Longwood Wins With Free Throws:
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 13 Dec 1997
Sheri Eleazer sank the first of two foul shots with one second left in the fourth quarter to lift Longwood to a 54-53 win over Whitman Friday in a non-league girls basketball game. Eleazer scored 22 of her 30 points in the second half as Longwood rallied from a 24-22 halftime deficit.
Early in the third quarter, Longwood went on a 13-4 run to take a 42-32 lead, but Whitman rallied in the fourth behind Danielle Servedio’s two three-pointers and took a 51-47 lead with two minutes left. Eleazer followed with a basket and two foul shots to tie the score at 51.
LEAGUE I: Cheri Eleazer had 29 points and 10 rebounds as Longwood beat Brentwood, 60-29. Katija Topic had seven points and 12 assists and Alicia Eyde 10 rebounds for Longwood. Alma Miller scored 14 points, including three three-pointers, to lead Brentwood . Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Dec 1997
LEAGUE I
Longwood 23 11 7 17 58 Floyd 9 13 11 13 46Mellissa Danchalski scored 10 of her game-high 23 points in the first quarter as Longwood built a 23-9 lead in its 58-46 win over Floyd. Danchalski added 10 rebounds and Katija Topic had 10 assists to go with her six points for Longwood. Freshman Maggie Makofsky led Floyd with 16 points. L: Ecke 1-0-2, Topic 2-2-6, DeGiorgio 5-0-10, Danchalski 10-3-23, Eleazer 5-4-15, Cuozzo 1-0-2. Totals: 24-9-58. F: Santiago 4-1-9, Marichal 0-1-1, Maier 2-3-8, Stalker 6-0-12, Makofsky 7-0-16. Totals: 19-5-46. Three-point goals: L 1 (Eleazer); F 3 (Makofsky 2, Maier). Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Dec 1997
In other non-league action, Cheri Eleazer’s 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists led Longwood, a Class A semifinalist last season, to a 61-46 win over Bellport. Katija Topic added 15 points and 11 assists for Longwood. Shantelle Houpe led Bellport with 21 points. Bellport 10 16 9 11 46 Longwood 16 15 16 14 61 B: Rojnouth 1-0-2, D. Houpe 3-4-10, Mayo 1-0-2, Oliveri 1-1-3, Brothers 3-0-6, S. Houpe 9-1-21, Williams 1-0-2. Totals: 19-7-46. L: Eleazer 6-5-17, Danchalski 3-1-7, DeGiorgio 1-2-4, Eyde 4-5-13, Kranz 1-1-3, Topic 6-2-15, Brajevich 1-0-2. Totals: 22-17-61. Three-point goals: B 1 (S. Houpe). Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 18 Dec 1997
Brentwood 10 11 5 3 29 Longwood 13 19 15 12 60 B: Johnson 0-2-2, Joseph 1-1-3, Hilda 1-0-2, Miller 5-1-14, Noren 1-0-2, Murillo 3-0-6. Totals: 11-4-29. L: Topic 3-1-7, Degiorgio 1-0-2, Danchalski 3-0-6, Eyde 1-2-4, Fagan 2-0-4, Kranz 0-1-1, Eleazer 10-7-29, Cuozzo 1-0-2, Tucker 2-1-5. Totals: 23-12-60. Three-point goals: B 3 (Miller); L 2 (Eleazer). Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Dec 1997:
In other non-league action, Cheri Eleazer scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Longwood to a 54-38 win over Shoreham Wading-River. Katie Kearon led Shoreham with 24 points . Longwood 15 15 11 13 54 Shoreham-Wading River 9 11 9 9 38 L: Topic 4-2-10, DeGiorgio 3-0-6, Danchalski 3-0-6, Kranz 2-0-4, Wachtner 1-0-2, Eleazer 11-2-26. Totals: 24-4-54. SWR: Musso 2-1-5, Keillor 3-1-7, Pigeon 1-0-2, Kearon 10-4-24. Totals: 16-6-38. Three-point goals – L 2 (Eleazer 2). Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 24 Dec 1997
First-Round Walkovers:
By Alan Hahn. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 28 Dec 1997: C28.
