Long Beach produces win streak

Posted

Coming off a 53-49 win over Jericho Jan. 16, the Long Beach girls’ basketball team learned two things: hunker down on defense, and don’t give up without a fight.

“It’s been a slow start to the season,” said head coach Blake Malizia. “We’ve been competitive in most games but we’ve been falling short.”

The Marines (4-9 overall) might have had a tough go so far, but all signs point to the them turning over a new page, because it solidified what Malizia knew his team was capable of doing the way he drew it out.

It takes a three-game winning streak into this week’s action. Long Beach beat Valley Stream Central by 11 Jan. 13, and last Saturday cruised past Great Neck South by 18.

“Jericho was a big win for us,” Malizia said. “We decided that we were going cause more pressure on key players to try to create turnovers. We’ve also been putting more emphasis on boxing out and closing out. It worked in our favor [against Jericho]; being a little more physical on defense has been the key to our success. With that, we can create turnovers which leads to transition points, which was very helpful.”

Let’s start with that last point: senior shooter Delaney Chernoff, going to the University of Denver for lacrosse next year, hit a massive three-pointer with 24 seconds on the game clock. With less than five seconds to go, Reagan McCarthy was fouled, and her trip to the charity stripe widened the scoring margin.

McCarthy is also the team’s leading rebounder, and having her there brings another level of confidence according to Malizia.

Sophomore guard Brianna Bothell, who put up 14 points in the Jericho win. “She’s one of our captains as a sophomore and she’s one of our leading guards,” Malizia said. “She has been the staple of our team.”

Speaking of guards, sophomore Jordan Soriano and junior Ava Kolb, combine for a starting role. Malizia relies on them both as anchors in the backcourt, alternating which one starts on a given game based on the mismatches he sees from opponents.

“Jordan is more of a point guard, she’s a decent three-point shooter; Ava’s a soccer player, her ability to play on the court and lock down some of their best players has been the key for us this season,” Malizia said.

The Marines also have “swing player” Alexis Richards added to the mix, as she wreaks havoc at the guard and forward spots as needed. She put up 9 points in the win over Jericho. “She’s been doing a very nice job, and also defensively,” Malizia said.

With six conference games still left, the job’s not finished by any means for Malizia.

“[We have to] try to bring the same type of aggressiveness no natter who the opponent is,” he said. “And they we’re capable of beating any team.”

This proved to be true after last Saturday’s win over Great Neck South, 45-27. Long Beach saw eight players score, led by Chernoff’s 13 and Soriano’s 9.