Knights Spoil Lady Colts Opener

The only word to describe Uniondale's attack on Friday night is relentless.

From the opening tip-off, the Calhoun Lady Colts had very little room to maneuver, and that led to turnovers and baskets for the Knights. When all was said and done, Uniondale cruised to an easy 61-35 victory at Calhoun High School, but it wasn't all bad for the Colts in their season opener.

Calhoun's interior defense was excellent throughout the night, but Uniondale continued to make long shots from no-business angles.

"There's a reason why they are one of the best teams in the county," said Colts' Coach David Radtke. "We worked hard, and I think we need to keep it up."

It was a learning experience for the young Calhoun team, and they are slowly learning how to work together. Junior Meghan O'Sullivan led the way for the Colts with 13 points, and she liked what she saw from her teammates.

"I was very impressed with the team, and I thought we played well," O'Sullivan said. "This is a very good start against a tough team. We are going to learn as the season goes on."

One Achilles' heel for the Colts was their passing. When Uniondale pressured, the Colts attempted numerous cross court passes and not many of them made it through the defense.

It was the two captains for Uniondale that were a thorn in the Colts' side. Senior Ifeanyi Ofili led the way with 24 points, and that impressed Radtke.

"She might be the best player in the county," he said.

The secondary scoring for Uniondale came from Siara Lowry, who tallied 16 points on the evening, all of which came in the first half. She nailed a couple of three-pointers early, as well as another three-point play, and both helped put the game out of reach for Calhoun seemingly before it had really started.

For the Colts, Jessica Ruggiero provided some secondary scoring with six points.

Although there was a stark difference in the score for the majority of the game, Calhoun impressively kept up the fight. At one point in the third quarter, the Colts trimmed the Knights' lead to just 11, but they were unable to get any closer. Just when it seemed like they figured out the Uniondale puzzle, the Knights would strike with a painful blow.

On a positive note, the Colts were solid from the free throw line. On several occasions, they were able to force the Knights into sloppy fouls, and they made their foul shots.

It just wasn't enough for victory.

Calhoun will look to build on this game and will go for its first win on Tuesday when they will lock horns with Seaford.