Longwood improved to 6-0 with a 59-43 win over Bay Shore in the first game. The Mauraders (5-1) entered the game beating its opponents by an average of 15 points, but they couldn’t even get a lead against Longwood.
“Certainly, they’re the best team I’ve seen {this season},” Bay Shore coach Dan Weinstein said.
This coming from a coach whose Mauraders already have notched impressive wins over defending Long Island Class A champion Connetquot and tough Half Hollow Hills West.
But beating Longwood was too tall an order. With 6-2 guard Katija Topic running the point – yes, the point – and a pair of 5-11 twin towers in Melissa Danchalski and Danielle DeGiorgio up front, Bay Shore had its hands full. But it was the speed and athleticism of Cheri Eleazer that proved to be the difference.
“We’re tough to match up with,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said.
“The biggest difference was that they just always seemed to beat us down the floor,” Weinstein said.
And it always seemed to be Eleazer. The 5-7 junior scored 12 of her 24 points on fast-break layups. She scored seven straight points to end the second quarter and give Longwood a 29-19 lead. When the Marauders used a 7-0 run to cut a 12-point, third-quarter lead to 35-30, Eleazer answered with a layup off the transition.
“Every time we got to within {a few} points,” Weinstein said, “all of a sudden they scored easy transition baskets.”
Bay Shore still was in it as the third quarter ended, thanks mostly to the efforts of sophomore forward Schawniekaw Burton, who had 25 of her game-high 31 points going into the fourth. But a 6-0 run by Longwood to open the final quarter, capped by a stylish fast-break layup by Eleazer, made it 45-34 with 6:06 left.
Topic, a senior exchange student from Croatia, struggled with early foul trouble but still managed 10 assists. Eleazer added six assists and seven steals and Danchalski had 14 points. The Lions will play Connetquot Tuesday at 5 p.m. Bay Shore will face Huntington at 1 p.m.
Longwood Beats Floyd / Defense, Eleazer key elements in tourney victory:
By Brad Geiger. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Jan 1998
Following Tuesday’s second-round win over Connetquot in the Suffolk Shootout Tournament, Longwood’s Cheri Eleazer, who played well but couldn’t find her shooting touch, joked that she had “missed 17 shots.”
Last night, the 5-7 junior guard’s touch found its way back into the Northport gymnasium. Eleazer scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half as Longwood defeated Floyd, 48-33, in the championship game. Despite her success – she also grabbed 12 rebounds – Eleazer didn’t view the game as any kind of personal vindication.
“Not at all; it’s a team effort,” said Eleazer, who shared tournament MVP honors with teammate Katija Topic. Eleazer, who consistently acknowledges her teammates’ efforts, said the trait carries over from last season, when, as a sophomore, she played with seven talented seniors and had to fit in. “Next year when I’m a senior there might be another 10th grader who can score.”
This year’s Longwood team, at 8-0, isn’t void of talent. Sophomore forward Melissa Danchalski, who scored 23 points against Floyd when the Lions beat them in November, had 15 points. She, too, sports a team-first attitude. “{Eleazer and Topic} are the reason I scored that many points,” she said.
Topic scored just two points but had nine assists and 11 rebounds. More than any personal stats, it was Longwood’s defense that made the difference. The Lions, who won this tournament for the third time in five years, held Floyd (4-4) to 20-percent shooting in the first half while grabbing a 26-12 halftime lead. “We didn’t shoot well tonight,” Floyd coach Tom Ferrigno said. “I think our arms fell off after the first two games.”
“We take pride in our defense and make that a focus of our practices,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said. “We feel a great defensive team will beat a great offensive team.”
