Glen Cove’s Taylah Hudson proved to be too much for Sewanhaka’s girls basketball team to handle on Friday, Feb. 14.
Hudson scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the second quarter to lift the Big Red to a 49-39 victory over the Indians in a Nassau Conference Class A first-round playoff game.
Sewanhaka finished the season 11-6.
“You have to take your lumps in the beginning when you’ve got a young team like this,” said Sewanhaka coach Alexander Soupios, whose team included only two seniors. “They have to learn what it feels like to lose in order to win.”
Glen Cove (12-6) advances to play at top-seeded North Shore on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
The Big Red outscored Sewanhaka 26-4 in the second quarter, turning a five-point deficit into a 17-point halftime lead.
Hudson, a junior guard, had three of her seven assists in the second quarter. She also grabbed four of her eight steals in the second, including one that a led to coast-to-coast layup from Hudson to give Glen Cove a 26-15 lead.
“It’s almost like they’re four of her out there,” said Glen Cove coach Greg Mayerhofer, who notched his 400th career victory earlier in the season. “I’ve coached some nice players over the years and she ranks right at the top.”
Sewanhaka was short-handed as junior point guard Daniella Ford sustained a neck injury earlier in that pivotal second quarter. She wasn’t cleared to play until midway in the third quarter.
“Daniella Ford makes a heck of a difference on this team,” Soupios said. “Her court vision is just so dynamic. It’s tough to replace something like that for
a while.”
Ford’s return did provide a spark for the Indians, as they reeled off eight straight points to cut the lead to 42-27 early in the fourth quarter. After trading baskets back-and-forth with Glen Cove, Ford assisted on a baseline 3-pointer to Jenny Pechacek to make it 47-35 with 3:48 remaining. On the next play though, Hudson scored on a pull-up jumper to seal it for the
Big Red.
Ford and Casey Hayes had 11 points apiece for Sewanhaka. Michelle Niles added 10 points.
