Preview: Lady Mules Rely on Key Starters, Athleticism of Younger Players

The Malverne High School varsity girls basketball team begin their season tonight with only a couple of last year's starters and a batch of young players.

Junior forward Amanda Masson will play a bigger role for the Lady Mules this season. She will fill the void left by Brianna Cunningham who graduated in June.

"Amanda will be our go-to player this season," said Head Coach Micheal Pelan.  "She will post up inside and also be our main outside shooter."

The 5'8 Masson will have to carry the burden of team leader now, but is up for the challenge, Pelan said.

"She is a good athlete and we know what she is capable of."

With Cunningham gone, the Mules will lose some height and their main scoring threat. Cunningham, who now plays for Virginia Union College, averaged 20 points per game and scored over 800 points in her high school career.

With the exception of Masson and eighth grader Jaelyn Chinchilla, the Mules will be a small team and will have to rely on their athleticism to help them win games this season. They will also be a very young team. Soraya Orelien will be the lone senior and Masson, Jasmyne Williams, TionTaye Noel and Karen Ulysse, will make up the junior class. Masson and Ulysse are the only returning starters.

In addition to Chinchilla there will be two other eighth graders  and three ninth graders on the team.The two sophomores are guards Kai Lancaster and Rachel Meachem.

"We have a lot of younger kids, so there definitely will be a learning process," said Pelan.

The Mules will play there first game on Friday at Wheatley High School in East Williston at 4:30p.m.