LEAGUE I: Danielle DeGiorgio scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half as Longwood outscored defending Suffolk Class A champion Connetquot 28-16 en route to a 47-35 win. Cheri Eleazer added 10 points for the Lions (3-0) and 6-2 guard Katija Topic had 8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocked shots. DeGiorgio added 14 rebounds. Christine Wakefield led Connetquot (0-2) with 10 points – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y].LEAGUE I Longwood 11 8 14 14 47 Connetquot 7 12 8 8 35 L: Topic 4-0-8, DeGiorgio 6-2-14, Danchalski 4-0-8, Brajevich 3-0-7, Eleazer 3-4-10. Totals: 20-6-47. C: Reese 3-0-6, Vroulets 1-1-3, Adamski 3-0-6, Weber 3-1-7, Wilk 0-3-3, Wakefield 5-0-10. Totals: 15-5-35. Three-point goals: L 1 (Brajevich).07 Jan 1998
Kaz Ties Record. Nicole Kaczmarski, playing with a severely sprained ankle, tied the Sachem school single-game record with 39 points and saved her best for last, scoring the final eight points as Sachem (5-0) extended a 61-60 lead into a 69-60 victory over Longwood (3-1) in Suffolk League I. Jan. 14
Kaz Ignites Sachem Win:
Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Jan 1998
Nicole Kaczmarski was doubtful for yesterday’s League I girls basketball showdown at Longwood. Instead of practicing the past four days, Sachem’s three-time All-Long Island junior guard went through rigorous double sessions of physical therapy for her severely sprained left ankle.
It was a regular-season game, so Sachem coach Mike Atkinson was prepared to keep Kaczmarski out of the game. Atkinson wants her healthy for the playoff run.
Sit Kaz? Yeah, right!
She jogged into the Longwood gym for warmups, then put on a spectacular show. Kaczmarski tied the Sachem single-game scoring record with 39 points and saved her best for last, scoring the final eight points of the game as the Flaming Arrows extended a 61-60 lead into a 69-60 victory.
The wild finish left the 833 spectators breathless. It left Longwood coach Pierce Hayes wide-eyed and astonished as Kaczmarski added another chapter to an already brilliant career.
“She takes over games and refuses to lose,” Hayes said. “It’s almost schoolyard play. She’s the real deal.”
Kaczmarski shot 17-for-42 from the field and had a chance to set the Sachem record but missed a free throw with four seconds left. She missed her first five field goals, but shook off the rust to help Sachem claim a 17-14 first-quarter lead.
“I can’t miss a bunch of shots and then pack it in and call it a night,” said Kaczmarski, who played with an air cast on her ankle and was cleared to play only an hour before game time. “Jordan would never do that.”
Kaz is shy about likening herself to the immortal one – but at this level she is Jordanesque. Her signature play, the left-handed scoop on a drive to the basket, brought the crowd to its feet numerous times. “What can I say,” Atkinson said. “It was a great basketball game. We raised our level another notch against a quality opponent.”
Sachem (8-1, 5-0) missed its first 10 shots from the field and trailed 12-4, before Kaczmarski scored eight points in a 13-2 spurt to end the first quarter. Only a driving layup by Longwood guard Cheri Eleazer with 11 seconds left broke up the run. Kaczmarski ended the quarter with a three-pointer to make it 17-14.
“We have to be more efficient on offense,” said Atkinson, whose team shot 27-for-72 from the field. “Technically, I wasn’t pleased with our performance, but our effort was fabulous.”
Sachem center Katie Miller grabbed 11 offensive rebounds (15 total) to keep second-shot opportunities alive. “It’s crucial when we’re shooting threes to get big rebounds,” Miller said. “I had good position and was able to make some plays.”
Miller also added eight points and five assists. That proved critical as Sachem had trouble with Eleazer, who sliced through the Flaming Arrows’ defense at will. Eleazer single-handedly kept her team in the game throughout the first three quarters, scoring 19 of her 27 points.
“A sign of greatness is when the other team tries to force you to your weakness and you can still go to your strength,” Atkinson said of Eleazer. “We tried to force her left and couldn’t do it.”
Eleazer hit a driving layup with 5:22 left in the game to cap a 6-0 run and give Longwood (9-1, 3-1) a 50-48 lead. Kaczmarski then scored 16 points and made three steals in the final 4:39. She hit a huge bank shot while driving right of the basket and was fouled by Katija Topic (her fifth) with 1:24 left. The ensuing free throw made it 64-60 and took some of the fight out of Longwood, which had battled back from a 14-point deficit.
“Round one goes to Sachem,” Hayes said.
See you for Round 2 on Feb. 6.
