Somers returns with Blowout Win over Sleepy Hollow

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On Monday January 6, Somers returned to school, and the girls basketball team really answered the bell versus Sleepy Hollow. They jumped out to a 20-2 lead and went onto an 56-21 victory. But Olivia Allegretti didn’t take the easy victory for granted.

“Every game matters, and so does pulling out a win as a team,” said the senior.

Even so, the Tuskers did take a little time to get the gears grinding. A few miscues and misses, the Tuskers had the Horsemen doing the same for the first 90 seconds.

But Sydney Ingraham got her team going by intercepting in the back court and putting a bounce pass on Kacey McCullough in the paint. She rolled to the hoop, dropped the layup and hit one from the line.

Then after Ashley Kuchinsky got to the line on a fast break, Sleepy Hollow got as close as they would get. Lauren Monachelli took the in bound, crossed over the paint and hooked one off the glass.

A pretty play, Somers countered with scenery of their own. Ingraham drove for two, Eliana Contreras’ steal turned to foul shots on the fast break and Kuchinsky drained a triple for an 11-2 lead.

The defense did not rest either. Allegretti pressured the steal in the corner, got the ball ahead to Contreras and she contorted her way to the glass. Off the rim, the freshman sank two foul shots nonetheless and closed quarter’s scoring by moving without the ball. The guard got the step, Ingraham had the read and Contreras took it over the shoulder for the layup.

A fifteen point lead, the Tuskers weren’t done showing off the class of 2028. Sophia Valenzuela took a pass in the corner from Allegretti, and the three point swish expressed what the freshman put into words later. “I’m very excited to be able to do what I’m passionate about - especially with my teammates,” Valenzuela assured.

Monachelli did finally break the 16 point run with a put back, but Somers quickly answered. Above the arc, Mia Paulmeno saw a lane, sidestepped the interior defense and went underhanded off the glass to go up 18 again.

20 points next, Valenzuela helped do the honors. She grabbed the defensive rebound, streaked up court, and in finding Maeve Cleary on the bounce pass, the point guard voiced her favorite part of the game. “I like giving people the opportunity to score,” she said.

Onto the third, Valenzuela handed back off to her counterpart. Up to the task, Contreras glided the baseline and hit a floater off the window for a 26-4 lead.

Seven straight Sleepy Hollow points followed, so Contreras played stop gap with her passing. After Kuchinsky fed Contreras near the Tusker bench, Kuchinsky went on the go and Contreras lofted the give. No dribble, Kuchinsky took the step and banked the layup to restore order.

Now 28-11, Contreras maintained the 17 point lead by going solo. She sliced through the paint for an underhand layup, and then the bigs showed they could pass too.

McCullough pulled down the offensive rebound, and despite being surrounded by horses, she was still able to spot Allegretti on the move. The Tusker missed the layup but sunk two from the line.

Of course, the front and back court have no problem working together. Give and go again, this time Contreras had the step on the Kuchinsky read. A miss was no bother, though, because McCullough had the put back.

The center could also play small. On the baseline, McCullough faked her defender off the ground and dropped a baseline drive that would make any guard proud.

A 25 point lead, Kuchinsky and Allegretti put it out of reach with a pair of threes to end the quarter and Valenzuela’s triple to end the game demonstrated the seamlessness of this team, according to Allegretti. “Our bench is really strong,” she concluded. “We can put pretty much anyone in, and we flow together well.”