Allyson Murphy commits to Sacred Heart basketball

St. Anthony's junior Allyson Murphy earlier this week committed to play basketball at Sacred Heart University.

"They made her an offer in September and did a great job of recruiting her," Friars coach Ken Parham said of Murphy. "She visited the school on a few occasions and loved the team and the atmosphere."

Murphy, a Bellmore resident who transferred from Mepham after her freshman year, helped lead St. Anthony's to the CHSAA Class AA state semifinals in March. The previous season, she helped them reach the state Federation semifinals.

In the Friars' offensive system which uses a deep rotation and is predicated on balance and ball movement, Murphy averaged six points, four assists and two steals. The 5-7 guard has good game sense, hustles constantly and is a solid perimeter shooter. "She plays hard and has made sacrifices for the betterment of the team," said Parham, whose Friars went 19-7 last season. "She does whatever is asked, whatever is required to help the team."

Sacred Heart went 16-13 last season and reached the NEC quarterfinal. Academically, the university was ranked among America's best schools by U.S. News & World Report.

"Ally has a good understanding of the game and is a great teammate," Parham said. "She's a good passer and makes good decisions and, defensively, she's pesky. She has become a leader on and off the court. We're very proud of her."