By ANDREW McCLURE
After back-to-back victories over Great Neck North and Glen Cove, the Rams took a 4-7 Conference ABC-V record into the finale.
Despite the losing record, coach Chris Van Kovics said he’s pleased with the progress. “We made a lot of improvement as the season went on,” Van Kovics said. “Costly mistakes that we were making over and over didn’t occur later on in the season. The girls never stopping trying to improve.”
Van Kovics expected his guard play to be strong and the Rams’ backcourt performers didn’t disappoint. Versatile senior guard Michelle Delace averaged slightly better than 15 points per contest in conference games, including a career-high 27-point effort in a 62-56 overtime loss to Friends Academy. In the rematch with Friends, also a narrow defeat, Delace led all scorers with 22 points.
Fellow senior Stefanie Koelbel also had a solid season. Koelbel, a three-year varsity performer, added 10 points per game including a season-high 16-point outburst in a 42-35 win over Glen Cove on senior night. Koelbel, who Van Kovics described as the team’s most improved player, was an integral part of a trio of guards which the coach believes is as strong as any backcourt in the conference.
Point guard Katie Lynch turned in an outstanding sophomore season averaging 12 points per game in league play, and, despite missing three games with an ankle injury, nailing a team-high 31 three-point baskets. Lynch had a career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rams to a 47-35 win over Great Neck North in the consolation game of the West Hempstead Tournament in December. She drilled six threes in the win.
The Rams played far better in the second half of the season, nearly knocking off Bethpage and playing well against Valley Stream North, the conference champion. In the 42-39 heartbreaker against Bethpage, Koelbel scored 14 and junior Kaitlyn Gaynor added a career-best 12 points.
West Hempstead (5-10 overall) received frontcourt contributions from seniors Jacey Cordeiro and Olivia Cajuste, and juniors Casey Lycon and Sarah Njoku.
Van Kovics would like to have had a few more in the win column, but was pleased with the effort the team put in each and every night, and believes the program is on the right course. “The girls never quit and worked to get better,” he said. “As a coach, that’s really all you can ask for. The junior varsity team had a pretty good season and we have Katie [Lynch] and others with another year of experience. We’ll miss the seniors, especially the leadership they gave, but the future is bright.”
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@
liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
