to be playing.”

With 18 girls in the program, Gordon expects to slide some back and forth between the varsity and JV so everyone gets playing time at some level. “We’re focusing on fundamentals and hoping some of the chemistry carries over from the spring,” she said. “We’re trying to build up the individual skills and be as competitive as we can be.”

Senior captains Elizabeth Traill and Sierra Harris lead the way for the Falcons, who face a difficult conference schedule that includes Floral Park, Plainedge, Lynbrook, North Shore and Bethpage. Traill will run the show from point guard and has senior Liz Singh and junior Laura Cardona as backcourt mates. Harris brings a solid inside/outside game.

“Elizabeth is a very good leader with a strong sense of the game,” Gordon said of Traill. “She has shooting range and is going to do everything in her power to make things happen.”

Harris can do some of the dirty work in the paint and also shoots well from the outside. “She’s not a big scorer but she’ll contribute and moves well without the ball and rebounds,” Gordon said.

Junior LaMya Mays is a returning starter at forward and will be counted on to crash the boards and get some points on putbacks. At center, junior Christina Barkolas is 5-foot-11 and expected to log major minutes after getting her feet wet at the varsity level last season. “She’s working on her post moves and driving to the basket,” Gordon said.