PREVIEW: Lady Cyclones 2010-11 Basketball

After losing in the Nassau County Conference A semifinals last year, first-year coach Katelyn Dunn said she has one goal in mind for the South Side Lady Cyclones this year: be crowned conference champions.

"We want to be conference champs, and I definitely think it's feasible," Dunn said. "With the effort these girls put in, I don't see us not making the playoffs. It's not a goal. We better get there."

Leadership among the ranks, Dunn said, is key to the team's success. With four seniors leading this year's squad, there won't be a shortage of team unity or lack of work ethic, she said.

Led by senior Megan Lonergan — who will play for Queens College next year — the 6'1'' forward dominates the paint and will be the anchor of the Lady Cyclones inside game. Lonergan's game is multi-faceted, Dunn said, as the left-hander can pass, shoot, play the paint and post up. "She's a triple threat," Dunn said. "She can play the wing and play with her back to the basket, which makes her hard to defend. She can hit an elbow jumper as easily as a lay-up."

Senior forward Christina Merrifield will also help clog up the paint for South Side this season. Dunn described her as a "double-double every game" type of player because she has a nose for rebounds and loose balls.

Dunn explained that she wants her team to be better conditioned, and be as intense and prepared for the fourth quarter as they would be for the first. Though her name won't often appear in the box score, Dunn added that junior Caitlin Wallace will play a key role for the team as its defensive stopper. "She'll do the dirty work that makes us successful," she said. "She'll guard the best player on the other team and keep them under ten points."

The team's success is linked to how well the Lady Cyclones can play the interior, Dunn said. "I want to pound the ball inside," she said of how she wants the team to ideally run. "We may lack in points per game, but we'll make up for it on the defensive end. Sometimes the shots won't fall, but you can play defense every night."

The Lady Cyclones host the year's first tournament at the high school on Dec. 6. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.