Naysha Trent and Larissa Ellermann hoping practice makes perfect for Suffolk CC women's basketball team

Learn how to practice like a winner and the winning will take care of itself. That's what winners do.

So say sophomores Naysha Trent and Larissa Ellermann, who are preaching that phrase to their Suffolk CC women's basketball teammates as the 2014-2015 season approaches.

Both like what they see thus far.

"It's been about staying in your position, staying in your spot and not letting anyone get that first step up near the free throw line and the corners of the free throw line," said Trent, a 5-8 guard who played at Riverhead. "Everyone's been doing their part in practice in the 2-3 defense."

If everyone does their part in the games, Suffolk CC hopes to unleash its greatest strengths: rebounding and athleticism. The team's confidence in both those areas should help the perimeter game on offense.

At 6-3, Ellermann will be the leader on the boards at center.

"What I'm witnessing a lot of is that we're focusing on defense first, which I like," said Ellermann, who averaged a team-best in points per game (14) and rebounds (13.8) and was second in the nation in blocks (4.6) last season. "It's about hustling back on defense because that gives you points on offense. Hands high, take away the baseline and take away the paint."

Coach Kevin Foley has other phrases he uses to motivate.

Such as: Do you want to be contenders, or pretenders? Pretenders talk a lot, winners work. Learn how to dig deep.

"If we're going to contend and get to championship weekend, they have to be committed to getting better each day in practice and to giving us maximum effort," Foley said. "We've got to find three other scorers for the people who can get us 30 points or more. This team can get back to the final. We've got to get enough from the kids who didn't play a lot last year."

Trent, who averaged 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season, and Ellermann know where he's coming from. The Sharks' go-to players seek a return appearance into the Region XV championship, which they lost last season to Sullivan County CC.

Freshman forward Tah'Joenae Hinton, who played at Longwood, is one of those other players Foley is talking about.

"Having a guard and a big like that allows us to hold things down," said the 5-10 Hinton of Trent and Ellermann. "They pick us up and keep us together when things aren't going right. We can be really powerful."

The main concern for Cindy Edwards, a 5-5 sophomore guard from Comsewogue, is the team's unselfish play.

"Sometimes there's a little too much passing," Edwards said. "Don't shy away. If you have an open lane, take the shot, or go for the layup. Stay aggressive."

Suffolk CC, which last won the regional title in 2011 and the national title in 2003, will open up at home against the Borough of Manhattan CC at 1 p.m. on Jan. 3.

"Coming into practice is like going to a classroom," said Foley, who is five wins away from 400 with Suffolk CC. "You've got to learn how to be taught. Each day and each week, get better at some aspect of the game."

And then the winning takes care of itself.