Girls basketball player #20 Lauren Lopresti of South Side High...

Girls basketball player #20 Lauren Lopresti of South Side High School (Rockville Centre) is taken by stretcher following the first quarter. (Feb. 4, 2011) Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin

All the South Side bench saw was Lauren Lopresti coming off the court as the first quarter ended and motioning she needed to sit. Then Lopresti collapsed.

The South Side senior remained down and according to her coach, Katelyn Dunn, Lopresti's heartbeat was rapid. Eventually, she was taken by ambulance to South Nassau hospital.

Lopresti's father, Joe, returned from the hospital before the end of Friday night's game at Lynbrook with good news. His daughter was fine. It is believed she had the flu, according to Dunn.

"It was scary," Dunn said.

Dunn asked her team after Lopresti left whether they wanted to continue and they decided to finish the game. After a 21-minute delay, both teams were given three minutes to warm up and Lynbrook defeated South Side, 50-40, in Nassau Conference A-II girls basketball.

"She's the toughest kid I have," Dunn said of Lopresti. "That's why it was so tough to see that."

It wasn't easy for Lynbrook, either.

"It was so nerve-wracking," Lynbrook's Danielle Amaya said. "It was tough. It brought us down."

Added Lynbrook coach Heather Manikas: "It was a tough situation for both sides. Give South Side credit for wanting to continue. It shows a lot about that team."

Freshman Shannon Fay had 14 of her 15 points in a 30-22 second half and added nine rebounds, Amaya scored eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter, and standout Brooke Gerstman scored eight points for Lynbrook (10-4, 7-2). Christina Merrifield's had 13 points to lead South Side (11-4, 9-1).

Lynbrook led for the entire second half except for one possession in which the score was tied. Caitlin Wallace hit a three-pointer with 3:50 left to bring the Cyclones within 38-34 before Fay was fouled on a three-point attempt. She hit all three free throws to push the lead to 41-34. After Merrifield scored, Amaya hauled in an offensive rebound and hit a jumper with 2:39 left. Fay hit a three-pointer with 2:06 left and fed Amaya for a score to make it 48-38.

"That was the best game she played all year," Manikas said of Amaya. "When we lost to them last time, we had two players score most of our points. You can't beat a good team like that."

Lynbrook lost two of three when Gerstman was sidelined with a sprained ankle. In her absence, Fay stepped up. She did it again with excellent play in the post Friday.

"We needed her to rebound," Manikas said. "She reads the ball well. We're going to need her to play well in the post."

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