Westhampton girls basketball's Sandra Clarke has big fourth quarter to key win over Islip
Sandra Clarke of Westhampton attempts a jump shot in the first quarter of a Suffolk League IV matchup against host Islip on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
At this point in their high-school careers, winning basketball games is second nature.
Westhampton seniors Sandra Clarke and Jasmine Taylor, as well as junior Kate Sweet, have been playing varsity girls basketball together for four years. In November 2022, the trio took over a program that had won just 10 games, finished .500 and missed the playoffs the year before. Their presence has transformed Westhampton into one of Long Island’s perennial powerhouses, as they have won over 10 games every year since their varsity debuts.
They have already matched that number this season, as Westhampton defeated host Islip, 55-50, on Wednesday night. The win keeps Westhampton (10-2, 8-0) atop the Suffolk League IV standings. Clarke was yet again a big factor in the win with 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Six of Clarke’s points came in a dicey fourth quarter. Her final basket came with 1:39 left , when she drove down the left lane, put up a contested layup with her left hand and got the roll. The bucket broke a 50-50 tie for good.
“We truly are competitors at heart,” Clarke said. “Coach [Katie] Peters tells us that it’s earned, not given. We know the work we put in at practice, and we just make it show. We know that no one works as hard as us, so we let that be known through these wins.”
Islip (8-2, 5-2) had hung on tight from the second quarter on and scored six consecutive points to even it at 50. Junior Cali Addeo scored the tying basket on a backdoor layup off an assist from Grace Ryan with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Westhampton’s elders took the game over from there.
With 1:08 remaining, Clarke threw a long inbounds pass to Taylor, who made a full-extension, leaping catch to save a turnover. She then found sophomore Chloe Blowes on a backdoor cut, allowing her to lay it in and go up 54-50.
Taylor then secured two more of her 11 total rebounds in the final 20 seconds. She added eight points, two assists and a steal. Sweet contributed 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
Part of Westhampton’s transformation into one of Long Island’s elite team's is its ability to close out games. Sweet, who scored four points and added a steal during the fourth quarter, attributes that ability to the rapport the three veterans have built.
“I think a bunch of it has to do with our chemistry together,” Sweet said. “All of us have a really good understanding of the game and a passion for the sport. I think that’s really what it comes down to.”
Senior Abbey Dieumegard led Islip with 15 points, followed by Rylee Moran with 14.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
