The Holy Family Catholic Youth Organization girls seventh grade basketball team continued to dominate this winter, winning their third straight CYO title with an impressive 28-15 victory over St. Theresa of Briarcliff in the Division A championship last weekend at Iona Prep.
Coach Frank Conroy girls were led by Nicole Ziogas and Stephanie Ryder, who each scored nine points, and Meghan Conroy and Eliana Silk, who scored five points apiece.
The three-time champions won the quarterfinal game over Resurrection of Rye 39-24 with Ryder scoring 16 points. Ziogas contributed 15 points, Emma Berg and Emily Vallario each added three points and Conroy scored two.
Holy Family’s tough defense, which allowed just 17 points per game in the playoff run, was the big difference in a 22-13 victory over Annunciation of Yonkers in the semifinal game. Ziogas led the scoring with eight points, Ryder had seven, Silk scored four points and Vallario added three to help the New Rochelle girls reach the final.
Holy Family will now advance to the CYO Downstate Championships to play the Staten Island CYO Winner on Saturday, March 17 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers.
According to team parent Evan Ziogas, the core of the team has been playing together since fourth-grade and has won the fifth, sixth and now seventh-grade titles in consecutive seasons. “After winning the past two seasons, the girls had a target on their backs with every team gunning to knock them off” Ziogas said. “Despite the additional pressure, they rose to the occasion and were able to finish the season, including playoffs, with 12 wins and only three losses.”
Nicole Ziogas and Stephanie Ryder led the team in scoring this season with 10 per game and rebounding with seven and eight rebounds respectively. Emily Vallario contributed four points and two rebounds per game and Meghan Conroy averages two points and two rebounds.
Conroy, who is the team’s longtime coach, was assisted by Mark Schoenherr.
This Holy Family team members are Emma Berg (guard), Meghan Conroy (point guard, Stephanie Ryder (forward/center), Katie Schoenherr (forward), Eliana Silk (forward), Emily Vallario (point guard), Hana Wilder (guard) and Nicole Ziogas (guard/forward /center).
For more information about the Holy Family program and coach Conroy, click here.
