Girls Hoops Notebook

Somers Handles Mahopac; Put Valley Wins Croton Tourney

By Tony Pinciaro

Following a season-opening loss to perennial Section 1 power, Albertus Magnus, 2017 Section 1 Class A champion SOMERS has reeled off three consecutive wins.

Somers capped its week with a 50-30 victory over MAHOPAC in a Somers Tournament first-round game. The Tuskers will face Section 1 Class AA power, Ursuline, at a date and time to be determined as the first round of the tournament last Friday was snowed out and moved to Saturday.

Prior to the win over Mahopac, Somers handled Peekskill, 62-42.

“Albertus is a great team,” senior Jackie Penzo said. “It was tough to play them the first game of the season, but the positives we took from that game is that we have to communicate better and to work together as a team rather than five individuals.”

The Tuskers took control of the game against Mahopac, immediately. Somers led 20-7 after the first quarter.

“Dani DiCintio made five 3s and Liv Lipski hit three,” Somers Coach Marc Hattem said. “We were very good defensively and we forced turnovers.”

Tusker hotshot Hannah Angelini finished with a game-high 21 points in the victory over Peekskill.

“Any time you beat Peekskill it’s a good day,” Hattem said. “Hannah had a great day and really led us. Her hustle was incredible on the floor and for every loose ball. Hannah showed why she was the player of the year in our league last year and an all-section kid. Pooja Rao, a sophomore, finished with nine rebounds and I am excited about her progress.”

Somers will now await the scheduling of the Ursuline game. Somers and Ursuline are among the elite of Section 1 girls’ basketball programs.

“I believe it will be a very good game,” Penzo said. “Ursuline has a lot of talented players. If our tam follows through with the game plan and works hard during every play, we will have a great outcome.”

One aspect of PUTNAM VALLEY’s game is on point after three games: Its defense.

Putnam Valley opened the season 3-0 and won the Croton Tournament championship. In the Tigers’ three wins, they allowed a total of 89 points – 49-35 over Westlake, 51-25 over Croton and 41-29 over Dobbs Ferry in the tourney final.

“Our defense has been unbelievable,” Putnam Valley Coach Kristi Dini said. “The girls take so much pride in it and buy in every practice to prepare. The rotations, the help, the decision-making and the talk has been fun to watch.”

Putnam Valley opened the season with the win over Westlake, despite the absence of point guard and 2017 All-Section selection, Kelli Venezia, who was sidelined with a nagging back injury.

Morgan Winogradoff led Putnam Valley with a game-high 17 points. Dora Rippon contributed 15 and Arianna Stockinger added 12.

Putnam Valley opened the Croton Tournament by doubling up the host behind a career-high 26 points from Rippon, who dazzled in front of a college scout in attendance. Winogradoff finished with 11 points and Stockinger chipped in with nine.

Venezia, in her second game back, finished with a team-leading 14 points in the championship game against Dobbs. Rippon was selected to the all-tournament team and Stockinger, who led the lock-down defense, was named most valuable player.

“I’m just so proud of Arianna,” Dini said. “She is only a freshman and she’s shutting down upperclassmen and the top kid on every team we’ve played while scoring double digits and playing multiple positions for us.”

OSSINING improved to 5-1 on the season following victories over Dobbs Ferry, 96-55, and Scarsdale, 104-52. Prior to the Dobbs Ferry game, Ossining also handled Class AA rival, North Rockland, 88-51.

The Pride is averaging 82.5 points per game, led by Aubrey Griffin. The junior has shown no ill effects from the knee injury that sidelined her for her sophomore year. Griffin is pouring in 23 points per game and is also averaging seven rebounds and 3.5 steals a game.

Griffin scored a game-high 26 points and Harris added 21 points and 11 rebounds against Dobbs Ferry. Kelsey Quain chipped in 19 points while Alyssa Aurora collected 10 rebounds and Jaida Strippoli had 10 assists.

Ossining rang up 45 points in the first quarter on its way to cracking the century mark in points against Scarsdale.

Griffin finished with 36 points while Quain and Harris each had 24 points. Helen Ishmael led Ossining with 11 rebounds, Strippoli handed out 13 assists and Julia Iorio scored a season-best 11 points.

Ossining played Flowery Branch (Ga.), Monday, at the KSA Holiday Tournament in Orlanda, Fla. Ossining will also play Tuesday and Wednesday, against yet-to-be-determined opponents.

MAHOPAC has split four games through the first two weeks of the season. The Indians have victories over Clarkstown South, 48-43, and Mount Vernon, 44-39, while falling to PANAS, 44-36, and Somers, 50-30.

“Defensively, we played well, especially on the boards,” said Mahopac coach Chuck Scozzafava of the Clarkstown South game. “I thought our girls boxed out well. Offensively, I felt we played more consistently and in sync. And we hit our shots.

“Against Mount Vernon, we played a good defensive game,” he added. “I was pleased with the play of my young girls off the bench, also. Offensively, I thought we played pretty well. I was glad of how we were able to score off of their press. The team is coming along and making positive gains.”

Claire Felix led Mahopac with 14 points and Zina McInerney added 10 points against Clarkstown South. Siobhan Hynes and Katie McDonough had nine points apiece, though the fiery McDonough was lost for the year with a significant leg injury that will likely sideline her for the 2018 lacrosse season. Felix went for 26 points against Mahopac and McInerney contributed 10 points.

Claire Felix scored 14 points and Siobhan Hynes registered 11 in the loss to Panas.

“It was a close game, although Panas did open up a 13-point lead in the third quarter,” Scozzafava said. “We got it to one, but they hit a 3 and it was back and forth the rest of the game. I was pleased on how the girls came back after being down by 13. They made the shots down the stretch and we didn’t.”

PANAS then went on to suffer consecutive losses to Tappan Zee, 66-53, and Class AA John Jay EF, 43-39. Tappan Zee went up 20-6 and Panas could not come all the way back, despite cutting the lead to six twice. Danielle Merante led Panas with 28 points and freshman Kristen Cinquina added 15. Merante and Cinquina had 11 points apiece in the loss to the Patriots.

 

HEN HUD took advantage of a huge first quarter to defeat Yorktown, 51-37.

The Lady Sailors outscored Yorktown, 19-3, in the opening quarter.

Sophomore Caitlin Weimar and freshman Grace Moretti each went 6 of 11 from the field and finished with 15 points. Weimar also had 12 rebounds.

Moretti also had four rebounds and five assists and Chloe Stewart added six points and three steals.

CARMEL’s Clair Cody had another killer game in the Rams’ 62-27 win over Port Chester, finishing with 32 points, 15 boards, six steals and six assists. Cody is averaging over 20 a game and has become a walking double-double this year. Khadijah Johnson added 11 points for the improving Rams.