Syosset Girls Basketball Falls Short Against Massapequa

The saw their three-game win streak come to an end Saturday, as the Braves fell to Massapequa 50-45 in Conference AA-I action at Syosset High School. The loss drops the Braves to 4-5 on the year, while first place Massapequa improves to 10-1.

The Braves didn't go quietly, staging a late rally and turning a double-digit deficit into a close game.  Victoria Ciavarella and Katelyn Lesse each hit threes, pulling the Braves within four points, but those would be the final Syosset field goals on the afternoon, and the rally ultimately fell short.

It was a team effort that got the Braves back in the game, but early on, only Lauren Maturo could be counted on to provide any offense.  She scored all of her team's points in the first quarter, as the Chiefs got out to a 16-6 lead.  Massapequa crashed the boards, giving themselves second chance opportunities, and it looked like it was going to be a rout.

"Early on we couldn't get the ball to anybody, the only person working hard enough to get it was Lauren," Braves coach Doug Schumacher said.  "She caught it in spots where she could catch and shoot or get an offensive rebound."

Down by 13 at the half, the Braves as a team started to awaken in the third, especially on defense, and they began to inch closer.

"Defensively I thought we were okay, we weren't great, but because we were okay, we kept ourselves in the game," Schumacher said.  "We could've been down 20 if we didn't do a little bit defensively."

Maturo (a team-high 18 points), and the fourth quarter shooting of Ciavarella and Lesse (seven points each) fueled the late rally, but it wouldn't be enough.  Massapequa's Lauren Van Buren (13 points) was a force underneath throughout the day, a day that saw the Syosset streak come to a close.

Records: Syosset (4-5), Massapequa (10-1). 

Hero: Kelly Mallon.  The Massapequa junior came off the bench to hit a big three in both the third and fourth quarter, each time ending a Syosset run, and stopping them from completing their comeback. For the Braves, it was Maturo, as her early scoring kept the Braves in the game and her 18 points led all scorers. 

Turning Point: Down only four late in the game, Maturo threw the ball away, costing the Braves a possession, a chance to make it a one-score game, and most important, time, as the clock soon ran out on the Braves' win streak.

Quotable: "We tried to duplicate [Massapequa's] intensity, half-court man, in practice but it's not easy to do.  First quarter we struggled with even running anything at all, second quarter a little better, second half much better." - Braves coach Doug Schumacher on his team's improved play as the game went on.

Bottom Line: The spirited play that had fueled Syosset's win streak was there in spurts, but not for a full game.  Maturo did a lot, but can't do it all, and it needs to be more of a team effort if the Braves hope to start another streak.

Key Stat: Zero. That's how many points the Braves scored in the first, other than Lauren Maturo.  By the time her teammates got in the flow of things, Massapequa had a comfortable lead, and hung on for the win.

Who's Next: Syosset - Tuesday 1/18 @ Farmingdale, 7 p.m.

Teams............1.....2...3..4--F

Massapequa.....16...16...11...7 - 50

Syosset............6....13...14..12 - 45

Massapequa:Roessler 6-2-8, Doherty 8-1-9, Scicutella 7-1-8, Van Buren 8-5-13, DeSandis 4-0-4, Elliott 2-0-2, Mallon 6-0-6.  Three pointers: Doherty 2, Scicutella, Mallon 2

Syosset: Lesse 6-1-7, Ciavarella 5-2-7, Compito 6-0-6, Savarese 6-1-7, Maturo 16-2-18.  Three pointers: Lesse 2, Ciavarella