On November 29, the Bears topped East Hampton 51-15 in a non-league match-up out east. Yesterday evening, the Bears had a rematch with the Bonackers and once again imposed their will in a 62-26 win that improved their overall record to 12-2.

The Bears got a lift before the game when Jocelyn McCrain, who was previously ruled out for the season, returned to the lineup after being medically cleared. The sophomore picked up right where she left off before her December injury by connecting on a 3-pointer on the Bears’ first possession. Meaghan Doherty followed with her first of eight steals and converted the layup for a 5-0 lead. Payton Martin then drilled consecutive jumpers from the corner and the foul line to build the Bear margin to 10-0. Consecutive buckets by Cassandra Rohan and a 3-pointer and layup from Doherty helped give The Brook a 20-6 lead after one.

The Bonackers’ offense found a new gear in the second quarter as they doubled their production from the first frame, but it still wasn’t enough to carve into their deficit as the Bears turned steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds into fastbreak points. A Martin steal led to a Doherty fastbreak layup. Consecutive steals from Doherty led to layups for Abby Smith. Every time the east enders gave the ball back to the Bears, they looked to push it up the court. In the waning seconds, Doherty drilled a corner three off of an in-bounds play to give the Blue & White a 36-18 margin at the break.

In the third, any hopes for an East Hampton comeback were quickly dispelled when Doherty connected on consecutive 3-pointers to build a 42-18 lead. The Bears continued to delight the Swanson crowd with their defensive commitment and unselfishness that made all five players dangerous at all times. The total team effort gave The Brook a 56-21 advantage as the game moved to the fourth quarter.

Despite a substantial lead, the Bears did not let their defensive energy dip, led by Smith, who terrorized the Bonac guards with four of her seven steals in the frame as the Bears cruised to the comfortable win.

Doherty led all scorers with 20 points, to go along with 12 rebounds, 8 steals, and 6 assists. Her four 3-pointers upped her Long Island-leading total to 42 for the season. Another day another double-double for Rohan, who recorded her 11th of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She nearly turned it into a triple-double with eight blocks, which included a pair of swats on one possession. Smith filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 7 steals, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds. Martin (8 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast), McCrain (5 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Quinn Davey (4 pts, 5 ast, 2 reb, 1 stl), and Mairead Retizel (2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast) rounded out the Bear attack. As a team, the Bears registered 21 steals and 11 blocks in an impressive defensive effort.

The Blue & White are back on the court next Wednesday when they face off with Waldorf in a PSAA match-up at Island Garden.

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