Senior guard Breanne Connolly scored a game-high 17 points to lead four Division players in double figures as the Lady Dragons rolled to a 65-33 win over the Valley Stream North Lady Spartans (9-7) on Friday, Feb. 18 in Levittown.
So much of Division’s success or failure hinges on senior point guard Taylor Malings, who averages 9.6 points and 4.5 assists per game this season. Valley Stream took an early 13-8 lead when Malings was sidelined in the opening minutes of the first quarter with a lower back injury. However, the medical staff on hand gave her a thorough examination and cleared her to return to the game for the second stanza.
With their star player back in action, the Lady Dragons rattled off 19 unanswered points in a ferocious second quarter. They held Valley Stream scoreless for a span of seven minutes and cruised into halftime with a 29-15 lead. Malings jumpstarted the Lady Dragons’ offense, scoring 12 points before the midway point.
“We just kept the pressure on,” said Division senior point guard Julie Ballantyne. “Luckily, Taylor’s injury was nothing serious and she was able to return to the game.”
Division senior forward Kristen Stuart (6 blocks and 9 rebounds) provided the muscle in the paint for much of the second half. Her strong defensive presence helped in holding Valley Stream to just six points in the third quarter and 12 in the fourth.
Breanne Connolly was the hot hand late in the game for the Lady Dragons. She scored 12 in the fourth quarter and drained five long-range shots from beyond the arc.
The win moved Division (16-1) into the quarterfinals of the Nassau Class A Playoffs, which took place on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at Division Avenue High School, the opponent, the eight-seeded Mineola Lady Mustangs, who finished 15-3 this year.
