McKee/Staten Island Tech played Moore Catholic even for just about three quarters. The Sea Gulls were down four at the half and behind by just one heading into the fourth despite playing without star guard Kaitlyn Astel.
“I believe we played the best we possibly could for as long as we possibly could,” MSIT coach Peter LaMarca said.
Tech just plain ran out of gas in the fourth. Moore went on a 10-0 run, led by junior forward Nicole Arnone, to start the quarter and went on to win, 46-31, in non-league girls basketball Wednesday at MSIT.
“I believe they got warm while we stayed cold,” LaMarca said.
It didn’t help that Moore (5-0), ranked No. 8 in the CHSAA by The Post, was able to completely focus its defensive effort on senior guard Kristen Markoe with Astel out after spraining her right ankle last week. The two are the only players on MSIT who average double figures in points per game. LaMarca has said all season that he would take his dynamic duo over anyone other one in the city, but the Sea Gulls (9-1), ranked No. 4 in the PSAL, clearly don’t run as efficiently with one of their big guns out.
“It’s a huge difference offensively,” LaMarca said. “We can balance the floor, both sides. They’re two studs.”
Markoe did all she could in the third quarter to bring MSIT back from 10 down to get within 28-27 heading into the fourth quarter. She scored 15 points, but had Moore sophomore Christina Rubin draped all over her with or without the ball.
Every single basket was a struggle. Without Astel, the Sea Gulls’ three freshmen and the rest of their extremely inexperienced supporting cast as well as junior forward Alicea Ulmer had to step up on the offensive end and there was little consistency.
“We couldn’t hit a shot,” LaMarca said. “Moore played good defense on us.”
MSIT also played great defense. LaMarca’s 1-2-2 matchup zone with Ulmer at the top worked wonders in the first half, especially in the second quarter where Moore only scored six points. The only problem was, the Sea Gulls scored just two points as they went into the half down, 19-15.
LaMarca wasn’t crushed by the loss, given the circumstances. Tech was red-hot, winning its first nine games, including a pair against ranked PSAL teams Manhattan Center (6) and Midwood (7). The Sea Gulls leave Saturday for Lake Placid, N.Y., where they will play a pair of games at a holiday tournament up there. Astel probably won’t play upstate . LaMarca isn’t sure when she’ll be back, though it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury.
“[If those] are the bumps we have take, then [we’ll take them] in Game No. 10.” the coach said.