HUNTINGTON STATION, New York, Jan. 8
BY: Andrew Wroblewski
The Lady Wildcats of Walt Whitman High School’s girls basketball team won a nail-biter on Tuesday. With just two seconds left in overtime of a League II matchup against Connetquot (0-4), Whitman’s Rosa Portaro sealed the victory by hitting 1-of-2 foul shots. The Lady Wildcats won 40-39.
Portaro, a sophomore guard, scored 5 points in the victory including the game-winner. Brittney Coleman, another sophomore, added 11 points – her first of the season – from the guard position. The second half of the “R.P.” tandem, junior Rose Pedretti, also added 11 points in the win – along with 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
Trailing Connetquot, 27-26, to start the fourth quarter, Whitman clawed to a 2-point lead with five seconds remaining in the game. The Thunderbirds’ Jenna Phillips then tied the score with a jumper. In overtime, Whitman outscored Connetquot 4-3 for the win.
With the triumph, the Lady Wildcats climb to 2-2 in League II play – they’ve claimed two-straight victories against divisional opponents. In league games this season, that “R.P.” duo has been a strength for Whitman. Pedretti (15.75 points per game) and Portaro (15.5) have led the Wildcats in scoring.
The win also serves as a bounce-back game for Whitman, which entered Tuesday’s contest riding a three-game losing streak – including a Dec. 27 loss to Elwood John Glenn (4-0), 58-38.
Regular league play continues for the Lady Wildcats on Friday as they welcome the Thunderbirds of Half Hollow Hills East (2-2). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. in Walt Whitman High School’s South Gym.
Originally published: Long Islander News: The Long Islander
(Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015; A31)
Andrew Wroblewski 