Girls basketball notebook: Hills East's Rose Azmoudeh has upped her game
Rose Azmoudeh, always a great shooter for Hills East, has added a new dimension to her game for the Thunderbirds. Credit: James Escher
Half Hollow Hills East girls basketball coach Adam Cirnigliaro has seen a different version of Rose Azmoudeh on the hardwood this season. Azmoudeh was one of Long Island’s top three-point shooters last season, sinking 55 shots from deep in 21 games. But Azmoudeh was determined to be viewed as more than just a shooter this year, and she’s proving that to begin her senior season.
The Hills East senior is averaging 26 points per game in the first seven contests of the season, including posting 42 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a 72-57 win over Copiague on Dec. 22 after scoring 32 points with nine rebounds and five assists the day before in a 65-39 win over Smithtown East.
“She’s extremely confident right now,” Cirnigliaro said. “The biggest thing is she’s developed into someone who’s scored more going to the basket than she ever used to. It was a huge emphasis in the offseason for her and she spent a ton of time in the offseason in the weight room. She’s a lot stronger than she was in the past, so she feels more confident taking contact and finishing at the basket.”
But Azmoudeh would rather spread the praise to her other teammates. She’s the team’s leading scorer by a significant margin but doesn’t want to discuss her individual accolades much.
“It’s really a credit to my teammates,” Azmoudeh said. “Everyone works so hard in the offseason and shows up to practice every day and gives a ton of effort. You can tell on the court that everyone plays so well together and we’ve all done really great these past couple of games.”
Hills East has won three straight games after dropping its first four contests. Two of those games came at the “She Got Game” Classic in Washington, D.C., one of the best girls basketball showcases on the East Coast. Azmoudeh scored 27 and 29 points against strong competition in Washington.
Azmoudeh is still an elite shooter, averaging 3.4 made three-pointers per game, but her ability to attack the basket has made her one of the best overall scorers in Suffolk.
“Confidence is everything,” Cirnigliaro said. “There’s so many kids that have rather similar abilities and kids that are playing with more confidence are the ones that have more success. And for her, it’s just a credit to how much time she’s put in because I think that’s where her confidence comes from.”
Joining the 40-point scorers club . . . twice
Jasmine Mckay, a junior guard for North Babylon, scored 43 points against Newfield on Dec. 8 and added a 40-point performance against Copiague on Dec. 20. The 43-point outburst came in a 72-51 win in an electrifying matchup between two of the best guards in Suffolk. Raiyah Reid had 33 points for Newfield. Mckay leads L.I. in scoring (28.3 points per game) through Thursday.
Roslyn off to a strong start
The Bulldogs had their first winning season since 2019 last year, according to Newsday records, but this year could lead to something even bigger — a conference title. Roslyn and Garden City are the last undefeated teams in conference play in Nassau Conference AA-II. The freshmen duo of Madison Glasco (15.7 points per game) and Avery Minsky (7.4 ppg) have played huge roles for Roslyn, which went 3-8 in conference play last year. Roslyn plays at Garden City at noon on Jan. 6.