Sachem 17 15 14 23 69 Longwood 14 12 16 18 60 S: Kaczmarski 17-4-39, Lipani 2-3-7, Valentin 3-2-9, Madrazo 0-4-4, Stack 1-0-2, Miller 3-0-6, Henniger 1-0-2. Totals: 27-13-69. L: Eleazer 11-5-27, Danchalski 2-2-6, Topic 4-0-8, Eyde 2-5-9, Brajevich 2-0-4, DeGiorgio 3-0-6. Totals: 24-12-60. Three-point goals: S 2 (Valentin, Kaczmarski).
SUFFOLK LEAGUE I: Catherine Larson scored 12 points, including two three-pointers, to lead Longwood to a 61-38 win over Smithtown (2-3).Cheri Eleazer had 15 points and Catherine Larson added 12 points, including two three-pointers, to lead Longwood (4-1) to a 61-38 win over Smithtown (2-3). Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Jan 1998
Danielle DeGiorgio and Melinda Tucker each grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Longwood (5-1) to a 60-14 win over Patchogue-Medford (2-4).- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Jan 1998:
Cheri Eleazor and Danielle DeGiorgio each scored 12 points for Longwood in its 57-34 victory over Brentwood (2-6). Eighth-grader Jennifer Brajevich scored nine points for the Lions (7-1)- Jan. 29
LEAGUE I: Danielle DeGiorgio had 18 points and eight rebounds as Longwood defeated Connetquot, 54-26. Melissa Danchalski had 11 points for Longwood (8-1), which also got nine points from Cheri Eleazer and eight assists and six points from Katija Topic. Lauren Weber led Connetquot (2-6) with 15 points. – Jan. 31
Katija Topic scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half as Longwood defeated Smithtown, 54-46. Melissa Danchalskiadded 13 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the foul line for Longwood (9-2). Smithtown is 5-6 . Feb. 11
Melissa Danchalski scored nine of her 17 points in the first half as the Lions went on a 12-1 run at the end of the first quarter to open a 23-10 lead. Eleazer finished with eight assists and five steals and Katija Topic added eight rebounds and eight assists for Longwood (17-2), which will play No. 6 Bellport (15-4) in a semifinal Monday at Suffolk CC. Shannon Judge had 16 points for Centereach (13-6).- Feb. 28
Adjusting to America Is Part of Her Game:
By Alan Hahn. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Feb 1998:
Her soft brown eyes looked away for a moment and stared deeply into something only she could see. This 17-year-old foreign exchange student at Longwood on Long Island is thousands of miles from the life she knew growing up in Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb. Yet as she tucked her shoulder-length brown hair over her left ear, the eyes of Katija Topic revealed the memories of a childhood still very much with her. And very much inside her.
“We were like one,” she said, still concentrating on the distant vision as if it were an aged family portrait. “I didn’t see many families that were so close. We were best friends.”
Five years ago, Katija’s father, Damir, tested the strength of that love when he decided it was best for his oldest daughter, Alemka, to finish her high school education in the United States. “He saw America as an opportunity for education,” Katija said. “You can’t compare Croatia and America really.”
Plus, there was the lure of basketball. Alemka, a 6-4 forward, and Katija, a 6-2 guard, were products of Croatia’s love of sports, especially basketball. The 6-8 Damir played a few years of professional ball in Croatia and Alemka and Katija played on junior teams while growing up. Marina, the girls’ mother, is 5-6.
In 1992, Alemka left for Avonworth High in Pittsburgh. After high school, she played one season at Duquesne before transferring to St. John’s, where she played last season. Alemka left the team before this season to concentrate on her bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
Katija, the only other sibling, followed her sister to the states in September and enrolled as a senior at Longwood. But Damir would never see his younger daughter off to America. He died in May after a long battle with cancer at age 47.
“He was my role model,” Katija said of her father. “It’s sad. I miss my dad so much. But I’m still grateful that I had him in my life.”
For Katija, growing up in the war-torn former Yugoslavia taught her that life was a precious gift left to individuals to make of it what they could. “The war that was happening made us see you have to take from life what it gives you,” she said. Though her family was spared, Katija saw families of friends torn by the civil war that raged from 1992-95 and shattered the region. She heard of parents and brothers and other relatives of friends who became casualties of war. Merely a child, Katija witnessed the crumbling of her nation. “When I talk to those people, I admire them, the way they live and how their lives didn’t stop,” she said. “I think I’ve learned a lot {from them}. In a way, it has made me stronger.”
