Through two quarters on Monday night, things looked dire for the New Rochelle girls basketball team. Squaring off against a talented—and big—North Rockland team in their season opener, the Huguenots found themselves in a sizable hole early on, trailing by 12 points after the first half of play. But with some key adjustments and an inspired defensive effort, New Rochelle was able to climb back into the game after intermission, reclaiming the lead and topping the Red Raiders 58-47. 

Sophomore guard Rylie Rosenberg led the comeback, netting 20 of her game-high 22 points in the second half, but first-year Huguenots head coach Donald Ross acknowledged that Monday night’s win was less about one individual and more about an impressive team effort. After switching to a zone defense in the second half, the Huguenots were able to close the rebounding gap and force North Rockland turnovers, Ross said.

Kamara St. Paul—one of two senior starters for the Huguenots—played a big role in erasing the deficit, tallying 11 rebounds on the day and preventing the Red Raiders from extending the lead with second-chance points. 

““We went into a 2-3 zone to make them shoot from the outside; they were killing us on the boards in the first half,” said Ross. “Switching to the 2-3 helped us with the rebounding, they kept their hands up and we worked on getting the ball out and running.”

The Huguenots’ newfound tempo paid dividends on the offensive end in the second half, as fast break points—particularly from transition threes—helped them close the gap and eventually take the lead. In the fourth quarter alone, Rosenberg sank four three-pointers. 

“This is a great win for us in terms of the season; coming from behind, I give the girls all the credit,” said Ross. “They work hard, they’re tenacious, and that was the story of the game.”

The win was New Rochelle’s first of the season and the first of Ross’ tenure at the helm of the program. The Huguenots will play four home games over the next week before heading up to Ossining to take on the Pride on Dec. 22. As the team continues to settle into the varsity schedule, Ross believes that the team’s character—and depth—could emerge as true strengths for the Class AA contenders. 

“We had a few scrimmages, but we’re still figuring all of that out,” he said. “We expect to be able to go about nine deep, and once we get our chemistry down, there’s no stopping us this year.”

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