Yesterday evening, the girls’ basketball team improved to 10-0 on the season and 5-0 in PSAA play with a 67-19 win at Martin Luther. The win not only extended the team’s best undefeated start to a season in their history but also gave coach Kevin Foley the 500th win of his coaching career.

Foley is a legend in the history of Long Island basketball. As a player, he starred for Seton Hall High School, where he averaged 30 points per game during his senior season. He held the Long Island career scoring record until it was broken by Mitch Kupchak in 1972. He went on to play at Seton Hall University, where he served as a captain and was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

Following his playing career, he began a coaching career that included a 24-year run at Suffolk Community College, where he became their all-time leader in wins with over 400. At Suffolk, his teams were defined as much by their excellence–with nine 20-win seasons, six Regional Championships, and a National title–as by their character, shown in their 12 regional sportsmanship awards.

Last night, in his tenth game as a Bear, he earned the 500th coaching win of his incredible career, which came with a twist of serendipity. Foley’s first coaching post was at Bayport-Blue Point in 1974, so wins #1 and #500 both came at Bayport.

Last night, the Bears won the first quarter for the tenth time in as many games, blitzing the Cougars in a 25-4 frame. Meaghan Doherty set the pace with 10 points, while Cassandra Rohan and Abby Smith got off to fast starts with seven points each. The lead grew to 43-11 at halftime behind nine more points from Doherty that included a pair of 3-pointers.

The Bears outscored their hosts 11-0 in the third before cruising to the win over the final eight minutes. Doherty led all scorers with 30 points, including 5 three-pointers that upped her Long Island-leading total to 29. Rohan finished in double-figures for the ninth time this season with 11 points. Smith (7), Emma Cohen (6), Payton Martin (5), Scarlett Davey (4), Jocelyn McCrain (2), and Mairead Reitzel (2) rounded out the Bears’ scoring.

The Brook is back in action this afternoon in a non-league match-up at St. John the Baptist.

---