Plainedge girls basketball's Samantha Zaccaro is more than tough enough in win over Seaford
Samantha Zaccaro of Plainedge focuses on the ball while defending Bridget Grosser of Seaford during a girls basketball game at Seaford High School on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Credit: Sam Johnston
Plainedge’s Samantha Zaccaro collided hard with a Seaford player. She got up smiling. Toughness was the name of her game all night long.
Zaccaro shadowed Seaford’s top scorer, Emily McGowan, and was successful, limiting her to five points. McGowan, a prolific scorer, was named conference player of the year last season. Plainedge needed an answer, and it was Zaccaro.
“I get knocked over a lot,” Zaccaro said with a laugh. “So I’m used to it and I just get back up.
“And I know they have really, really good players on their team. I knew who I was told to lock down, so I just stayed on her and followed her everywhere.”
A tenacious Red Devils defense was the difference in visiting Plainedge’s 46-35 non-league victory over Seaford on Thursday night.
Zaccaro scored only one point. But her toughness was contagious, and Plainedge delivered another strong defensive performance.
“We’re very defensive-minded,” Plainedge coach Sarah Tansey said. “She is a great on-ball defender. She shuts down the other team’s best player night in and night out. She’s tough and there is no letup in her.
“Seaford is a great team, and we knew we had to set the tone with our team defense. And they did that.”
Plainedge (11-4) started fast, jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the first four minutes. After taking a 13-7 advantage after one quarter, the Red Devils went on 9-0 run. They built a 22-7 lead with 3:50 left in the second quarter, sparked by Peyton Wise making plays.
“I started practicing in the high post, and I think that really helped,” said Wise, who finished with 18 points. “We had a lot of intensity in practice, and this win feels good.”
The pressure continued in the third quarter. Wise and Allison Younghans combined for 12 points in the frame, giving Plainedge a 39-19 lead after three quarters. The Red Devils outscored Seaford 15-5 in the third to pull away.
“We had a hard time setting up what we wanted to run,” Seaford coach Stephanie Bartkus said. “I thought we would’ve handled their pressure better. But I was proud of their hustle cutting the deficit in the fourth. Any coach would be grateful for this team’s attitude.”
Seaford (8-5) put together a productive fourth quarter, scoring 16 points, but fell short.
“I’m happy for them because of how hard they work,” Tansey said. “It’s huge for them going into the second half of the season to get a win like this.”
