Lady Royals Open Season with Loss to McGann-Mercy, 22-47

The Port Jefferson girls’ varsity basketball Royals, 0-1 (0-3), are having a tough time getting off on the right foot, after playing about half the usual preseason schedule. Monday night, the Royals played their first regular season game against the McGann-Mercy Monarchs, 2-1 (3-4), and lost 22-47, unable to make up for a size and age disadvantage.

Heroes: Although it was an uphill battle for the Royals from the start, a few players found their groove once the offense was able to set up plays. Teresa Gomes, a freshman, tied the team lead in scoring with 6 points from aggressive drives and well-timed shots. Captain Anastasia Lennon, also had 6 points.  Lennon was able to set the tempo for the Royals and move the ball around to find spacing for some needed shots.

Turning Point: The beginning of the game showed some nervousness from the girls. There were awareness issues on the court that allowed frequent turnovers from passing. When the Monarchs took over on offense, they didn’t hesitate to feed the ball low for the mismatched sizes at forward positions. The Monarchs scored 13 in the first quarter, while the short time that the Royals held onto the ball went without points. 

In the second quarter, the Royals brought in some height and Gomes’ 6 points rallied the team to their best performing quarter of the game; the Royals scored 12 to the Monarchs’ 14 points. But, the Royals were unable to continue their improvement, as they scored a combined ten points in the final two quarters.

Quote: “We knew they were a good team.  We played them in December, and that ended closer, but today they seemed to hit every shot they put up," Port Jefferson’s head coach Debbie Brown said after the game. "We’re a much smaller team, and it’s not like we can stretch ourselves out, we can only make up for size with boxing out for rebounds, so we’re going to continue to work hard and get better as a team. When we start finishing, we’ll find success."

Bottom Line:  Size is certainly going to be an issue for the Royals this season, but as coach Brown said, there are ways to make up for it. The early jitters are understandable; the girls’ last game was a scrimmage nearly a month ago, so in a way, their season is just beginning. Some teams in League VIII played 7 games before their season started, and that early competitive practice can have strong affects on a team’s readiness. This is a growing process, and with as many underclassmen as were on the court today, each game is going to see the play getting better.

Box Score:

Who’s Next: Thursday, Jan. 13 at the Stony Brook School, 1-0 (2-2), 4 p.m.