Witherspoon is MVP as Blue Devils
Win Tournament
The Huntington High School girls’ basketball team had no problem putting the ball in the basket as the Blue Devils outscored their opponents, 119-34 to win the Newfield Tournament during the winter break.
The Blue Devils bested Port Jefferson in the finals, 49-18 behind Raynisha Witherspoon’s 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tara Byrnes added eight points and six rebounds and Heather Forster pumped in six points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Huntington (6-1) had a blistering first quarter, building a 21-4 lead after eight minutes. The Blue Devils were ahead 31-9 at halftime. The game saw 11 Huntington players score, including Katie Nugent, who had four points and nine assists and Joellen Ceide, who tallied four points and seven rebounds.
Witherspoon was named the tournament’s MVP and Forster and Nugent earned spots on the all-tournament team. Huntington head coach Mike Kaplan was clearly pleased after the Blue Devil won the championship. “It was an excellent team effort,” he said. “The team has really started to click. Team chemistry has been the key to our great start.”
In the first of two games on back-to-back days, Huntington swept past McGann-Mercy, 70-16. Forster led the way with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Nugent added nine points, seven assists and three steals and Witherspoon notched five points and pulled down 10 rebounds. The Blue Devils connected for eight three-point baskets in the game.
Huntington’s engine was firing on all cylinders against McGann-Mercy. Caitlyn Knowles had eight points and Lindsay Sullivan had eight points and three steals. Emma DeGennaro had six points and Ceide added five points.
Blue Devil Notes: Huntington outscored Port Jefferson in the second half, 18-9 . . . Mackenzie Maloney had five points against Port Jeff . . . Katie Reilly had three points against the Royals and Ellyn Byrnes, Lindsay Sullivan and Brooke Baade scored two points each, respectively . . . Also scoring against McGann-Mercy were Tara Byrnes (four points), Maloney (three points, five assists, seven steals), Ellyn Byrnes (three points) and Reilly, Emma Hughes and Baade, who each added two points.