The Our Lady of the Snows sixth-grade girls’ Bantam basketball team defeated Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, 36-17, in the second round of the local CYO playoffs to advance to the opening round of the Diocesan playoffs.
Both teams shot well in the opening quarter as Snows grabbed an 11-7 lead. Nicole Weinman scored the first basket of the game and then hit five of six free throws to total all seven of her points in the opening quarter. Michelle Gasperetti came off the bench and hit for two quick baskets.
OLS took a 21-7 lead into halftime as the defense stymied its Bayside opponents in the second quarter. Michelle Gasperetti was on fire as she connected for two more buckets. Nicky Kaouris hit a three-pointer and Tina Khiani added a bucket and a free throw.
Adara Simonelli had been held scoreless in the first half but scored all six of her points in the third quarter as OLS opened up a 29-9 lead. Adara hit a three-pointer, a two and a free throw. OLBS mounted a run in the fourth quarter as Natasha Seghene hit a three and scored 5 of her team-leading 7 points.
Christine Wrynn, Kaitlin Frangella, Khiani and Michelle Gasperetti scored for OLS in the final quarter. Gasperetti led all scorers with 10 points. Jessica Wrynn also played well off the bench for Snows.
The OLS Bantam ‘B’ team fell to OLBS ‘B’ in the opening round of the playoffs, 24-7. The OLS team was shorthanded as four players were missing due to illness. Center Jen Maurer was also feeling the effects of whatever was going through the team, but she battled as long and hard as she could, playing her finest game of the year.
Maurer led OLS with 5 points. Sara Lagasca scored the other basket for OLS. Snows actually trailed only 10-7 at the half before the team seemed to run out of gas and OLBS ran away with the contest. Danielle Carberry played all 24 minutes for OLS and excelled on both ends of the floor. Tebsy Paul, Divya Johnson, Jessica Dhillon, Zarela Zechariah and Gina James also contributed to the OLS effort.
The Snows “Rookie” division squad (seventh-graders), also advance to the Diocesan playoffs by virtue of their 25-16 defeat of St. Gregory’s of Bellerose.
The OLS fifth-graders traveled to Corpus Christi in Woodside to face off against Sacred Heart. Missing its leading scorer, OLS players managed to hang in there on the strength of their defensive effort, but Sacred Heart eventually pulled away for a 14-4 win. Coach Bob Fristachi’s daughter, Christina, scored her first field goal of the season.
The OLS intermediate team (eighth graders) defeated rival St. Mel’s on Saturday and faced first-place St. Anthony’s of Greenpoint at Our Lady of Lourdes in Queens Village on Sunday. St. Anthony’s prevailed 41-33 in a very exciting and action-packed game.
Londyn McCormick led the scoring for OLS with a combination of brilliant shooting and tremendous moves to the basket. Jen Francis and Susan Garrett also scored for OLS.