Her venture to America came with some hesitation, especially after the death of her father. She had been to the states before, when visiting Alemka, but now she was coming here to live. The first few weeks were a battle of shyness and apprehension of interacting in the American high school environment. The experience can be traumatic enough for a typical American teenager, but imagine being a 6-2 girl who still is trying to grasp the Long Island dialect.
“When I first came here, I didn’t have a very good opinion of American kids,” she said. “Especially kids. I’m being honest. I was lonely and needed someone to talk to, and I guess they didn’t know how to approach me. And I didn’t know how to approach them.”
It was a trying first few months for Katija, who secluded herself in the five-bedroom Middle Island home of Art and Kathy Treiling, her American host family. She visited her sister in Queens every weekend to quell the homesickness. “We were always close,” Katija said. “But just the fact that we all suffered and were sad and everything, we were the only ones who could understand each other.”
The Treilings just tried to offer support. “She was lonesome,” said Art Treiling, 47, a retired New York City police detective. “She missed her family. But she handled it.”
“When I first came here, I mean, I never met these people before in my life,” Katija said. “The first couple of days were an adjustment, but that family is really amazing. They’re close. They remind me a lot of my family.”
In time, Katija became one of the family. Art and Kathy Treiling have sent three daughters through Longwood and their youngest, Mary Beth, 16, is a junior on the basketball team with Katija. Now Art, at 5-10, is the second-tallest person in the house. “She’s a fabulous young lady,” he said. “She’s a very generous person. I told her, asked if I would ever do this again, I honestly say I don’t know if I ever could because {Katija} has set such a high standard. She’s just a really good kid.”
During the holidays, Marina Topic came to visit her daughters for a month. The stay brought some comfort of home for Katija and Alemka and gave Marina an opportunity to see her younger daughter help lead Longwood to the Suffolk Shootout championship Jan. 3. “My mom,” Katija sighed with a smile, “my biggest fan. She loves watching me play.”
If anything, Katija is a prototypical European player. She’s tall and athletic with a keen court sense and a nose for defense. But unlike most basketball players universally, she rarely looks to score. “I always had a theory,” she said, “if all players were to shoot, what would that be? I enjoy passing the ball and I enjoy playing defense. They play different basketball here. Defense is not the first thing and back home, defense was the most important.”
Topic (8.9 points, 8.7 assists, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocks per game) and 5-7 junior guard Cheri Eleazer (19.5 points) form one of the toughest backcourts on Long Island, and their impact has made the Lions (16-2, 10-2 in League I) a contender for the Suffolk County Class A title. The team is seeded second and will play No. 7 Centereach in the quarterfinals. Longwood coach Pierce Hayes, who joked he was skeptical when he heard rumors about a 6-2 point guard walking the halls of the school in September, said Topic’s arrival was timely. “She added another dimension,” he said. “We lost four starters from last year. Without her, we’re still searching for chemistry.”
College coaches have been searching out Longwood all season, jockeying to sign the area’s most unscouted talent. Local Division II programs such as Stony Brook, Dowling and Southampton are hoping she remains a secret until after the signing period. Hayes said Topic also has garnered interest from Division I programs Fordham and Hartford.
Topic, who plans to major in biology or marine science, is interested in playing in college. “I would love to stay here for college,” she said. “But I know I can’t play basketball for the rest of my life. I look at it like that. I enjoy playing, but education comes first.”
Katija’s words are confident and believable. She has experienced enough to know what she wants out of life and how she wants to live it. Her first few months in this country have been a bittersweet surrender. The fabric of her close-knit family has pulled some, but is still intact. And in the spirit of her countrymen, Katija continues on.
Sachem, Longwood Seek Title:
By Joy Russo. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 23 Feb 1998
Sachem and Longwood.
There is no love lost between these rival girls basketball teams, each of which begins its quest for the Suffolk Class A crown Friday.
Each program wants the prize and each team knows it might have to go through the other to get there.
