Leary sisters propel Carle Place to its sixth straight Nassau Class B title
Erin Leary of Carle Place drives to the net during the Nassau Class B girls basketball final against Friends Academy at Farmingdale State College on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. Credit: James Escher
The Carle Place girls basketball team has become a juggernaut in Nassau Class B, winning the past five county titles.
With a plethora of players returning from last year’s Long Island Championship team, expectations were high to start the season. Despite the hype, four-year starter and five-year varsity player Erin Leary recognized that winning it all is anything but a given.
“It’s hard because people expect so much and think it’s an easy thing to do, but the nerves are still there, and all the emotions are still there,” Leary said. “It’s important to remain focused, know what you have to do and get it done.”
After scoring just two points in the first quarter, the junior piled up eight points in the second and 10 more in the second half, finishing with 20 in top-seeded Carle Place’s 53-23 win over No. 3 Friends Academy in the Nassau ‘B’ championship Friday evening at Farmingdale State College. Leary added 12 rebounds to finish with a double-double.
The Frogs clinched their sixth consecutive county championship, won their 12th straight game and improved to 18-3 overall. Danielle Davis led Friends Academy (10-9) with nine points.
Amanda Leary, a sophomore and younger sister of Erin, scored four of her team’s first 11 points and helped give the Frogs a 11-5 lead after the first quarter. She totaled 10 points and eight rebounds.
Amanda Leary of Carle Place, right, drives to the net during the Nassau Class B girls basketball final against Friends Academy at Farmingdale State College on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. Credit: James Escher
Carle Place outscored Friends Academy 14-5 in the second quarter and took a commanding 25-10 lead into halftime.
“It’s always important for us to have a good lead going into half because it builds up our confidence for the rest of the game,” Amanda said. “It helps calm our nerves.”
Erin and Amanda are just two of three Leary sisters on the Carle Place team. Their youngest sister Caitlin (4 points) is an eighth-grader. All three of them now have multiple county championships.
“I get to play with my best friends. Not that many people get that opportunity,” Erin said. “Being on this court with them, I look for them, and I know that they will always have my back.”
Carle Place will next face Port Jefferson, the Suffolk ‘B’ champion, on Monday, Mar. 9 at 7 p.m. at Newfield in the Long Island ‘B’ Championship.
“It’s going to be different seeing a team for the first time this year, but I have faith in my girls,” first year head coach Conor Reardon said. “It’s going to be a battle, it’s going to be a great game, but we are going to do our best to defend our Long Island title.”
