Read’s ego takes a hit, along with Clippers
MUSTANGS 69, CLIPPERS 28
Joe Read has a running joke that the state of his ego has a direct correlation to the wins and losses of his Southold/Greenport high school girls basketball team. So, after the Clippers suffered a 41-point shellacking at the hands of Mount Sinai, a reporter asked Read where his ego meter currently stood.
“I came in up here,” he answered, holding his hand about head high, “and now I’m down,” he said, bending low and holding that same hand about knee high. “They were us, where we want to be.”
Mount Sinai has a young team. Real young, as in a squad that includes two seventh-graders, an eighth-grader and two freshmen. And, get this, they all play. Oh boy, do they play.
The Clippers saw for themselves on Monday when Mount Sinai shot out to a 20-8 lead on the way to a 69-28 non-league win on its home floor. Two freshmen led the way. Victoria Johnson poured in 23 points and Veronica Venezia turned in 19 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Altogether, nine Mustangs scored.
With an additional 10 rebounds from Olivia Williams and 9 from Carly Tucci, Mount Sinai (3-4) held a 46-28 rebounding advantage.
That may in part account for the Mustangs’ 49.2-percent field-goal percentage (29 of 59). The Clippers (2-5), on the other hand, struggled mightily trying to put the ball in the basket. They shot 19.3 percent from the floor (11 of 57).
Cari Gehring was the top scorer for the Clippers with 7 points.
It was a humbling experience for the Clippers, but one that brought value, nonetheless. Read said it was good for his players to face this sort of competition as they strive to improve.
In the first quarter Johnson scored 9 points and Venezia added 7 as Mount Sinai bolted to a 20-8 lead on the strength of 9-for-16 shooting. The Mustangs’ lead bloated from there. They led, 35-17, at halftime, and 57-21 after three quarters.
