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Dec. 20th - Thursday: Brentwood 6 - 17 - 33 - 41, Bayport 12 - 19 - 32 - 38. Forget about the difference in school classification for a moment, this game had the feel of a playoff game. Through most of the the first half, Bayport continuously frustrated Brentwood at both ends of the court. Brittney Coverdale was handling the ball and finding open teammates. Meanwhile, Brentwood couldn't get out of each others way - turning the ball over, missing open shots and being outhustled. Brentwood seemed to get a second wind when Amanda Jiminez was injured on a contested layup. Their intensity picked up and slowly Brentwood got back into the game. At times, Brentwood was all over the offensive boards only ot come away with nothing for their effort. The threesome of Coverdale, Clarissa Coverdale (inside) and Kerri Stoothoff (outside) were holding their own against the more athletic Brentwood squad. Early in the second half, Bayport opened a 5 point lead and it looked like they were ready to pull away as Coverdale continuously penetrated the Brentwood defense, while Stoothoff was dropping in your face threes from long distance. Stoothoff and her teammates were feeling it. Brentwood led by Megan Gwynn (at times looked she ill), Ruth Vargas (who would just will her way to rebounds down the stretch) and Jasmine Burwell started to claw their way back into the game - they became physically imposing all over the court. The third quarter ended with the score tied at 32. In the 4th quarter, both teams went at it like prize fighters knowing that with one punch they could end it - but to their credit neither team would blink. Bodies were flying all over the floor for loose balls, layups were hard to come by and shots were heavily contested. Between the two teams a combined 7 points were scored over the first 7 minutes, Down the stretch with 39.2 to go, Bayport went up 38 - 35, only to see Brentwood's Erica Edwards drop a tear drop in the lane to pull within one. With Bayport bringing the ball up, Nejauchia Epps (transfer from Central Islip) stole the ball and drove to the basket, only to be fouled. Epps proceeded to hit both free throws with 17.7 on the clock. Bayport had one last chance but a missed attempt was rebounded by Burwell, who drove the length of the court. Her missed layup was followed by her teammate Epps to close out the scoring at the buzzer. Both teams left it on the court with their outstanding effort - Bayport's has to get more production from their role players, while Clarissa Coverdale has to become more of a presence and consistent in the paint. Brittney Coverdale does a nice job at the point while Stoothoff is old school with a some flair to her game. She is not afraid to wear her emotions on her sleeve and show it during the game. Meanwhile, Brentwood has added some new faces - Epps has come over from Central Islip, Brianna Harris moved in from Florida. Look for Melody Lewis and Deslyn Applewaite to provide some much needed help off the bench this year. This team might not be the most gracious but physically you are going feel it when you play Brentwood. Word is that both Coverdale's have decided on what schools they are going next year - as soon as we find out, it will be posted on site's link (College Players).
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