Carle Place's Caitlin Leary scores 20 in win at Nassau Coliseum a day after recording her 1,000th point
Caitlin Leary of Carle Place goes up for two during a high school girls basketball game against Greenport on Saturday, December 23, 2023 at Nassau Coliseum. Credit: Dawn McCormick
A three-pointer here. A driving layup there. It felt as if Caitlin Leary was scoring from anywhere and everywhere on the hardwood floors of Nassau Coliseum.
The senior guard scored 20 points on Saturday morning to lead Carle Place past Greenport/Southold, 50-25, in non-conference.
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A three-pointer here. A driving layup there. It felt as if Caitlin Leary was scoring from anywhere and everywhere on the hardwood floors of Nassau Coliseum.
The senior guard scored 20 points on Saturday morning to lead Carle Place past Greenport/Southold, 50-25, in non-conference.
Leary’s performance came a day after her 29-point effort against Oyster Bay put her in the 1,000-point club for the Frogs.
“Last night really felt surreal,” Leary said. “I was so happy because both my sisters hit 1,000, so it was special for me that I got to continue the legacy and also get my 1,000 points and join the club, as they say.”
Leary’s sisters, Amanda and Erin, were both in attendance on Friday night. They both wore white shirts, that, when read together, spelled out “1,000.”
Leary also coaches a third-grade basketball team, which showed up wearing signs to show their support.
Leary, who is playing her fifth season for Carle Place, currently leads Nassau in scoring with 24.3 points per game. Beginning with a lovely euro-step layup and finishing with two consecutive three-point plays while fighting through contact, Leary’s game was complete from start to finish.
“Once they gave me that one step, the lane was easy for me to see,” Leary said. “If they draw two on me, I know my teammates are going to be there for the layup.”
“It’s like having a second coach on the court,” coach Conor Reardon said. “Knowing that she’s out there, it helps me breathe a little easier each game to know that she’s going to settle us down, run our offense and run it correctly … She’s the total package.”
Carle Place’s up-tempo pace caused issues for the Porters from the start. Paige Sehorn had three of the Frogs' five steals in the first half.
“We create a lot of points off our defense,” Reardon said. “Sometimes you’re not going to shoot the ball particularly well. But defense is always going to create offense, so I think that press really got us going.”
Carle Place was also helped by a strong rebounding effort. Ava Gomes, a freshman, is the only starter who isn’t a senior. Her 12 rebounds helped Carle Place earn plenty of second-chance opportunities.
“You can’t teach the rebounding she does.” Reardon said. “She’s one of the best rebounders in the county, and she’s only a freshman.”
Francesca Santacroce made three three-pointers and finished with 16 points for Greenport/Southold (0-3). Carle Place (6-2) enters the holiday break on a five-game winning streak.