Sleepy Hollow Girls Find Success In O'Hara Summer League

Last season, Sleepy Hollow girls basketball coach Nick Romeo piloted one of the youngest teams in school history to a Section 1/Class A playoff berth.

The youth-laden core was led by several underclassmen and featured just one senior in since-graduated Kerry Oliviera. Oliviera, a veritable walking double-double (Oliviera averaged 10.3 points and nearly 10 boards per game this season), authored a commendable four-year career.

Beyond Oliviera, the Horsemen featured a wealth of freshman, sophomores, and a top-notch junior guard in Jamie Bucci.

The youthful core solved the chemistry over the course of a 13-6 campaign which saw them quell a putrid 17-year playoff drought.

This summer, Romeo jumped at the opportunity to enter the girls into the O'Hara Summer Basketball League at Irvington Scenic Park. Romeo couldn't patch together a team for the summer last year and was able to squeeze in this year after one team unexpectedly bailed out at the last minute.

The youthful Horsemen have been playing with most of their starters and workaday varsity players. Recreating the polished inside-outside game and transition leak-outs that earned them those 13 wins in 2011, the Lady Horsemen have picked up where they left off.

They've reeled off five straight wins in the early going, establishing themselves as one of the few undefeated teams in the league. The team's production has been underscored by victories over two-time defending state champion Irvington and traditionally dominant Rye.

"It still summer league, but anytime we can beat Irvington is a good sign," said Romeo, adding that Irvington was missing some of their star-encrusted lineup.

"The biggest aspect has been the commitment to the girls. They're all showing up, which is part of the reason why we're winning. Because we have a pretty full squad that we're putting out there. We are missing a few key girls, there are a few exceptions but the results have been great. Jamie Bucci is there every night. Barbara Good is there every night. Daniella Carissimo is there every night. Grace Carr is there every night. Jess Tucci is there every night."

In addition to the returning regulars, the team's bench depth has helped wear out teams and made a seamless transition to the varsity-level league.

Vanessa Onwe, Jamie Volpe, Rebecca Leeper, Ruby Bencosme, and incoming freshman Alexandria Davis-Sumter have all held their own.

Davis-Sumter canned the game-winning bucket in the win over Irvington and could earn meaningful minutes on the varsity tier next season.

"I think that's the first time we've beaten Irvington in anything," said Romeo with a chuckle. "The main thing is we're all able to communicate and play as a team."

Romeo expects to reap the rewards of the summer league play, considering this is an accurate depiction of what the Lady Horsemen will have on the floor next season.

Several other teams have bought into the concept of developing their younger players. AAU, summer travel teams, and vacation time has taken some players away from their hardwood homes, forcing teams to play with a piecemeal lineup.

Not for Sleepy.

The team has executed the same plays and recipe for success it will rely on when the scorching summer heat folds and the team relocates into the warm gym.

The aforementioned Carr, who played a significant role as a freshman this past season, has come into her own. Utilizing refined back to the basket moves and gobbling up rebounds, the sophomore-to-be has the potential to be a major interior presence at Jamie Bucci's disposal.

Jenny Bucci, who will also be a sophomore next season, has also evolved into a mainstay in the back court with fellow sophomore sharp shooter Jess Tucci.

Romeo knows it is too early to kick-start the hype machine and that these games won't earn them anything during the official season. He believes this team oozes of promise yet is cognizant that Rome was not built in one day. 

Still, winners are made when fewer folks are watching.

The games are played under the lights, usually at the point where the suffocating heat tails off, from 6-9 p.m. There are light crowds as the teams go head-to-head on the banks of the Hudson River. Various teams throughout Section 1 are using the area's top outdoor league to sustain chemistry and springboard to success.

Romeo, who has proven to be the basketball junkie he professed to being since he was hired nearly six years ago, says the commitment to the team concept has helped lift Sleepy Hollow.

The path to the summer league championship will likely go through Irvington. The 2011-12 Irvington team will feature the three-headed monster of Brittnai Lai, Lexi Martins, and Marley Giddens. All three are potential Division-I prospects.

Martins, who was named New York State Class B Player of the Year in 2011, is being hounded by high-profile programs such as Rutgers and Brown. A double-double cyborg who is fundamentally sound in all facets of her game, Martins will be a handful.

Don't Sleep on Sleepy. The tight-knit core's early start could potentially be a harbinger of things to come next season.