By Elio Velez
She has been able to manage the aches and pains with grit and determination, but left Friday night's game with a sprained ankle. Not before she made a difference, though.Scoring 14 of her 22 points in the second half, Rosella guided a young Stella Maris team into first place in the Brooklyn/Queens CHSAA Division II with a 60-49 victory at St. Edmund Prep in Brooklyn.The Flippers improved to 10-2 and an inexperienced squad, who lost 70 percent of their roster from last year's Diocesan championship team, looked a bit nervous with two minutes remaining the game. Rosella previously tore her rotator cuff as a sophomore and battled ankle injuries the last two years. But when she leapt onto the stage at the far end of the gymnasium after being fouled by St. Edmund forward Tara Kirk on a drive to basket, she grabbed her left foot in agony, writhing in pain. The early diagnosis was the injury was just a severe sprain and she will be able to return before the season ends.”She's an emotional anchor and a physical anchor for us,” Gigliello said. “I think we licked our wounds and they rallied around her.”Prior to her departure, the Flippers had already gained a 10-point advantage. Rosella scored 12 of the first 13 points of the third quarter as Stella Maris erased the deficit. St. Edmund, who fell to 9-3 and to second place, did not have an answer for the 5-foot-9 forward and its woes were furthered by ice cold shooting.
