Port Washington Youth Activities (PYA) concluded a successful 2015-16 girls basketball season and tipped off its own version of March Madness on Saturday, March 12, with a full morning of basketball in its kindergarten through seventh-grade programs. This included championship and consolation games in the fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade divisions in front of a packed gym at Weber Middle School.
Team Hot Shots, coached by Phil Galasso, won the sixth-seventh grade championship over Team Maley by a score of 22-13. The Hot Shots were led by Morgan Cress, Megan Daly, Kaitlyn Esposito, Luka Galasso, Kako Kitahara, Alexa Nappi, Sophie Penson, Emma Schor, Jessica Siciliano and Claire Spina.
The sixth-seventh grade consolation game was equally as exciting with Team Duffy sneaking by Team Livingston with a score of 31-26 with the help of two-period ending long buzzer-beaters.
Team Purple Lightning Bolts, coached by Tom Cassidy and J.B. Mallah, won the fifth-grade championship with a thrilling 25-24 come-from-behind victory over Team Dash. The Purple Lightning Bolts players were Brigid Byrnes, Espy Cassidy, Sydney Elkins, Allison Greilsheimer, Hannah Loeb, Talia Mallah, Liana Muller, Emma Ortenzi and Kate Schmitz.
The top-seeded Team O’Sullivan bounced back from a semifinal loss to beat Team Sparber by a score of 31-21 in the fifth-grade consolation game.
PYA had a record number of girls, nearly 300, participating in this year’s basketball program, including its kindergarten through second-grade developmental program and third- through seventh-grade basketball leagues.
Many of this year’s seventh-grade girls started in PYA’s developmental program in kindergarten, and have participated in PYA’s annual basketball summer camp run by Game 7 every July. For details, check out www.pyasports.org/game7.
PYA is a nonprofit, charitable organization formed to promote the exemplary development of local youth through participation in sports. PYA teaches teamwork and individual responsibility in an atmosphere of respect and sportsmanship. Go to www.pyasports.org for more information.
