Porters girls basketball falls to Pierson as school honors championship legacy

On a Monday night on which Greenport High School remembered its past girls basketball championship teams, Francesca Santacroce made sure that she won’t be forgotten as well.

The senior guard scored nine of her team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the Porters from a 16-point deficit. Greenport/Southold pulled within five points, but Pierson went on to record a 50-39 victory.

It was an emotional night for Santacroce, who was the lone player honored on Senior Night in the final home game of the Suffolk County League VII regular season.

“I would put into words by giving the younger kids advice, just that it goes by so quickly,” she said. “Give it a roll, because you don’t know when your last time on that court’s going to be, if it is your senior night, or you get an injury, or whatever it might be. Just take it all in, because high school goes so fast. It’s really the best time of your life.”

Santacroce certainly has made the best of it, demonstrating her leadership in the fourth.

“No matter what point of the game it is, if you’re down by 20, you leave it all out on the court,” she said. “If you’re up by 20, you leave it all out on the court. Just to attack every loose ball, go as hard as you can, and just play your heart out. I set the tone for the girls, because this isn’t our last game. We have a long way to go.”

During halftime, the school honored its championship teams and its pioneers from the early days of Long Island girls basketball, with nine new banners (1973-74 through 1979-80 and 1981-82).

“That legacy of excellence continues to shape our program today,” athletic director Brian Toussaint announced to the crowd. “The championship banners now hanging in our gym represent not only wins and titles but years of hard work, dedication and pride in representing Greenport.”

Santacroce and her teammates did not watch the ceremony. They were listening to head coach Ev Corwin’s halftime speech. But the ceremony’s significance did not escape Santacroce.

“Greenport’s legacy with basketball is tremendous throughout all the years, boys and girls,” she said. “I’m so proud to wear this Greenport jersey and the community that comes out for every game. There are people in those stands who don’t know a single girl on the team, but they come and watch, because that’s just the kind of community Greenport has with basketball. I wish I could have seen it. I’ll probably go watch it back on HUDL. It’s really nice to see that people are getting the recognition they deserve, even if it’s so long ago. Those banners show that.”

Four players from those championship teams — sisters Connie and Deborah Solomon, Lisa Mellas and Theresa Tuthill — attended Monday’s game and were honored at midcourt during halftime.

They spoke to The Suffolk Times about their experiences, giving credit to coach and Greenport Athletic Hall of Famer Jane Utz.

“She was my mentor,” Connie Solomon said.

Her sister added: “She taught us … When I went to college, they were like, ‘Oh, you can use your left hand.’ She used to take an hour every day to teach me how to shoot.”

It remains to be seen if this year’s team will follow in their footsteps. The Porters (9-5, 7-5) have clinched a Class B playoff berth and could play a semifinal on Feb. 12. The final is set for Suffolk County Community College-Selden on March 3.

The Porters are a young team that includes starting eighth-grade guards Lyla Zablotny (eight points) and Lauryn Bednoski (four). They are a high-energy, scrappy side. However, given their youth, the team was prone to turnovers and cold shooting against Pierson (12-4, 9-3).

“We just shoot ourselves in the foot,” Corwin said. “This team has come a long way. We missed shots that girls make all day in practice. We’ve got to get to the point, confidence-wise, just being settled into the game. We’re still a team in progress. This loss still hurts. We just make too many mistakes. If we take care of that, we will be a tough out.”

Zablotny, who is averaging 8.7 points a game, is a candidate to follow in Santacroce’s footsteps and perhaps make some history herself.

“Fran is so welcoming,” she said. “She’s such a good person to have on the team, to be our captain and our leader. She brings the fire to the game.”