Playing on back-to-back days is a situation no coach is comfortable with, according to East Meadow girls’ basketball head coach Pete Olenik.
But that’s just what his Jets were facing, with a rescheduled game at Herricks tipping off last Friday at 5 p.m., followed by an 11:45 a.m. contest against Plainview-JFK Saturday morning.
With less than 20 hours between games, East Meadow needed a Venti-sized boost for the quick turnaround.
Enter Angelina Cronin.
The junior guard, who has been out since the first game of the season due to injury, made her return and provided the necessary spark in the consecutive wins.
“That injection of offense from her is going to be huge headed down the stretch here,” Olenik said.
After scoring 14 points in limited minutes in the 54-36 victory at Herricks, Cronin knocked down three 3-pointers to again score 14 points in the 59-31 win over Plainview-JFK.
“The girls were excited to have her back,” Olenik said. “This is a very close-knit group of girls. They’re very tight on and off the court, they have tremendous chemistry. They’re all very good friends, they’re great kids, and they’re fun to coach and fun to watch. They work so hard.”
East Meadow (10-5, 7-3 Conference AAA) showed no signs of fatigue last Saturday, racing out to a 23-8 lead in the first quarter, playing strong defensively, which led to fastbreak opportunities.
The Jets, though, got away from that in the second quarter, allowing Plainview-JFK to chip away at its deficit from the foul line.
Olenik challenged his squad at halftime to play better on the defensive end, and the Jets took that to heart, outscoring Plainview-JFK, 18-8, in the quarter to win going away.
Kayla Lederer scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Jets. The senior guard, one of the top scorers in Nassau County this year, is an All-County candidate with “leadership qualities galore,” according to Olenik.
“She’s also probably one of the top five defenders in the county,” he said. “She does it on both ends of the floor.”
Emily Zaradich added eight points in the win. The junior track star shows great poise on the court and provides athleticism and necessary height.
Sophomore Allie Barnwell, who had 10 points against Herricks, added four points in the victory against the Hawks. She was instrumental in stepping into the starting lineup when Cronin was out.
“There’s no ceiling for her. She’s only going to get better,” Olenik said. “She’s produced admirably on both ends of the floor, so I’m proud of her.”
And even though Kate Barnett didn’t score against Plainview-JFK, the junior guard brings all the intangibles needed to get a win.
“Even when she’s not scoring, she’s doing other things, playing tremendous defense, making the extra pass to get someone open for a shot, being unselfish,” Olenik said. “She didn’t score [Saturday], but we wouldn't win without her on the court because she does so many other things that make other players better.”
Next up comes a pivotal late-season clash against Syosset on Wednesday at 5 p.m., a game that could determine the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the postseason.
“I like the way we’re playing right now,” Olenik said. “With Angelina back, I think our tank is up now, and we’re ready for the stretch run.”