The Wantagh girls basketball team needed some key plays late in its first matchup against Plainedge this season. When they met again, Plainedge still wasn't going to make anything easy for the defending Nassau Class A champions.

Wantagh ultimately defeated host Plainedge, 43-40, in Nassau A-I play behind Kayla Mannix's 24 points on Monday. A tough conference rematch, Wantagh coach Stan Bujacich said he knew the game would be gritty.

“We came out a little flat, but you have to give [Plainedge] credit because they made us play like that,” Bujacich said. “I have to give credit to their defense and their intensity. They’re a team that can get in your face a bit and we had to endure and work through that.”

After heading into halftime tied at 19, Mannix opened the third quarter with a three-pointer and put up 14 of her points in the second half to help give Wantagh the edge.

When Plainedge went on an 8-0 run to tie the score at 36 with less than four minutes remaining, Mannix grabbed a defensive rebound to begin her own 4-0 run. Mannix made a free throw and then stole the inbounds pass and hit a three-pointer to give Wantagh a 40-36 lead with about three minutes left.

“Rebounds can determine the outcome of a game,” said Mannix, who tallied 12 on the night. “A defensive rebound can save a game and there were a few situations like that today. It’s also huge for morale and keeping up the energy on the court and on the bench.”

Allison Younghans led Plainedge with 15 points and an assist as the Red Devils dropped to 14-6 overall and 8-4 in Nassau A-I. The win helped Wantagh preserve its spot at the top of the conference and improve to 17-2 overall and 10-1 in the conference. Isabelle Ferraro, who tallied five points and two assists in the win, said vying for the top spot plays a major role in her team’s motivation at this point in the season.

“We had to throw the first punch,” said Ferraro, a sophomore. “However we start the game is the most important part. We knew we had to win this one if we want to clinch the conference championship, so we had to talk and work together to get it done.”

With one regular-season game remaining, Makayla McNeil said all eyes are on the playoffs — especially when the competition may be familiar. The sophomore put up eight points on Monday.

“This game felt like a playoff environment,” McNeil said. “I think it’s important to be exposed to these types of tight games because they’ll just make us more prepared for the future, especially knowing this is a team we may see again.”

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