The East Meadow girls basketball team faced adversity from the opening tip this season but has fought back to find itself in the mix for one of the top seeds for the upcoming Nassau Class AAA playoffs.
The Jets lost their top offensive player, Angelina Cronin, to a season-ending injury in a season-opening 63-58 loss at MacArthur. Cronin, a junior point guard, averaged 16 points per game as a sophomore to earn Honorable Mention All-County honors for a second straight season.
“We've been behind the eight ball the entire season not having her and trying to make up 16 points in girls basketball is tough to find,” head coach Peter Olenik said. “A couple of our girls have stepped up admirably and have kept us competitive.”
Senior guard Kaya Lederer has helped fill the scoring void in Cronin’s absence averaging 18 points per game. Lederer netted 22 points and tallied eight steals in East Meadow’s 58-44 win at Farmingdale on Jan. 10.
Lederer has also been key to anchoring the Jets’ 1-2-2 zone defense averaging around six steals a game along with slowing down the opposing teams’ top scorers.
“She's a menace and she's a gnat on defense and frustrates all of our opponents,” said Olenik of Lederer. “I'd say half her points come off breakaway layups from her steals.”
Junior guard Kate Barnrett has also stopped up large on both sides of the ball this winter. The athletic Barnett, who is also a standout lacrosse player, scored 13 points with two three-pointers in a 70-61 road win against Manhasset on Dec. 22.
The Jets have also gotten solid inside play from junior forward Emily Zaradich both with scoring and rebounding. Zaradich, who also runs indoor track in the winter, brings plenty of speed and quickness close to the basket.
“She can beat anyone her size off the dribble to get to the rim,” Olenik said of Zaradich, who scored 10 points in a 64-50 victory at Westbury on Jan. 13. “Her athleticism makes us a better team.”
East Meadow returns from a 10-day break for midterm exams on Monday at Herricks with a 5-3 record in Conference AAA-1 and 8-5 overall. The Jets will then travel to Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK on Jan. 31 for an 11:45 a.m. tipoff.
Olenik is hoping his team can finish strong and grab the No. 4 seed for the postseason, which would give the Jets a home playoff game. He said the first half of an eventual 74-53 loss to longtime powerhouse Baldwin when East Meadow trailed 25-22 after two quarters gave a glimpse of his team’s potential to compete against the best.
“Baldwin is one of the best teams in the county and it was a three-point game at halftime," said Olenik, who two years ago guided East Meadow to its first every county and Long Island titles.
“When we're on our game, that's the type of team we are.”