Smithtown West girls basketball's Alyssa Lorefice stars, Bulls hold Half Hollow Hills East at bay
Smithtown West’s Alyssa Lorefice goes up against Half Hollow Hills East’s Marisa Dominic during a girls basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at Smithtown West High School. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
So long as the Smithtown West girls basketball team has Alyssa Lorefice, it will be just fine.
Lorefice, a standout senior forward and Rutgers lacrosse commit, guided her team to a 67-46 win over visiting Half Hollow Hills East on Thursday night. She was the best player on the court, as she led all scorers with 21 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out three assists and added four steals.
The win kept Smithtown West (8-4, 6-2) in second place in Suffolk League III. The team won Suffolk IV last year, only to move up a league due to a population change. With the tough task of having to dethrone Northport to win another league title, Lorefice has approached her final basketball season with a heightened level of intensity.
“I’m just working harder in practice everyday because then it’s easier for me on the court,” Lorefice said. “In games, I’m just taking shots and playing without being scared. . . . It’s a lot of hustle plays. No matter what I do, I have my teammates who have my back, so I’m playing with a lot of heart when I go out there with them and just trying my best.”
Lorefice applied that mindset again Thursday, and it showed when her squad needed it most. After taking a 23-10 lead with about two minutes left in the first half, Smithtown West surrendered a 14-4 run to Hills East that lasted through the start of the third quarter, cutting the advantage to 25-22.
Leading 27-22 with under seven minutes left in the third quarter, Lorefice grabbed a defensive rebound and pushed it down the court. On the other end, she pulled down an offensive board and tried a putback, but Hills East junior forward Marisa Dominic blocked her. Lorefice recovered the loose ball and drew a foul before knocking down both free throws.
Her individual effort helped spark a 14-0 Smithtown West run, opening up a 39-22 advantage. During the run, Lorefice scored six points, collected two steals and passed into two fouls that led to four made free throws.
Hills East narrowed Smithtown West’s lead to 49-36 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Lorefice engineered a 17-7 run with seven points and two assists to put the game away.
Senior guard Catherine Piccininni fed off Lorefice’s dominance, contributing 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and seven steals.
“She’s always in the right spot at the right time, so it’s great to have her,” Piccininni said of Lorefice. “She opens up the floor, gets the easy layups and never misses. I’m glad I can depend on her.”
Dominic led Hills East (6-6, 2-6) with 16 points.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
