OLMA Basketball Tops East Meadow, 42-28

The Our Lady of Mercy Academy Mustangs improved to 3-0 on the season after beating East Meadow 42-28 in a non-league match-up Thursday night. 

The Mustangs were led by Olivia and Amanda Walsh, who lead the team with 13 points and eight points, respectively - a combined half of OLMA's total score. 

OLMA got out to a quick start - the Mustangs lit up the scoreboard in the first quarter, getting out to an early 20-7 lead and effectively establishing an advantage for the rest of the game.

The Mustangs had help from freshman Shannon Brady, who scored eight points and contributed a number of clutch rebounds and assists and was also a forceful presence for the Mustangs on defense. The Mustangs defensive efforts as whole were very strong, limiting East Meadow to just four points in the third quarter and frustrating many of their efforts to even the score.

East Meadow had a number of opportunities to stay in the game, especially in the second half. Some sloppiness early on by the Mustangs in the fourth quarter did allow East Meadow to score some points.  But despite Melissa Cohen's dominant, 10-point performance, and some inspired second half play, East Meadow still failed to capitalize on key 3-pointers and free throws and gave away costly rebounds that allowed the tenacious Mustangs' defense to take control of the game. 

The Mustangs' offense did slow down as the game progressed—they were held to just six points in the second quarter and just four points in fourth quarter—but an excellent first quarter effort proved to be too much for East Meadow to overcome.

OLMA coach John Kiffel remarked after the game that the "first quarter was as good a game as we've played all year" and also praised the defense for putting lots of pressure on the East Meadow team. The coach, who is starting his first season as head coach, is excited for the challenging Catholic league games against some of the best schools on Long Island: "That's the fun part," he said.

It should be plenty of fun for the OLMA Basketball team—provided they continue to develop the chemistry and perfect the smart, defensive basketball that they displayed in their victory against East Meadow.

Heroes: Olivia and Amanda Walsh. The powerful scoring duo helped OLMA jump out to a big lead early on in the game, nailing basket after basket. Shannon Brady's dominating defensive performance was another stand out game for the very talented freshman.

Turning Point: The brilliant first quarter by the Mustangs, in which they grabbed the reigns and controlled the game right from the get go. They set the tone early on and stuck with it to shut down East Meadow.

Quotable: "If we play like we did during the first quarter the rest of the season—we'll be fine," said Kiffel.

Bottom Line: The Mustangs have tremendous potential this season, as they have showed in the first two games. The chemistry, quickness and smart defensive instinct that the team displayed, especially during the first quarter, showcased a very talented group of Mustangs.

Key Stat: Olivia and Amanda Walsh combined for 21 points -  half of OLMA's total offensive production against East Meadow.

Who's Next? The Mustangs play again Friday at home against Lindenhurst - Tip off is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.