Holmdel girls play beyond their years BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer The young Holmdel High School girls basketball team, with just two seniors in the lineup, has compiled a 13-11 mark and was scheduled to open the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tourney yesterday against Middletown South. The Hornets also qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament, where they upended Toms River East in the opening round before losing to powerful Neptune, in a game that was just 26-20 at the half. During the campaign Holmdel downed Cardinal McCarrick and Jackson. A Holmdel triumph over Middletown South would set up a meeting with the winner of the Voorhees-Union Hill game on Thursday. "This team has a great work ethic, they come to play every time," said first-year coach Debbie Emery. "It's been a fun year for me, too. I'm very proud of the girls." Emery was the head coach at Georgian Court College for 15 years before joining the Holmdel program a year ago, and taking over the top job this winter. Junior point guard Dana Graziano is having an excellent season, leading the team in scoring with a 14-point average; she's also the Hornets top three-point shooter. Fellow junior Kim Fiorentino is right behind with a 12-point average. The versatile, 5-10 Fiorentino does a little bit of everything from grabbing rebounds to bringing the ball up the floor when needed. Center Liz Mayell, a senior, contributes six points and is strong on the boards. Holmdel's other senior Jenna Lambert has proven to be valuable by providing solid defense off the bench. Junior Melissa Tages and MaryBeth Lesbirel have had strong seasons as well. Tages is a good shooter who averages six points, while Lesbirel is a defensive stopper who can play the point when necessary. "We're at our best when we play good half-court defense," Emery said. "Our goal is to put as much pressure on opposing teams as we can and to get the easy transition baskets." Emery said she's been pleased with the play of two promising freshmen, forward Melissa Martorelli and guard Alex Diekman. Both have adapted well to the varsity game and both have shown good shooting touches. In addition, the coach noted that the junior varsity contingent, comprised primarily of freshmen, had a strong season. "The future looks good for us, we're only losing two seniors so we'll have everyone else back," Emery said. "I'm very excited about this team; we have a lot of potential."