By Benito Vila
‘Tis the season. Holiday lights are going up around town, trees are being trimmed and everyone’s checking their lists.
It’s no different at Pierson. The decorations have been hung in the gym with care knowing that the Lady Whalers soon will be there.
Tuesday opens the League VIII season for the girls, who aim to be in the county playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. Coming in are the Shelter Island Lady Indians; tip-off is set for 5:45 p.m.
So far, Pierson has had two non-league games, both losses, against Mattituck and Southampton, teams likely to play for the League VII title. Today, the ladies go west to Rocky Point to meet, a League V school, in their last pre-season test.
Captains Come Through
In re-capping the pre-season season opener, Pierson girls’ varsity coach Dennis Case said, “We had some first-game jitters at home against Southampton. We were very mechanical, but there were times we settled down and saw how good we could be.”
The game started slowly, both teams tied at five late in the first quarter before the Lady Mariners went on to open a 19-13 advantage by halftime. The Lady Whalers closed to within four in the third before the visitors went on a 10-2 run to open up a 12-point lead.
That run proved to be the difference on the scoreboard, Pierson not able to close on Southampton the rest of the way, the 47-31 final favoring the Lady Mariners. Junior co-captain Sam James led the Pierson squad with 16 points, eighth-graders Annie Osiecki and Bridget Canavan contributing five points apiece.
In the Mattituck match-up Monday, the other junior co-captain, Sarah Barrett, totaled 13 points, her classmates Kaci Koehe and Amanda Busiello lofting in five points and four points, respectively. That effort was just not enough to overcome the Lady Tuckers’ aggressive attack.
In describing the outcome, a 67-26 loss, Coach Case said, “Mattituck was an awesome team in all aspects of the game. They start five seniors and their experience made a difference. We played well for seven minutes, but then we made too many unforced errors. We did beat the press but didn’t finish on the other end.”
“Sarah had a very nice game leading the team. She was solid at point guard and drove well. So did Amanda. As a team, we’re young but we need some seasoning. The good thing is we’re athletic and smart. That’ll give us a solid future.”
Confident his team will once again reach the playoffs, Coach Case sees Tuesday’s opener as a way to mark “how good we are in the league.” League play continues next Friday in Southold.
The school holiday breaks up the schedule some, with non-league games set at Hampton Bays and Bay Shore, before league play resumes at Ross January 5. By then, the girls will know what their season holds for them and if they have anything to dread.
JV Breaks Out
In describing his team’s 42-32 loss to Southampton last Friday, Pierson girls’ JV coach Kevin Barron said, “The difference in the game was turnovers. They came out with a pressure defense in the second half that forced us to commit too many turnovers.”
“What I did like was our defense and our ability to fast break. Our forwards did a great job of getting the ball to our guards off a rebound, which allowed the guards to push the ball up the floor.” Alissa Clermont led the JV Friday with eight points. Julia Schiavoni and Maricarmen Chavez each added six.
Today, Coach Barron’s team goes to Rocky Point, playing before the varsity game. On Tuesday, the JV tips off against the Shelter Island JV at 4 p.m.
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