Plainedge girls basketball wins Nassau 'A' title behind stout defense, Allison Younghans' 17 points
Plainedge wins the Nassau Class A girls basketball championship over Floral Park at Farmingdale State on Friday, March 6, 2026. Credit: Brittney Dietz
Defense has been the Plainedge girls basketball team's cornerstone all season, and in the biggest moment, it delivered a dominating performance.
"Our defense fuels our offense, that's why we've been so successful," coach Sarah Tansey said. "We knew we had to press [Floral Park] early, so we weren't playing as much in the half court. We tweaked some defensive matchups, and it worked."
It sure did.
The fourth-seeded Red Devils secured the Nassau Class A championship in a 48-28 victory over the third-seeded Floral Park at Farmingdale State College Friday evening. Plainedge captured its first county title since 2022.
"I'm so happy for this group of girls," Tansey said. "They worked so hard for this moment. I couldn't think of another group more deserving.
"I knew we were going to come out with intensity," she added. "They weren't nervous today, they were focused. This is the win that matters, and this is what we want to show what is really the heart of our team, and that's our defense."
Plainedge (17-6) plays Shoreham-Wading River (20-2) at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Stony Brook Arena in the Long Island Class A championship in a state subregional contest.
Junior guard Allison Younghans scored 17 points, Maddie Belz had 10 points and Peyton Wise added nine points for the Red Devils.
Plainedge started the game strong defensively with its man-to-man defense. The Red Devils made the Knights' ball handlers uncomfortable by forcing turnovers and capitalizing on their mistakes. Plainedge allowed only one field goal in the first quarter and three in the first half.
"We came in so prepared," Younghans said. "I never saw all of us be so focused defensively. We left our hearts on the floor."
Younghans and Wise opened the game on a 9-0 run that lasted five minutes, sparked by Wise knocking down a pull-up three-pointer.
"It felt great making the first basket of the game," Wise said. "But I knew I couldn't get too cocky. I had to keep going and go to the next play, no matter what happened."
Plainedge also went on a 9-1 run in the second quarter, capped off by Younghans' drive down the baseline for a tough finish around the basket.
"That kid has a motor," Tansey said. "To see her come out and put the whole team on her back and just be the leader that she is was amazing."
Christina Vargas scored 11 points and Juliette Payoute added eight points for Floral Park (17-6).
Now Plainedge's attention shifts to Shoreham-Wading River.
"We are going to take it one game at a time," Tansey said. "We've got to get stops and take good shots and execute well on offense, so we'll look at some film, and we'll figure it out."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
