Emma Priolo hits seven threes to lead North Shore win

Emma Priolo found her three-point stroke early and never lost it.

The junior guard scored a career-high 28 points, draining seven three-pointers in North Shore’s 68-46 win at Locust Valley in a non-league girls basketball game on Wednesday night.

“We really wanted to prove ourselves this game,” Priolo said. “We got some momentum early and we rode it.”

Priolo scored six points in the first quarter before completely taking over the second. North Shore went on a 15-0 run late in the quarter. Priolo scored all 15 points, sinking three three-pointers and finishing three layups in transition to send the Vikings into halftime with a 40-14 lead.

“I just remember feeling that momentum. We wanted to keep going and take our lead even further,” said Priolo, who had 22 points in the first half.

While she was held scoreless in the third quarter, Priolo got back on the board with a step-back three-pointer to give North Shore a 54-34 lead with 5:40 remaining. Priolo added four steals, two assists and two rebounds.

North Shore (3-1) played fast and aggressive from the start. While Priolo did much of the scoring, the Vikings’ offense revolved around ball movement. When they weren’t in transition, most of their possessions included several crisp passes until they found an open shot.

“Our ball movement is fantastic,” coach Keith Freund said. “There’s so much unselfishness and everyone’s moving the ball around.”

Junior forward Keira Pombar was a force in the paint, scoring 16 points and securing eight rebounds, including six offensive boards.

“We play very well off each other,” Pombar said. “When we kick the ball in to me, I like to feed it out to Emma a lot and I know she’ll knock down shots.”

North Shore’s full-court press smothered Locust Valley (2-2), helping the Vikings establish an early lead. Kylee Colbert led North Shore with eight steals, Sofia Della Ratta had three and Rebecca Rush added one.

“This is one of my favorite teams I’ve ever had,” said Freund, in his 17th year. “Everyone hustles and passes the ball and they play together. When we play with intensity, we’re a fun team to watch.”