North Shore girls basketball's Erin Lily La Rosa does it all in win over Island Trees
Erin Lily La Rosa of North Shore shoots a three-pointer during a girls basketball game against Island Trees on Wednesday in Levittown. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Erin Lily La Rosa arrived at North Shore as a freshman, learning the speed of the varsity game. Four years later, she’s the senior captain setting it. A do-it-all presence on both ends of the floor, La Rosa has become the Vikings’ most reliable force: scoring when needed, facilitating the offense, and anchoring the defense with relentless effort. With North Shore eyeing its first Nassau Class A championship since 2015, her leadership has become the program’s backbone, a role she reinforced in a 59-18 victory over Island Trees on Wednesday in Nassau A-II.
“She’s a great leader and sets an incredible example every day for the younger girls on this team,” coach Keith Freund said. “We always talk about effort, energy, and enthusiasm, and she has all three.”
La Rosa finished with 16 points, maintaining a scoring average of more than 14 points per game this season. But for Freund, the most impressive part of her game comes on the defensive end, an area the Vikings consistently emphasize. La Rosa added eight rebounds, three steals, and a block, impacting the game well beyond the scoring column.
“Rebounding is definitely what wins games, and it’s something we put an immense amount of work into,” La Rosa said. “We’re at a height disadvantage against a lot of teams, so we focus on boxing out and doing the little things, no matter the size of the opponent.”
“The only two stats we look at are turnovers and rebounds,” Freund said. “To us, those are the stats that really affect the game of basketball the most.”
That emphasis was well represented, as North Shore (6-2) out-rebounded Island Trees (2-4), 38-12, and committed very few turnovers.
Anabella Misiti added nine points and Katina Pappas added eight for the Vikings. Island Trees’ Emma Darcy had six points and four rebounds.
It was more than a win for Freund, who earned his 300th career victory in his 20th year coaching North Shore girls basketball.
“I’ve been so lucky for the last 20 years to have wonderful players and athletes year after year,” Freund said. “That’s why I’m still here. I would say I’m retiring, but how can I leave when I have such special players coming back?”
La Rosa, who had no idea about the achievement, broke into a wide smile when she heard the news.
“That is amazing, and this is so special to be a part of,” La Rosa said. “The amount of time and effort he puts into this team impresses us every day, and we are all so grateful for him.”
