Sandra Clarke shakes off hard hit and helps Westhampton girls to victory over Comsewogue

Just a couple minutes into Westhampton’s home game against Comsewogue, Sandra Clarke took an inadvertent smack to the face. On the same play, she was charged with a foul for a reach.

There was no pleading or explaining. Clarke just took a deep breath, put on a wry smile and reset herself before using a crossover dribble on a Comsewogue player a few minutes later, leading the opponent to fall to the floor as Clarke tried a three-pointer.

The three-point attempt didn’t land. But that would end up being a rarity in a blowout victory for Westhampton, which defeated Comsewogue, 60-24, in Suffolk IV girls basketball on Thursday.

“I knew not to get mad at what she did,” Clarke said. “ . . . Even though I missed the shot, I just did what I did.”

It was a complete game of basketball for Westhampton from start to finish, holding Comsewogue to its lowest point total of the season while scoring the Hurricanes’ most points since Dec. 4.

Clarke was brilliant at point guard, finishing with 13 points, eight assists — five in the first half — and four steals despite dealing with foul trouble in the second quarter and resting with other starters in the fourth quarter. There were possessions with minimal dribbling where the ball barely touched the court thanks to how well the Hurricanes passed the ball.

Clarke and fellow sophomore guard Jasmine Taylor were a remarkable duo, as Clarke would draw defenders out before dishing it to Taylor in the paint for a layup.

“At the end of the day when we score, it’s not saying whose basket it is,” Clarke said. “I know my bigs can finish . . . (Taylor) is my bestie in school and it translates on the court.”

Taylor, who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and the Hurricanes were dominant on the glass. Westhampton outrebounded Comsewogue 38-21. Forward Chloe Blowes, an eighth-grader, had seven rebounds off the bench.

“It’s something they care about, and they go up and are determined to get rebounds,” coach Katie Peters said. “That’s been one of our identities in most games. We are hitting the boards hard.”

The Hurricanes established their dominance early with a 19-5 lead after the first quarter, helped by three three-pointers by freshman Kate Sweet, who finished with 15 points.

“Kate has a special level of grit and resilience,” Peters said. “She showed it last year as an eighth-grader, and she has an ability to turn the switch on. And when that switch is on, she just goes.”

Westhampton sits comfortably atop Suffolk IV at 13-1 and is 9-0 in league. Comsewogue (8-5, 6-2) is in second place.