Sofia Della Ratta has star performance as North Shore girls advance to Nassau Class A semifinals

Sofia Della Ratta knew there was a Hall of Famer in the crowd on Thursday there just for her. It wasn’t the first time, but the North Shore senior loves every time her grandfather, Jerry Houston, can make a game in person and it gives her that little additional push to be at her best.

Houston, who played for St. John’s in the 1960s, is a member of the St. John’s Athletics Hall of Fame and Della Ratta’s grandfather. With her “Popa” in attendance, Della Ratta had a star performance with 25 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks to lead host No. 3 North Shore to a 42-30 victory over No. 6 Plainedge in the Nassau Class A girls basketball quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon.

“When he comes here to watch me, I have to do my best in front of him,” Della Ratta said. “He supports me more than most others. I call him after every game so just having him here [is great]. I can look at him, and in a way, I can tell what he’s thinking.”

Della Ratta scored 12 of her 25 points in a second quarter in which North Shore outscored Plainedge 16-4 to take a 28-13 halftime lead. In addition to her scoring, Della Ratta was the top rebounder, a facilitator and a defensive leader. She even took a charge on the ensuing possession before creating and finishing a layup.

“She does everything,” coach Keith Freund said. “I feel like people see her points, but for a point guard who is like 5-6, she led our conference in rebounding and scoring. She plays defense, she does everything on the court. She prides herself on doing the little things.”

North Shore (15-6) plays No. 2 Wantagh (19-2) at 8 p.m. on March 6 at Farmingdale State in the Nassau Class A semifinals. North Shore led by at least 12 points for the entirety of the second half.

Alexandra Basile added seven points and three steals and Elizabeth Aurre had seven rebounds and three steals. Allie Younghans had 11 points and Peyton Wise added eight points for Plainedge (11-10).

Although Della Ratta was the primary force in the Vikings’ victory, she refuses to accept the accolades that come with it.

“I feel like everyone just pushes everyone even more,” she said. “It’s definitely not a one-man show. It’s moving parts all over and everyone comes together and that’s when really good things happen.”

“She’s a security blanket for everyone,” Freund said. “We know when things aren’t going well, we can get the ball to her and she’ll make a play happen.”