With defending champ Connetquot out of the playoff picture – the Thunderbirds eliminated both teams last season – the collision course becomes more of a reality.
“We know that if we do well and we advance, eventually there is a very good team left that we’ll have to face,” Sachem coach Mike Atkinson said. “We’ve seen just about everybody and we’re prepared to play all the good teams, including them {Longwood}.”
Sachem (17-1), the top seed in Class A for the second straight year, looks to rebound from its 62-58 loss to Connetquot in last season’s final. Yes, the Flaming Arrows have Nicole Kaczmarski (25.1 points per game), but teammates Katie Miller (6-1 center) and guards Gina Stack and Victoria Valentin could be the other thorns in the opposition’s sides.
The Flaming Arrows, who are in the top bracket, will face the winner of Wednesday’s outbracket game between No. 9 Commack (10-8) and No. 8 Riverhead (8-10). Along with Sachem’s quarterfinal debut, League III champ Whitman (16-2), the fourth seed, will host No. 5 Floyd (9-9) in the other top bracket quarterfinal Friday. If the higher seeds advance, this could be a tough semifinal for Sachem. Whitman went undefeated in league play (12-0) and also beat defending Nassau Class A champion Massapequa (57-56) in the Our Lady of Mercy Tournament final on Dec. 30.
The bottom bracket should be more competitive than the top bracket. Second-seeded Longwood (16-2) hosts No. 7 Centereach (13-5) in the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Lions, whose two losses came against Sachem, are led by guards Cheri Eleazer (19 points) and Katija Topic.
“Each team is going to have to be well prepared for every game,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said. “We would love to play {Northport}, but if you look beyond the game at hand, you are committing a cardinal sin.”
The best matchup of the quarterfinals should be the other bottom bracket game between third-seeded Northport (15-3) and No. 6 Bellport (14-4). Sister guards Shantelle and Danielle Houpe will go against guard Katie Angst and forward Erika Pepe. Bellport wants to prove it is a playoff contender after losing to Longwood, Sachem and Whitman (twice) in the regular season. Northport, which went undefeated in League II and could threaten the higher seeds, looks to better its first-round elimination to Longwood (61-49) in last season’s playoffs.
Class A Final: Sachem-Bellport:
By Brad Geiger. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 03 Mar 1998
Longwood’s Cheri Eleazer did all she could: driving to the hoop, hitting the outside jumper, diving for loose balls as if a pot of gold were inside the orange leather.
But despite her valiant effort, Eleazer couldn’t help her team overcome the sudden loss of 6-2 senior Katija Topic, who suffered what was believed to be a broken right forearm with eight seconds left in the first quarter. Without their leader, the second-seeded Lions fell to No. 6 Bellport, 58-51, in the Suffolk Class A girls basketball semifinals last night at Suffolk Community College.
Bellport will face top-seeded Sachem, which defeated No. 4 Whitman, 60-52, in the other semifinal, in the championship game tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Suffolk CC.
“As a coach you try to prepare for every possibility,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said. “But I have to admit, this is one we were not prepared for. It was hard on them to see her go down like that. She’s a part of our family.”
Longwood (17-3) held a 13-11 lead late in the first quarter when Topic raced back to defend a Bellport fast break. Topic managed to block Bertha Mayo’s shot but got caught up in the air and landed on her right wrist. She lay on the court for nearly 30 minutes before being wheeled off on a stretcher. Longwood trainer Michele Dorn said Topic was taken to University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook.
Without Topic, who assisted on Longwood’s first three baskets, the Lions were lost offensively. They turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions in the second quarter. If not for Eleazer’s 27 points and numerous other contributions, the game might have been over at halftime.
“I look for my team first,” said Eleazer, a 5-7 junior guard. “If it was there, I took it.
“{Topic’s} one of my best friends. It really affected me, but for me to play basketball I had to get over that.”
Eleazer had all four of Longwood’s baskets in the second quarter, but Bellport (16-4) had too many weapons. The Houpe twins, Shantelle (22) and Danielle, totaled 42 points. Freshman forward Molly Brothers added nine points.
