South Side seeks strong finish

A career-high 26 points from junior point guard Jourdin Thomas wasn’t enough for South Side to overcome Plainedge last Friday in a Conference A-II girls’ basketball result that thickened the race for first place.

The Lady Cyclones slipped a game behind Wantagh (9-1) and into a second-place tie with the Lady Red Devils following a 49-46 setback. Katie McSweeney (13), Kelsey Marigliano (12) and Val Cirisano (11) all scored in double figures for host Plainedge, which avenged a 55-35 loss in the first meeting and won its sixth consecutive game.

“Not to take anything away from Plainedge, but we just didn’t play well in any facet,” South Side head coach Dan Ferrick said. “We had a stretch of possessions where we missed six straight putbacks or layups. We scored the first basket, but the next thing you know we’re down 9-2 and playing catch-up the rest of the way.”

The Lady Cyclones (8-2 in A-II, 12-3 overall) were without senior forward Laura McNally, who tweaked an ankle in their 62-29 victory over New Hyde Park two nights earlier. Senior Brianna Bigelow stepped up and played some quality minutes in her place, Ferrick said, and sophomore Gianna Mauro (six points) continued to give the team some energy off the bench since returning to action following an injury and pneumonia.

“Gianna was out for about a month, and then I put her out there against Division and she crashed the boards, went after the ball and wasn’t intimidated,” Ferrick said. “The next time out against Hewlett she went and scored 10 points, and she’s had two more solid games since.”

Thomas, a former standout for South Side Middle School who transferred back to the district after two years at Long Island Lutheran, upped her average to 16.3 points over 15 games and nearly forced overtime last Friday but her three-point attempt at the buzzer just missed. She hit eight field goals and went 10-for-12 from the foul line after scoring 21 in a 55-35 win over Plainedge in the first meeting on Dec. 22.

“They knew not to foul Jourdin behind the three-point line, and she got a good look with one foot behind the line,” Ferrick said. “It was a nice shot.” 

Sophomore Jenna Lopez, who had a strong season for Ferrick at the JV level last winter, earned a starting backcourt role alongside Thomas in December and continues to develop, the coach noted. She had a career-high 13 points in the win over New Hyde Park.

South Side has four games remaining, including a showdown with Wantagh at home on Feb. 2. Roslyn visits this Friday at 6:30 p.m., and Division comes to town in the finale on Feb. 8. “We know the Wantagh game is big, and we have to be aggressive against Division,” Ferrick said.

The lone bus trip remaining is to Roosevelt on Feb. 5. McNally (19 points, 10 rebounds) and senior Maria Karanasos (10, 10) led a 50-38 victory in the first meeting.

“We want to finish strong and host a first-round playoff game,” Ferrick said.