Lady Golden Tornadoes Defeated by Spartans

The Lady Golden Tornadoes hung tough for three quarters against Valley Stream North but fell flat in the fourth. Sophomore Nicole Robinson, who had a game high of 20 points, was not able to find her touch when Lawrence needed it the most.

"We had too many trips down the floor that came up empty," said Head Coach George Klein. "We weren't able to get decent shots in the second half and we had too many turnovers."

The Lady Spartans kept the pressure on with many 3-point shots. Madeline Nelson had five 3-pointers and 28 points to lead her team.

Heroes: Robinson had nine field goals for 20 points and was a force inside the paint particularly in the first half. Sophomore guard Natalie Leger had four 3-pointers and scored 18 points.

Turning Point: Leger had a big 3-pointer late in the third quarter to give Lawrence the 36-34 lead. North countered with a 3-pointer by Nelson to take a 37-36 advantage into the fourth. The Lady Spartans proceeded to score nine straight points to start off the fourth quarter and kept that momentum going to a 52-41 win.

Quote: "We are still in the learning stage," Klein said. "But every game we are getting better and that is important."

Bottom Line: Robinson was solid inside and Leger shot really well from the perimeter. They kept Lawrence in the game for the first three quarters, but both went cold in the fourth quarter at a crucial time.

Valley Stream North scored too many inside layups in the fourth for Lawrence to keep up. They penetrated the Golden Tornadoes' defense too easily and came up with multiple offensive rebounds.

Who's next: At home against Hewlett on Friday at 4:30.