Bellport has won seven in a row and, according to coach Wayne Caldicott, is making its farthest trek into the postseason in school history. Four years ago, when Shantelle and Danielle Houpe were freshmen, the Clippers went 0-12 in their division.
“I was tired of crying after every game in ninth grade,” said Danielle, the point guard. “Now I’m not crying anymore.”
Topic’s absence hurt Longwood as much defensively as it did offensively. Without her size in the middle, Bellport found it much easier to penetrate and got Longwood into foul trouble. In the second quarter, the Clippers made 14 trips to the free-throw line, including eight for Danielle Houpe. Three of Longwood’s players had at least two fouls at the half.
Bellport had a 50-44 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But Longwood went on a 7-1 run and tied the score at 51 with two minutes left on a basket from Eleazer. In the final minute, Danielle Houpe made four straight foul shots as the Clippers pulled away.
“At the beginning of the year we wanted to make it to the final four,” Shantelle Houpe said. “I want to play Sachem because in order to be the best you’ve got to beat the best.” March 3
Kaz Ignites Sachem Win:
Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Jan 1998
Nicole Kaczmarski was doubtful for yesterday’s League I girls basketball showdown at Longwood. Instead of practicing the past four days, Sachem‘s three-time All-Long Island junior guard went through rigorous double sessions of physical therapy for her severely sprained left ankle.
It was a regular-season game, so Sachem coach Mike Atkinson was prepared to keep Kaczmarski out of the game. Atkinson wants her healthy for the playoff run.
Sit Kaz? Yeah, right!
She jogged into the Longwood gym for warmups, then put on a spectacular show. Kaczmarski tied the Sachem single-game scoring record with 39 points and saved her best for last, scoring the final eight points of the game as the Flaming Arrows extended a 61-60 lead into a 69-60 victory.
The wild finish left the 833 spectators breathless. It left Longwood coach Pierce Hayes wide-eyed and astonished as Kaczmarski added another chapter to an already brilliant career.
“She takes over games and refuses to lose,” Hayes said. “It’s almost schoolyard play. She’s the real deal.”
Kaczmarski shot 17-for-42 from the field and had a chance to set the Sachem record but missed a free throw with four seconds left. She missed her first five field goals, but shook off the rust to help Sachem claim a 17-14 first-quarter lead.
“I can’t miss a bunch of shots and then pack it in and call it a night,” said Kaczmarski, who played with an air cast on her ankle and was cleared to play only an hour before game time. “Jordan would never do that.”
Kaz is shy about likening herself to the immortal one – but at this level she is Jordanesque. Her signature play, the left-handed scoop on a drive to the basket, brought the crowd to its feet numerous times. “What can I say,” Atkinson said. “It was a great basketball game. We raised our level another notch against a quality opponent.”
Sachem (8-1, 5-0) missed its first 10 shots from the field and trailed 12-4, before Kaczmarski scored eight points in a 13-2 spurt to end the first quarter. Only a driving layup by Longwood guard Cheri Eleazer with 11 seconds left broke up the run. Kaczmarski ended the quarter with a three-pointer to make it 17-14.
“We have to be more efficient on offense,” said Atkinson, whose team shot 27-for-72 from the field. “Technically, I wasn’t pleased with our performance, but our effort was fabulous.”
Sachem center Katie Miller grabbed 11 offensive rebounds (15 total) to keep second-shot opportunities alive. “It’s crucial when we’re shooting threes to get big rebounds,” Miller said. “I had good position and was able to make some plays.”
Miller also added eight points and five assists. That proved critical as Sachem had trouble with Eleazer, who sliced through the Flaming Arrows’ defense at will. Eleazer single-handedly kept her team in the game throughout the first three quarters, scoring 19 of her 27 points.
“A sign of greatness is when the other team tries to force you to your weakness and you can still go to your strength,” Atkinson said of Eleazer. “We tried to force her left and couldn’t do it.”
Eleazer hit a driving layup with 5:22 left in the game to cap a 6-0 run and give Longwood (9-1, 3-1) a 50-48 lead. Kaczmarski then scored 16 points and made three steals in the final 4:39. She hit a huge bank shot while driving right of the basket and was fouled by Katija Topic (her fifth) with 1:24 left. The ensuing free throw made it 64-60 and took some of the fight out of Longwood, which had battled back from a 14-point deficit.
