Catherine Banahene of The Stony Brook School girls basketball team helps hand St. Dominic first loss
The Stony Brook School’s Catherine Banahene goes up for a basket while being guarded by St. Dominic’s Kiera Acholonu on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at The Stony Brook School. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
It took all four quarters, but the Stony Brook School held on to end St. Dominic’s perfect season.
The Bears handed St. Dominic its first loss in a 60-54 non-league girls basketball battle at home on Saturday. Catherine Banahene, a 6-7 eighth-grader, led the Stony Brook School with 15 points — 13 in the second half — to fend off a third-quarter comeback.
“Having her size in the middle is kind of a backbone for us,” coach Kelly Mukisa said. “She can clean up a lot of our mistakes being able to pick up those rebounds and loose balls.”
After Stony Brook built a 36-27 halftime lead, St. Dominic outscored the Bears, 18-11, to shrink its deficit to 47-45 after three. Strong performances from Ariela Hamilton, Abigail Smith and eighth-grader Rebekah Moore contributed to Stony Brook's win.
“They’re part of our everything,” Mukisa said. “We don’t always have 10 healthy players, so they each have to be a superhuman version of themselves. We expect that out of the girls. Every game, those three know that they’ll be carrying a heavy load. They’re fast, physical and relentless.”
The trio netted 13 points a piece. Moore put up 12 of her points in the first half. She said knowing St. Dominic (11-1) was a competitive team was part of her motivation to come out strong.
“All week, we’ve been talking about how [St. Dominic is] undefeated,” Moore said. “We knew that winning this game would be a big milestone and a big confidence boost for us. It was a big part of our motivation to play harder for the whole game.”
The Stony Brook School’s 11-athlete roster features four middle schoolers, including Moore and Banahene. Smith, a sophomore, said communication and connection were points of emphasis heading into the game.
“In the beginning of the season, clicking as a team was hard for us,” Smith said. “We had something to prove in this game. We needed to prove we have that chemistry, that we love each other and that we can connect with each other to get these tougher wins.”
Despite various ages and limited time together, Mukisa said they make it work.
“The only time that they have to grow and bond together is during our two hours of practice everyday,” Mukisa said. “I really encourage them to lay it all down for each other to make those connections.”
As a junior, Hamilton is one of only three upperclassmen on the roster. She said the Stony Brook School (10-4) has the grit to keep pushing as the postseason approaches.
“We know when we have to come out hard and we know when we have to turn it on,” Hamilton said. “We proved to ourselves that we can win hard games now and in the future.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
