On Saturday morning, the girls’ basketball team improved on the best undefeated start in program history by overwhelming Smithtown Christian, 68-27, to move to 8-0 on the season.

For the seventh time in eight games, the Bears ran up at least 20 points in the opening quarter thanks to a balanced attack that saw every starter score to build an early double-digit lead. Meaghan Doherty opened the scoring with a drive and a tough layup. Following a Knights’ 3-pointer, Cassandra Rohan dropped in a layup. The visitors answered with another 3-pointer, but it would prove to be their last lead of the game. An Abby Smith steal and layup leveled the score at 6-6 and ushered in a 16-2 run over the remainder of the quarter. A pair of free throws from Payton Martin gave the Bears the lead for good, but they led by only four following two Knight free throws. The Bears then closed with an 8-0 run to build a 12-point advantage. Rohan started the spurt with two free throws. Doherty followed with a fastbreak layup, courtesy of a pass from Smith. Rohan then capped the frame with a pair of layups that gave The Brook a 20-8 lead after one.

Martin opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to begin a 27-9 Bear blitz over the eight-minute period. With the Bears already ahead 31-15 midway through the frame thanks to defensive rebounds and steals that fed multiple fastbreak layups, the hosts unleashed a 16-0 run to break the game wide open. Three different Bears scored during the surge, beginning with a Doherty drive and layup, punctuated by 3-pointers from Martin and Jocelyn McCrain, and capped with a Doherty fastbreak layup on an outlet pass from Rohan. When the dust cleared, the Bears held a 47-15 lead and took a 47-17 advantage into the half following two free throws from SCS in the final second.

The Bears outscored the Knights 15-4 in the third frame, fueled by nine points from Rohan, on the way to the 68-27 non-league win. The Bears were a delight to watch, with an offense as balanced as it was unselfish. All five players are dangerous at all times on the floor because they look for each other and, more often than not get the best available shot in a possession. Their commitment and tenacity on the defensive side means they can run up and down with anyone.

Doherty led all scorers with 19 points to go along with 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Rohan recorded her sixth double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 assist. Martin scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Smith (8 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) made life difficult for the SCS guards with her constant hounding. McCrain (6 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) was once again the Bears’ Swiss Army Knife, doing whatever was needed to win the game. Emma Cohen (4 pts, 3 reb) and Scarlett Davey (2 pts, 2 reb) rounded out the Blue & White scoring.

The Bears are back in action tomorrow afternoon in a non-league test at Bayport-Blue Point.

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