Coming into this season, the Lakeland girls basketball team knew it was going to have to play without Tori Jarosz, who helped lead the Hornets to the state finals in the 2009-10 season before graduating last June. Jarosz, now playing in college at Vanderbilt University, was one of Section 1's all-time best frontcourt players.
While losing Jarosz was a big loss, Lakeland was able to move on and earn a winning record (10-9) and a playoff berth in the Section 1 Class A tournament this winter.
"It was motivation for us losing Tori," Lakeland senior co-captain and guard Sara Oakes said. "We had more motivation to show people that we can still do it, we're still a good program, that coach (Steve) Fallo is still a good coach, we're still good players. It meant a lot to us to make sectionals."
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There, the No. 11 Hornets gave a solid effort but lost on the road to No. 6 Tappan Zee 52-42. Oakes said the girls played a good game. She was one of the Hornets three co-captains who led them to the sectionals. The others were senior forward Courtney Stokes and junior guard Emily Alicea.
"We all have been playing with each other since we were little," Oakes said. "We played AAU together, we played everything together. That's why we had the chemistry on the court that we did."
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Alicea helped develop that chemistry by being a solid floor general for the Hornets.
"Emily broke all the pressure, she gave us defense, she gave us someone who was a good all-around player," Oakes said. "She could also shoot. Whatever needed to get done, she could do it for us. She is a good point guard."
Stokes gave the Hornets agressiveness.
"Courtney is one of the most aggressive players I have ever played with," Oakes said. "She is always getting rebounds and diving for loose balls."
Stokes is someone that the younger girls on the team look up to and really wanted to play like, according to Oakes.
"That's because she always hustled and did the best she could defensively, she was our best player," Oakes said of Stokes.
Oakes gave the Hornets offense and provided plenty of hustle on defense. In addition, she had plenty of experience, as she was a four-year varsity player at Lakeland.
"I am going to miss playing and being with my teammates all the time," Oakes said. "I'm going to miss having coach Fallo be there to support you in everything you've gone through. I going to miss going to the locker room after every game, win or lose, because there you are with your team and they are always going to be there for you."
