Late rally keeps Mepham undefeated

Lady Pirates rally at Calhoun, improve to 11-0
By STEVE SINISKI
A baseline jumper by sophomore guard Nicole Castaldo sealed Mepham's 51-49 Conference AA-III girls’ basketball victory over Calhoun on Friday night. Castaldo's floater over the outstretched arm of Lady Colts junior Jessica Ruggiero with just 27 seconds remaining capped a Lady Pirates charge from a pair of 10-point deficits and helped them remain unbeaten with an 11-0 mark overall (8-0 in Conference AA-II play).

“They're a hard team to defend," Calhoun coach Dave Radtke said. "They play five guards and it's like chasing five rabbits.”

Castaldo and Calhoun’s Meghan O’Sullivan had 14 points apiece. Mary Galgano (12) and Kristen O’Brien (11) also scored in double figures for Mepham, which outscored the Lady Colts by a 19-10 margin in the fourth quarter.

Lawrence boys top Hewlett

By TONY BELLISSIMO

Like it did in the Conference A-II boys’ basketball opener five weeks ago, Lawrence bolted to a large first-half advantage against Hewlett on Friday evening. Only this time, the Golden Tornadoes maintained their frantic pace and led throughout.

Sophomore Eddie Robinson had a triple-double—20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists—and sophomore Clifton Lyerly added 18 points and seven rebounds to lead Lawrence to a 76-54 home victory. It was the seventh win in eight games for the Golden Tornadoes (5-2 in conference play, 9-3 overall) since they lost in double OT at Hewlett on Dec. 17. The Bulldogs (3-4, 5-5) got a game-high 27 points from sophomore Weldon Irvine.

"Losing to them the first time put a bad taste in our mouths,” said Robinson, who sparked a 13-2 run to open the second half that gave Lawrence a 27-point cushion. “We’ve been on a roll ever since that loss.”

Friends defeat East Rockaway
By ANDREW McCLURE

Senior guard Travis Hefele scored a season-high 23 points to lead visiting Friends Academy to a 57-46 win over East Rockaway in Conference BC play on Friday night. Sophomore center Kellan Sehring scored 14 points and pulled down 16 rebounds for the Quakers. The Rocks, who fell to 6-5, 3-5 in conference, were led by sophomore David McClure’s 13 points.

After East Rockaway jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, the Quakers went on an 18-2 run, led by six from Sehring. Friends led 29-15 at the half. The Rocks cut the lead to nine in the third quarter, but never got any closer. Junior guard Michael Lores had 10 points for East Rockaway. Hefele was 8-for-9 from the free throw line in the second half. The Quakers improved to 7-3, 6-1 in Conference BC.