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Sports

Lady Cyclones Rout Hempstead, 63-16, in Season-Opening Holiday Tourney

South side rattled off two, 21-0 runs to seal the victory.

The girl's basketball team utilized a series of impressive offensive runs on Monday night to help dismantle an over-matched Hempstead squad, 63-16, during the first round of its 2010 Holiday Tournament at South Side.

The Lady Cyclones opened the contest with a 21-0 run, setting the tone and pace for the entire game. They followed that with a 12-0 second quarter spurt, and closed out the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Tigers 21-0 before putting the brakes on in the final eight minutes.

South Side coach Katelyn Dunn said she was happy that her team is already starting to come together as a group in their first game.

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"I saw some good things from each girl, they really started playing better together," she said. "They were seeing each other well and connecting better than we could have hoped. They're starting to get more comfortable."

led South Side with 13 points and four rebounds, while Caitlin Wallace added nine points and four assists. Bridget Kiernan and Lauren Lopresti each netted six points against a team that had no upperclassmen on its roster, and also started two freshmen and an eighth grader.

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"This was a good chance for our girls to get some experience playing against a good team," Lady Tiger coach Martha Higgins said. "South Side has had some good teams, and they have a lot of senior leadership. We just don't have the experience that they have."

The rout also afforded Dunn the opportunity to see some of her non-starters in game-time situations. Junior Allison Bannon effectively ran the point and Kiernan cleaned up on the glass.

"We got to see some players that we wouldn't normally get to see — and we were definitely pleased with what they did," Dunn said. "The kids are all working hard, and it's nice as a coach when everyone is willing to put in the time."

South Side faces a stiffer challenge today, as they look to win the tournament they are hosting against Sacred Heart, who handily topped New Hyde Park earlier on Monday. The Lady Spartans run an aggressive pressure defense, Dunn said, which is something the Lady Cyclones need to work on improving against.

Despite the quick turnover before the championship game tonight at 7 p.m., Dunn explained that there's a lot of work to be done if they hope to make it a successful opening tournament. Sacred Heart is led by the talented tandem of junior Nina Corcoran and senior Taylor Higgins, who could present match-up problems for South Side.

"It should be a good battle, they have two really good players on their roster," Dunn said. "We have a lot of preparation to do before we play tomorrow. It's going to be a dogfight."

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