Top seed Lynbrook advances to Nassau Class A girls basketball final
Kaitlyn Benedict of Lynbrook, right, gets congratulated by head coach Koren Pena as the final seconds tick down on the Owls' 83-53 win over Seaford in the Nassau Class A girls basketball semifinals at Farmingdale State College on Thursday. Credit: James Escher
“It’s Our Time” is the Lynbrook girls basketball team’s motto this season. Lynbrook has come so close to earning a county championship in recent years, but now the Owls finally seem ready to bring home the title for the first time since 1978.
No. 1 seed Lynbrook defeated No. 4 Seaford, 83-53, in the Nassau Class A semifinals on Thursday night at Farmingdale State College.
Lynbrook (20-2) will play the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 Wantagh and No. 3 North Shore at 6 p.m. Monday at Farmingdale State College.
When the final buzzer sounded and coach Koren Pena looked at the scoreboard, she got emotional.
“I knew we were going to come out here on a mission, but I could have never foreseen this,” Pena said. “They’re just so special. They really put it all out here.”
Seaford broke out of the gate quickly with a 12-4 run, but it didn’t take long for the Owls to take control.
Senior Kaitlyn Benedict hit three three-pointers and totaled 11 points in the first quarter as Lynbrook brought a 25-19 lead into the second period.
She finished with seven three-pointers and a season-high 23 points.
“I just had faith in myself every time I got passed the ball,” Benedict said. “It’s a really exciting feeling to watch them fall.”
Lynbrook led 42-29 at halftime, but it wasn’t until the third quarter that the Owls were really able to pull away.
Senior Brooke Mazzei scored 11 of her 23 points and senior Cate Jennings had eight of her 18 to key Lynbrook’s 23-10 run.
“I think the speed and the energy of it all at the beginning threw us off guard,” Benedict said. “It started off a little slow for us, but once we got in our groove, it all was working.”
Senior Sophia Dwyer had 13 points and eight rebounds. Jennings had seven rebounds and Mazzei had six.
CJ Block finished with 14 points for Seaford (15-7).
Mazzei said team chemistry is one of Lynbrook’s greatest strengths.
“I think that’s what sets us apart from any other team in the conference,” she said. “We know each other better than anyone else. I’ve never doubted any of them to be able to play their games and help carry me when I’m down.”
Lynbrook lost in the county semifinals last season, in the county final two seasons ago and in the county semifinals three seasons ago.
“From the second we started practicing this season, we knew this is what we were working towards,” Jennings said. “We know what it feels like to get this close, but we don’t have another year. This is ‘Our Time.’ ”
