St. Dominic girls basketball advances to CHSAA state semifinals with win over Kellenberg
Lilly Onorato late in the fourth quarter as St. Dominic secures the ball and a lead with just seconds left in a CHSAA semifinal game against Kellenberg on Saturday. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
On the back of some big moments from junior forward Lily Onorato, St. Dominic girls basketball is going to the state tournament for the first time this millennium.
Fourth-seeded St. Dominic defeated fifth-seed Kellenberg, 44-38, in the CHSAA Class A state qualifier game Saturday night at Molloy University in Rockville Centre.
St. Dominic (17-8) will now face upstate St. Mary’s 5:45 p.m. Friday at Christ the King in Queens in the semifinals of the CHSAA state tournament.
Onorato scored 12 points and dominated the glass with 10 rebounds. Seven of her points came in the fourth quarter. She also tallied five steals and two blocks.
Onorato is a soccer player by trade, a goalkeeper committed to the University of Connecticut. However, this accomplishment is one of the favorite ones of her athletic career, including her great soccer moments.
“I’ve been to states for soccer before, but never for basketball,” Onorato said. “This one feels even better, even if it’s not my main sport. I just want to help the teammates that are around me, who this is their main sport — especially my seniors. I love my seniors.”
While only leading by six points with 7:40 left, Onorato knocked down a stepback three-pointer from the right wing to get her bench riled up. Halfway through the final frame, she saved a loose ball on the perimeter and tapped it off a Kellenberg player to get possession back. Now with the ball in St. Dominic’s hands, Onorato got herself open on the back door, where junior guard Mia Padula found her for the easy layup to make it 38-29.
With 55 seconds left and St. Dominic’s lead trimmed to three points, Onorato hit another layup off an assist from junior guard Gabby Himmelstein to make it 43-38.
On the final defensive possession, the game ended fittingly: with Onorato intercepting a pass to end it.
“It has been a great, great run,” St. Dominic coach Paul Bianco said. “I came in here two years ago . . . and our mission has been to put Dom’s back on the basketball map of the Catholic league, where it belongs. Tonight, Lily was huge. Every hustle play that you could imagine, she was there.”
Freshman guard Ella Merkle had 11 points, two rebounds and three assists for Kellenberg, who finished the season 7-17.
