By Joseph Staszewski
Archbishop Molloy is inexperienced and it showed against Nazareth.
The Stanners girls’ basketball team, the defending CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens regular season champions, features nine new players, including four fresh starters. The nerves were apparent early in the Stanners’ 66-55 loss to division power Nazareth Dec. 12 in Brooklyn.
The taller Lady Kingsmen pounded the Stanners on the offensive glass and led 20-7 after the first quarter. Molloy also missed 13 free throws in the game.
“What I saw was a lot of inexperience, especially in the first half,” Stanners Coach Scott Lagas said.
Things got better after the break once his players shook off the jitters. Manhattan-bound guard Nyasha Irizarry, who scored a team-high 25 points, connected on consecutive three-pointers during a 10-0 run over the third and fourth quarters. A jumper by star junior Aryn McClure pulled Molloy within 49-35 early in the final frame. The Stanners got as close as 58-45 with 4:06 remaining in the game.
“I think once we got used to it, the second half showed more of what we can do,” Irizarry said. “We can only get better from it.”
The Stanners were one of the city’s most veteran teams last season with seniors Amani Tatum, Carolyn Gallagher, Patti Drogler and Alexa “Weazel” Dietrich in the starting lineup. They do return three key players from that squad in Irizzary, a three-year starter, the squad’s sixth man McClure and often-used reserve Sarah Duryea.
New editions junior guard Kaitlyn Mahon, Emer Moloney and sophomore forward Emily Peckham were all members of a junior varsity team that beat Moore Catholic for the junior varsity city title last year. As Molloy got more comfort, its defense got tougher, it battled on the boards and its ball movement led to easy hopes for multiple players.
“Once everyone got used to the press break and the pressure that they were putting on us, then the ball movement was better and it was easier for us to do what we had to do,” Irizarry said.
Much more will be asked from McClure and Irizarry, who were used to playing supporting roles. Irizarry will need to handle the ball more and score by hitting jumpers and getting to the basket. McClure is a versatile scorer and became a factor on the boards. They both are embracing the challenge and the opportunity to lead.
“We knew we had to step up and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of it,” Irizzary said.
Lagas is pleased overall with the team’s progress so far. He has preached patience early on, knowing there is still plenty of growing to do.
“We are learning every day and we are progressing,” Lagas said. “Even though it’s a young group, we are going to play the best teams …. I think that they are buying in and learning. They have to realize it’s not going to take overnight.”
Reach sports editor Joseph Staszewski by e-mail at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com.
