Syosset girls fall to Liverpool in state Class AAA semifinals

TROY — This moment was years in the making for the Syosset girls basketball program. But it needed a team unlike any other to become the first one to exit Long Island to compete for a state title.

This was that team.

But after winning the first Long Island crown in program history the week before, Syosset lost to Liverpool, 65-56, in the state Class AAA semifinals at Hudson Valley CCC on Saturday.

“I thought this group was unique because we had a lot of athletes who really bought into their role,” coach Michael Ferreira said. “ . . . A lot of years we’ve had some great kids and maybe the pieces weren’t just right, but this year just felt like we had all the pieces and kids who wanted to do their job and do it at a high level and play for each other.”

The Syosset program has been nearing a trip to Troy for years. In the county final in 2022, Syosset lost a two-point game to Baldwin, which eventually reached the state final. Two years later, Syosset beat Baldwin in a county final before losing to Whitman in the Long Island final.

This year, Syosset finished 21-4, winning both a county and L.I. title to advance to Troy.

“We’re the first team in Syosset history to walk through these gym doors and compete for a state title,” Ferreira said. “And those are memories these girls will have with them forever, so we have a lot to be proud of.”

Junior guard Samantha Schneider led Syosset with 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. She also scored her 1,000th point. Kate Nelmes added 18 points and four steals and Ivy Matthews had nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

“I am super-proud,” Schneider said. “No one would have thought we would have made it this far and we just kept going. Eventually, it was going to come to an end, but I’m so proud of how hard we competed.”

Syosset was able to get on the fast break early, closing the first quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 16-8 lead and then expanding its lead to 19-8 on Schneider’s three-pointer 15 seconds into the second quarter.

Liverpool (20-4) cut Syosset’s lead to 28-23 with 50 seconds left in the second quarter before Schneider’s three with 12 seconds left gave Syosset a 31-23 lead at halftime.

Liverpool opened the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 36-31 lead before beginning the fourth quarter on an 8-3 run.

“We competed for 32 minutes and we gave them hell,” Schneider said. “They were tired, we were tired, but we didn’t give up. They did outrebound us at the end, but we were still trying to hustle. We gave our all, but we didn’t win it.”