Having selected the team and practiced for two weeks, the time was right for Coach Zunno to expose the team, especially the first time varsity players, to varsity level competition. With no lack of butterflies and nervousness, the Lady Mustangs opened their 2002/03 season in the Great Neck South Tournament.

Facing their first round opponent, East Meadow HS, the Lady Mustangs looked to secure their season's first win. Led by first half scoring from Liz Terezo, Caitlin Orlando and Kristin McNally, the Lady Mustangs applied a tenacious defense to hold East Meadow to 15 points as they took a 23 - 15 half time lead. The second half saw the Lady Mustangs step up their game both offensively and defensively as Mineola added to their half time lead in the second half to win 52 -40. Led by Liz Terezo with 15 points (8 points in the second half), Lauren Flynn with 11 points (4 times at the free throw line in the fourth quarter) and Kristen McNally with 10 points (2 three pointers), Mineola scored 16 fourth quarter points to turn away any late game rally. Defensively, Christine Medlock grabbed 9 rebounds and Lauren Flynn had two steals and caused 5 East Meadow turnovers.

With their first win over East Meadow, the Lady Mustangs moved to the final round of the tournament against Great Neck South. From the opening tip off, GN South demonstrated a superior brand of offensive and defensive skills. After a quick 6 - 0 Mineola lead, GN South went on an 18 - 2 run and never looked back. Led by their point guard, who scored 18 of her game high 24 points in the first half, GN South held Mineola to just 14 points as they jumped out to a 28 - 14 half time lead. The Lady Mustangs, looking to get back in the game, picked up their scoring in the second half as Lauren Flynn and Liz Sanderleaf led the Mustang scoring with 7 and 5 points respectively. However, defensive lapses by Mineola allowed GN South's offense to score 32 second half points to win the game and the tournament going away, 60-42. Offensively, Kristin McNally led Mineola in scoring with a game high 11 points with support from Liz Terezo (10) and Lauren Flynn (7).

With the tournament behind them, the Lady Mustangs faced North Shore HS at home, in their first non-league game. With North Shore's starting five above average in height, Mineola needed to adjust their game to compensate for North Shore's advantage. Using crisp passes to drive down the lane, Mineola kept pace with North Shore's strong inside game to move ahead 17 - 13 at the end of the first quarter. Having set up North Shore with their drives to the basket, Mineola switched their offense to the outside. Led by Kristin McNally's 3 three pointers, and Christine Medlock's 6 points off the bench, Mineola moved to a 33 - 25 half time lead. Looking to build on their lead, the Lady Mustangs opened up strong in the third quarter by scoring 8 unanswered points to increase their lead to 16 points. North Shore, sensing the game getting out of reach, closed the gap to 10 points as the third quarter came to a close with Mineola ahead 42 -32. Defensively, Shaleira Smith led Mineola with 5 rebounds, and Lauren Flynn and Liz Terezo each with two steals, Mineola tightened their defense and held North Shore to just 7 points in the fourth quarter and won going away 58 - 39. Offensively, Liz Terezo's led Mineola in scoring with a game high 20 points with support from Kristen McNally (15) and Lauren Flynn (10) and Christine Medlock (8).

In their second non-league game, the Lady Mustangs faced Oceanside HS at home. With Liz Terezo leading the way with 6 points and Kristin McNally hitting 2 three pointers, Mineola took a 13 - 7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Kristin continued with her hot hand from three-point range by hitting two more "treys" as Mineola held a 26 - 21 half time lead. The third period opened with Mineola putting their youngest players on the floor for a majority of the period. While they played a strong defensive game, limiting Oceanside to just 8 points, they only scored 4 points, allowing Oceanside to narrow Mineola's lead to one point. The fourth quarter opened with Oceanside employing its defensive press. This pressure caused Mineola to turn the ball over a number of times and allow Oceanside back in the game. With less than 10 seconds left in the game, with Mineola leading 41 - 39, Mineola committed a shooting foul on a three point shot giving Oceanside the opportunity to take the lead from the foul line. With the pressure on, Oceanside hit two of he three shots to tie the score. With Mineola having possession, Coach Zunno called timeout to set up an in-bounds play. With the play working to perfection, Caitlin Orlando was wide open for the in-bound pass, drove the lane and hit the lay-up to give Mineola the win at the buzzer. Offensively, Kristen McNally led Mineola in scoring with 14 points with support from Liz Terezo (12) and Lauren Flynn (7).

With this win Mineola moved their preseason record to 3 wins and 1 loss and have effectively demonstrated their ability to play competitively with their non league opponents.