Truman’s most high profile players are guards Aniesha Lyons and Dyona Davis, but the one who could decide just how good the Mustangs will be could be forward Brianna Alberga.
The senior turned in one of her best performances of the season in comfortable 74-56 win over visiting Midwood in PSAL Class AA girls’ basketball on Dec. 21. Alberga scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, with five coming in the game-sealing third-quarter run. She was also a defensive presence in the paint.
“She was great tonight,” Davis said. “Fantastic.”
Alberga, who has had 20 bounds in a game this year, led Truman’s rebounding dominance against the Hornets (1-3). Maria Minaya added 15 boards and Lyons had eight rebounds and 10 assists to go along with her 20 points.
The Mustangs went on a 14-4 run in the third by limiting Midwood to one shot per possession on most occasions. It pushed a 10-point lead to 57-37 with 1:56 to go in the quarter. Niagara-bound guard Jai Moore and Abigail Weiss both had 16 points for Midwood.
“The battle of the boards is what made it a 20-point game,” Truman coach John Burke said.
Lyons strong finish to the second quarter helped put the Mustangs up 42-31 at halftime. Davis, who scored a game-high 27 points and hit five 3-pointers, was sensational in the third quarter. She hit two treys and converted a coast-to-coast layup to the game-sealing stretch.
“She always does that,” Alberga said. “She makes sure she is doing something to help the team out and help us win the game. If we are struggling she is going to be there to help pick us backup, as well as Aniesha.”
The victory has Truman off to a 7-1 start in league play. It is in second place in the division behind Francis Lewis, to which it lost to but just four points. The Mustangs still have to play last year’s finalist’s Grand Street and South Shore, but feel they have already established themselves as one of the PSAL’s elite teams.
“I feel like we put Truman back in the map,” Lyons said. “We are letting all these teams know the we are here and we are not going anywhere.”
That’s been the goal since being upset by Boys & Girls in the playoffs last year. This groups doesn’t want another promising season to end prematurely. If everything comes together this could special season.
“We have the chance to be exceptional this year,” Burke said. “It’s still a work in progress. The heart and the effort are there. It’s just getting comfortable with each other.”