“Round one goes to Sachem,” Hayes said.
See you for Round 2 on Feb. 6.
Sachem 17 15 14 23 69 Longwood 14 12 16 18 60 S: Kaczmarski 17-4-39, Lipani 2-3-7, Valentin 3-2-9, Madrazo 0-4-4, Stack 1-0-2, Miller 3-0-6, Henniger 1-0-2. Totals: 27-13-69. L: Eleazer 11-5-27, Danchalski 2-2-6, Topic 4-0-8, Eyde 2-5-9, Brajevich 2-0-4, DeGiorgio 3-0-6. Totals: 24-12-60. Three-point goals: S 2 (Valentin, Kaczmarski).
Longwood Beats Floyd / Defense, Eleazer key elements in tourney victory: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition 1]
By Brad Geiger. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Jan 1998
Following Tuesday’s second-round win over Connetquot in the Suffolk Shootout Tournament, Longwood’s Cheri Eleazer, who played well but couldn’t find her shooting touch, joked that she had “missed 17 shots.”
Last night, the 5-7 junior guard’s touch found its way back into the Northport gymnasium. Eleazer scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half as Longwood defeated Floyd, 48-33, in the championship game. Despite her success – she also grabbed 12 rebounds – Eleazer didn’t view the game as any kind of personal vindication.
“Not at all; it’s a team effort,” said Eleazer, who shared tournament MVP honors with teammate Katija Topic. Eleazer, who consistently acknowledges her teammates’ efforts, said the trait carries over from last season, when, as a sophomore, she played with seven talented seniors and had to fit in. “Next year when I’m a senior there might be another 10th grader who can score.”
This year’s Longwood team, at 8-0, isn’t void of talent. Sophomore forward Melissa Danchalski, who scored 23 points against Floyd when the Lions beat them in November, had 15 points. She, too, sports a team-first attitude. “{Eleazer and Topic} are the reason I scored that many points,” she said.
Topic scored just two points but had nine assists and 11 rebounds. More than any personal stats, it was Longwood’s defense that made the difference. The Lions, who won this tournament for the third time in five years, held Floyd (4-4) to 20-percent shooting in the first half while grabbing a 26-12 halftime lead. “We didn’t shoot well tonight,” Floyd coach Tom Ferrigno said. “I think our arms fell off after the first two games.”
“We take pride in our defense and make that a focus of our practices,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said. “We feel a great defensive team will beat a great offensive team.”
DIVISION I: Cheri Eleazer scored seven of her 12 points in the second quarter to give Longwood a 28-15 halftime lead in its 52-43 win over Smithtown. Eleazer added six assists and Sarah Hillen had 10 points for Longwood (1-0). Courtney Sussillo led Smithtown (0-1) with 10 points
LEAGUE I: Cheri Eleazer had eight of her 16 points in the third quarter as Longwood went on a 16-0 run en route to a 53-26 win over Floyd. Melissa Danchalski scored 20 points (9-for-10 from the field) and Katija Topic added 14 blocks for the Lions (6-1). Jessica Santiago had 13 points for Floyd (3-4).
JAN. 24
Newsday’s ALL-LONG ISLAND Girls Basketball Team: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 26 Apr 1998
CHERI ELEAZER Longwood, 5-7, Junior
There are few players that explode to the basket the way Cheri Eleazer does. Her crossover dribble and quick first step made it nearly impossible for teams to defend her. She was the Lions’ leading scorer, averaging 19.5 points. “She has the heart of a champion,” Longwood coach Pierce Hayes said. “Cheri was an emotional leader and our captain. She was our one, true scorer.” Hayes said Eleazer brought her game to another level this season and that catapulted the Lions (17-3) into the mix for the Class A title. She was a great complement to point guard Katija Topic. Eleazer scored 30 points against Brentwood and 27 against Sachem. After Topic suffered a broken forearm in a playoff loss to Bellport, Eleazercarried the team by scoring 29 points. “I’ll never forget her diving for balls and going all-out in that playoff game,” Hayes said. “The colleges love her already. She’s got a shoebox full of letters.”