Full Court Press: Defense Will Be Calling Card For Southampton Girls; Napier, Reed Will Lead Boys

When the Southampton girls basketball team took on perennial powerhouse Elwood/John Glenn last season, standout Glenn player Gabby Andreacchi dropped 25 points and led her team to an easy win.

But in this year’s nonleague season opener in East Northport on November 23, the Mariners showcased what will be their calling card this season, edging out the Knights, 37-36, on the strength of a punishing full-court, man-to-man defense.

With Southampton up by two points with three seconds left, Andreacchi drew a foul, but she missed the first shot, which allowed the Mariners to hold on for the win.

“I told the girls, she missed that first shot because we made her work for 32 minutes and she was tired,” Southampton head coach Richard “Juni” Wingfield said.

Whether or not the Mariners will compete for a county title remains to be seen, as the competition in Class B will be fierce this year, according to Wingfield. Mattituck, Center Moriches, Babylon and Southold/Greenport all bring back strong teams.

But Wingfield said his team will be in the thick of the race for one simple reason.

“I don’t know who will be the best team, but I can make us the best defensive team, and that gives us a hell of a chance,” he said.

This year’s team has “an incredible willingness to work hard,” Wingfield said, adding that “hard work has a payday.”

Southampton did not lose many starters from last year and returns several talented players who will lead the team. Senior captains Carli Cameron (forward), Hailey Beeker (forward), Madison Taylor (point guard) and Gabby Arnold (guard) will be formidable night in and night out, while junior forward Juliette Archer and junior guards Paige Garvin and Celia Ginsburg also will see plenty of time on the court.

All of those girls were members of the county finalist Southampton girls soccer team, and Wingfield said he always sees a strong boost when he has a team made of players who have seen success in another sport in the fall season.

Wingfield will have a deep bench, with 16 players on the team — he said he always tries not to make cuts — and he will use his bench frequently, because of the team’s commitment to playing an aggressive style of defense that will necessitate breaks to keep up that level of intensity throughout the full 32 minutes.

Hailey Cameron, Kiley Maloney, Amy Jimenez, Taylor Robinson and Danna Perez-Game are four more hard-nosed players who will be key to the team’s success. Wingfield is also excited for two newcomers, sisters Daelyn and Amadyah Palmore, to join the team. Amadyah, a sophomore, has “tremendous potential,” Wingfield said, and added that Daelyn, a freshman point guard, was the top player on the JV last year as an eighth-grader, and also scored 15 goals for the field hockey team this past fall. He labeled her as “a player to watch.”

Rounding out this year’s roster are Stella Lima and Juliette Kearns.

League VII will include Class B, C, and D schools. Southampton will play its fellow B schools twice, and will play the rest of the teams just once during the regular season.

The Mariners were scheduled to play at Eastport-South Manor in a nonleague game on November 30, and will visit Wyandanch for a nonleague game on December 6 at 4:30 p.m. They will have their home opener against Stony Brook on December 8 at 6 p.m.

For more than 30 years, Herm Lamison’s preseason goal has been the same: contend for the League VII and Suffolk County Class B titles.

It’s more of the same this year, and with two leading scorers from last season returning to the lineup, there’s good reason to believe the Mariners have a shot.

All-County senior LeBron Napier will lead the team this year, in his fourth season on varsity. He was the top scorer for the Mariners last season, averaging 18 points per game, and is a versatile player who can score from anywhere on the floor.

Junior Derek Reed, who returns as the starting point guard, averaged 14 points per game last season. Reed and Napier should be a formidable one-two punch for Southampton.

The Mariners will be bolstered by the return of senior Ryan Smith, a forward who missed all of last season due to injuries. He’s expected to be a key contributor this year. Andrew Venesina, a senior, was a standout as the team’s sixth man last season and has “great energy,” Lamison said, adding that he is a strong player on defense as well.

Freshman Naevon Jenkins should move into a starting role, after leading the JV as an eighth-grader last year, while sophomore Tyler Blake, standing at 6 feet 3 inches, will be a force off the bench, along with seniors Santino Arnold and Seven Smith.

Like their female counterparts, the Mariners will play in a League VII that includes B, C, and D teams, and they will play fellow Class B schools Mattituck, Center Moriches, Babylon twice during the regular season.

Southampton will play in the Kings Park Tip-Off Tournament in memory of former Kings Park assistant coach Gene "Pop" DeGraw on December 3, squaring off against Commack at 5 p.m. Wyandanch will also compete in the tournament. Southampton will host Westhampton Beach in a nonleague game on December 10 at 7 p.m.