By STEVE SINISKI
"We lost eight seniors [this year] and we had to make the transition from a senior-oriented team to a younger one," said Lynbrook's second-year coach, Koren Pena. "It took the preseason for the girls to figure each other out, and it didn't help having to play the top two seeds in the conference right away."
As Lynbrook, 8-6 overall, rides the wave of success and aims for the third or fourth seed in the upcoming Class B Nassau County Playoff Tournament, which begins on Feb. 18, it's clear that success has been a team effort. However, freshman guard Ashley Sherman has been a huge factor in keeping the winning streak alive, canning two last-minute three-point shots against Roslyn on Feb. 3 to turn a 43-40 deficit into a 48-43 win.
"She's our best shooter, and when the ball left her hands you knew right away," said Pena of Sherman. "She had struggled the whole game, but Roslyn was playing a zone and leaving one whole side of the court open for a shooter. So we put her in and she had the cleanest looks you could have [at the basket]."
Sherman, who has already tied Lynbrook's single-game record of six three-pointers against Bethpage on Jan. 14, carried her sizzling shooting over into the next game, a 66-28 victory over Seaford. She scored a team-high 20 points and hit five from beyond the three-point line, giving her 34 three-pointers on the season.
"There has to be a level of confidence that wasn't there before," said Pena of Lynbrook's continued growth throughout the year. "They're starting to work better together and looking to other girls to score. The scenario is perfect because we don't just rely on one player. The girls know it could be their turn [to step up at any moment], and it adds to the team cohesion. For me, if I feel like something's not working on a particular day, I can try something else without losing any confidence."
Jordan Dillon and Meghan Heim are just two of many Owls who've stepped into new shoes this season, but they've done nothing but impress Pena. Dillon, the team's No. 1 point guard, has taken well to the role of creator, while Heim has become one of the Owls' glue players.
"This was new for [Dillon], but she's stepped in perfectly running the team," said Pena. "She's calling plays, and although she may not get many points, she's not afraid to shoot. And Meghan [Heim] understands the game the best. If she's being overplayed, she'll look for the backdoor cut. She sees the floor very well."
