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Overcast Clarke battles in playoff contention
Clarke’s girls’ basketball team is off to a solid start to the season and will look to make noise down the stretch.
The Rams carried a record of 7-6 overall and 3-4 in Conference A-2 into this week’s action with five games remaining.
Their top scorer has been senior guard Michelle Diaz. She is currently sitting in the top 20 of all Nassau County, averaging 14.8 points per game. Diaz has scored over 20 points four times this year with her season-high being a 27 point point performance in a 43-33 victory over Herricks.
“[Diaz] has really been our leader throughout the course of the year,” head coach Shaun Fean said. “We’re going to need her to continue to score the basketball for us as we move forward.”
While Diaz is the primary scorer for the team, the Rams do not shy away from sharing the ball.
Point guard Avika Mehta is second on the team averaging 14 points. She’s been able to create a very nice one-two punch with Diaz shooting the basketball. Mehta’s best game was a 24 point outing in a win over Roosevelt.
“Avika has done a really good job evolving her game to not be as much of a distributor but also to score herself,” Fean said. “She’s been super steady for us and someone whose really been a part of our core leadership group.”
Avika’s twin sister Aanya is a key defensive player, being the anchor of the team’s 1-3-1 zone defense. She has a very good shot blocking ability while also being able to grab rebounds.
Rounding out the starting lineup are senior Madeline Millman and sophomore Althea Borleo. Millman is an emotional leader on and off the court and has the ability to knock down the outside shot, Fean noted. It is something that opens up the entire Clarke offense. Borleo is the team’s tallest player and is starting to come along and a two-way player.
“[Borleo] has grown as a varsity player this season,” Fean said. “We’re looking for her to supplement some of our primary scoring. She watches so much film, she just wants to be the best player she can be.”
The primary player off of the bench for the Rams is junior Lia Addeo. She’s the team’s best rebounder and has helped the teams win games with it.
“To have somebody be able to step in off the bench and give you something you don’t necessarily have in your starting group has been really big,” Fean said.
In their search for back-to-back playoff bids, the Rams have a couple games circled on their schedule with the first one this Friday at 7 p.m. when they’ll look to avenge an earlier loss to Island Trees when they host the Bulldogs.
