Defense propelling Glen Cove

The young core of the Lady Big Red basketball team excites in its first year under head coach Navro Allen, gaining momentum as the season rolls on with a big 53-26 win over Roosevelt High School on Jan. 3.

Defensively, Glen Cove is clicking to force turnovers and make big stops when it counts. In its matchup with Roosevelt, the Lady Big Red were able to limit the opponent to two points in the fourth quarter, whilst only allowing 10 the entire second half.

“Yesterday’s win was a real defensive turnaround for us,” Allen said the following afternoon. “Going forward, we want to limit our offensive turnovers and make teams play against our set defense.”

Trinity Hudson and Destiny Howell combined for 36 of Glen Cove’s 53 points.

Although that game proved a positive sign for things to come, the game prior against conference powerhouse Sewanhaka left a different feeling for Allen. After an 81-40 loss on the road, and being down by 14 at half, Glen Cove was left reassessing its offensive strategies and what went wrong.

“We got into some foul trouble early,” Allen said. “We just didn’t claw our way back after half, and we let it get really out of hand.”

In its only other conference game, Glen Cove defeated Hewlett 54-46 in its Nassau A-II opener. The defensive prowess reared its head for Glen Cove, which took a commanding 31-9 lead at half, with Howell and Hudson combining for 42 points.

Although lacking key senior experience, Glen Cove is starting to put together the key aspects of quality basketball with a group that will be very familiar with each other for years to come.

“We’re a young team, but we’re gaining experience,” Allen said. “We may have some trouble with execution now, and we have to limit our carelessness with the ball but we’re gaining experience as a team that all want to play with and for each other.”

Allen, a self-acknowledging ‘old-fashioned’ coach preaches solid fundamentals and hard play. One such player that embodies this for Glen Cove is Aaliyah Stone, a tough defender with a nose for the boards and the ability to block shots. “She’s the anchor to our defense,” Allen said. “She will work hard and is willing to do all of the things to help us win that don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

All teams need vocal leaders to jumpstart a run or set the tone, and Micaela and Lucy Costello, along with Jaynise Espinal, are exactly that for Glen Cove. “They all dive for loose balls, take charges, play tough defense and want to win,” Allen said.

With Hudson and Howell as the two catalysts on the offensive end, and a young core familiarizing themselves with each other’s style of play and getting better daily, Allen is confident his team will be competing for a playoff spot by season’s end.

“I see us contending to be a playoff team,” Allen said. “But overall, I’m excited at the opportunity to keep working and improving as a whole.”