Thursday, October 1, 2026
After trailing fourth-seeded MacArthur after each of the first three quarters of a Nassau Class AA girls’ basketball quarterfinal playoff matchup on Feb. 16, No. 5 Syosset exploded for 23 points in the fourth on the way to a 58-49 road victory.
Freshman Rachel Mahler scored nine of her game-high 20 points in the fourth, which began with a 9-0 run and ended with a 10-2 run by the Lady Braves, who advanced to face No. 1 Baldwin in the semifinals. Senior Caitlyn Buckley (15), junior Angeline Klein (15) and sophomore Angela Cozza (11) all scored in double figures for the Lady Generals, who beat Syosset by nine in a non-conference game on Feb. 1.
“We talk a lot about living in the moment,” Syosset head coach Diane Malley said. “We didn’t shoot well in the first half, but we worked through it. Getting the ball to Rachel was part of our game plan. The first time we played MacArthur she had the most points, but tonight she also had the most impact.”
The Lady Generals (14-6), who carried a four-game winning streak into the playoffs, including a victory over Conference AA-III champ Mepham, took a 40-35 lead into the final quarter after a trey by Cozza and buzzer-beater by Buckley capped a well-played third for both teams.
“I expected a close game that would come down to the fourth quarter,” MacArthur head coach Dave Radtke said. “We have a lot to be proud of, winning 14 games and getting a bye, and we’ve got a lot coming back next season.
“It’s rare when that fourth playoff bye goes to a team not in Conference I,” he added.
Syosset, which finished second behind Massapequa in the top conference, never relinquished the lead after Mahler broke a tie at 44 with about four minutes remaining with a short jumper in the paint. Another basket by Mahler made it 48-44, but MacArthur was back within one with 2:45 remaining thanks to three Buckley free throws.
“We took a lot from the first meeting,” Malley said. “MacArthur shares the ball very well and it was our first game without [Sarah] Solomon, who had a sprained MCL. The girls really took ownership of what they needed to do to be successful this time.”
Radtke said he thought Solomon’s presence was a factor in the playoff outcome. She had seven points and helped Syosset limit turnovers with her skills on the press-break. “I wasn’t expecting to see her out there,” he said.
Syosset sophomore Sabrina Lieberman, who scored all seven of her points from the foul line, hit 5 of 6 free throws over the final 47 seconds to seal the outcome. Molly Breslow added 10 points for the Lady Braves, who trailed 13-5 midway through the first quarter.
Klein (nine) and Buckley combined to hit 17 of 23 free throws after scoring 21 and 18 points, respectively, in the regular-season win over Syosset.
