Girls Varsity Basketball Team Finishes with 18-3 Record
Coached by Mike Petre and assistant coaches Pat Murray and Nicole Dierna, the Girls Varsity Basketball Team had another successful season by winning their League Championship, reaching the Suffolk County Class AA Finals for the third time in the last four seasons, and finishing with an 18-3 record. They were ranked as high as number 5 in NYS and resoundingly defeated opponents this season by such scores as 101-24, 100-45, 93-30, and 70-38 before finally being unexpectedly defeated by Sachem East 72-69 in the County Finals. In the past four years, they have compiled an 82-13 record and won four League titles and two Long Island Championships. As Coach Petre says, “We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our seniors who have really helped forge a legacy here at North Babylon. In my 21 years as a coach, this was certainly one of the hardest working groups I've ever been around. In addition, there was a great mix of youthful enthusiasm and veteran leadership, which made it fun to come to practice everyday."
Bria Hartley was clearly the star of the Lady Bulldogs; in fact, she was the heart and soul of the team. She excelled on both sides of the ball with an average of 30 points per game, 5.7 steals, 7.4 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. She was also the three point goals leader with 47. In a County playoff game against Sachem East, she scored 51 points and almost pulled off a win for the team. Finishing the season with a career high of 1,978 points, she accumulated a number of prestigious awards. She was named Miss Suffolk Basketball for the 2nd year in a row and she is also the Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second straight year. In addition, she was one of 48 players selected for the McDonald’s All American game on March 31 in Colombus, Ohio, and she will also play in the Nike All American game on April 3 in San Antonio. It is no wonder that UCONN Coach Geno Auriemma heavily recruited her to play for his team next year.
Bria was helped by senior Katrina Plummer who averaged 11 points per game and was named All County and 8th grade wonder woman Charise Wilson who averaged 9 points per game, made 32 three pointers, and was also named All County. Then there was the very talented 9th grader, Jalen Powell, who scored 18 three pointers and was named Rookie of the Year.
The team was named a Scholar Athlete Team for the 4th year in a row. Other members of the team who won honors are Jeanette Scott and Casey Fillipone who were named All League, along with Bria, Katrina, and Charise.
