Casey Kissinger, strong defense lead Wantagh into Nassau Class A final

Wantagh had faced off against Lynbrook twice already this season, losing both games. But anything can happen in the playoffs, and when Wantagh senior guard Casey Kissinger hit three three-pointers in the first half, it was clear things would go differently under the lights at SUNY Farmingdale on Thursday night.

No. 4 Wantagh defeated top-seeded Lynbrook, 38-27, in the Nassau Class A semifinals. Kissinger finished with a game-high 13 points while adding three steals and five rebounds.

“It feels great,” Kissinger said. “It’s amazing to even be playing here and starting hot like that. It’s great because I helped my team and we all wanted to go to [the county final].”

Kissinger said not much felt different this time around, though the bigger stage did spark a heightened feeling of now or never.

“The last two times we played them, it was a fight,” Kissinger said. “Today I think we just had that extra motivation … I think it just made us play much harder than normal.”

Wantagh (18-4) returns to the championship round for the first time since 2019, with the opportunity to bring home the first county title for the town since 2006. It faces No. 3 Cold Spring Harbor at 7 p.m. Monday at SUNY Farmingdale. 

Junior captain Juliana Cerasi added nine points, nine rebounds and three steals. Cerasi or teammate Kayla Mannix — who added nine hustle-filled rebounds — would often kickstart fast breaks off a steal that Lynbrook struggled to transition against.

Mannix (three steals) had a great defensive game, interrupting passes as Wantagh’s starters finished with a 14 combined steals. Wantagh also outrebounded the Owls, 31-17, as Lynbrook failed to score 40 points or more for the first time all season.

“[Mannix] can guard [guards to centers], she’s super athletic and she’s learning the game,” Wantagh coach Stan Bujacich said. “She just makes big plays when it counts.”

Bujacich said the team begun to believe over the summer that this group could do something special, despite having a 5-15 record in 2022-23.

“The girls are very focused, they pay attention to detail,” Bujacich said. “That’s all I can ask for as a coach.”

Senior captain Brighid Smith finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two steals, with her contributions coming in key moments. She scored four of her points off offensive rebounds, hit a deep two-pointer in the fourth quarter to extend the lead into double-digits while also getting an offensive rebound to seal the win with a minute left in the game.

Junior center Cate Jennings led Lynbrook (17-4) with 11 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Jessie Vuotto also shined off the bench with 10 points and four steals