Mia DeSimone's energy helps Sayville come back for victory against Kings Park
Mia DeSimone of Sayville, left, looks to drives to the net as Ryan Currier of Kings Park defends against her during the fourth quarter of a Suffolk League V girls basketball game played at Sayville on Thursday. Credit: James Escher
Sayville girls basketball coach Phil DePompeo said it’s the seniors who are expected to step up when the pressure’s on. Mia DeSimone did just that on Thursday in Sayville’s 48-37 comeback win over Kings Park in Suffolk League V.
The Golden Flashes trailed for the entire first half and were down by eight at the end of the second quarter. “At the beginning, we just didn’t come out with a sense of togetherness,” junior guard Ava Vadyak said. “We weren’t playing our game.”
After halftime, a switch from man-to-man defense to a 1-3-1 zone defense and the energy brought by senior forward DeSimone helped the Golden Flashes go on an 11-4 run in five minutes that tied the score at 34.
“We knew coming out of halftime that we had to bring up the intensity,” DeSimone said. “I wanted to be that person who brought energy, and I knew the rest of the team would follow.”
Vadyak’s three-pointer with two minutes left in the quarter gave Sayville its first lead of the game, and DeSimone capped the third quarter with a steal and a layup as the Golden Flashes went ahead 40-34.
The victory was sealed in the fourth quarter when DeSimone hit two layups, Lucy Livingston added one and Maddie McKillop sank two free throws.
“In my head, I knew what I was capable of,” said DeSimone, who finished with 10 points, eight in the second half. “I just thought, ‘I’m going to do what I need to do and do it for my team.’ ”
Vadyak had 15 points and five assists. “Everyone knows Ava’s our go-to person on the court,” DePompeo said. “She knows how to handle any situation that’s thrown at her.”
He added, “Out of our 13 players, we have seven seniors and I keep telling them this is their season. It’s up to them how they want this to go, but so far, I think it’s going pretty well.”
The Golden Flashes are 7-1 overall, with their only loss to Westhampton in December. They will face Harborfields in their second League V matchup on Saturday.
“This team is made up of so many amazing, unselfish players,” DePompeo said. “If we want to keep this winning streak alive, we can’t have any letups. We have to keep pushing and keep playing our game, but I’m proud of everything they’ve been able to accomplish so far.”
Madison Schultz scored 12 points and hit three three-pointers for Kings Park (4-5). Ryan Currier also had 12 points.
