Gateway's Marino Signs With Embry-Riddle; Lady Panthers Eye OBC Crown

By: J. Daniel Pearson

Alyssa Marino will play the next level close to home. The Gateway Panthers senior point guard inked her national letter-of-intent during a Wednesday afternoon ceremony to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

An NCAA Division-II power, Embry-Riddle played in the last two NCAA Tournaments and currently sports a 9-2 record and a number 20 national ranking. Highly recruited by many schools, Marino said it was the ERU coaching staff led by Lisa Wilson as well as the current Eagle roster that was deciding factor in her selection. “I went there on an unofficial visit in my sophomore year and fell in love with the coaching staff and the school,” the Panthers senior captain and four-year starter said. “It’s an environment where the team is a family and that family comes first. Almost from that first visit on, I knew that was where I wanted to play.”

Marino is realistic when talking about her goals for next year. “They are an established program with a winning tradition,” Alyssa said. “The goal is to get there, fit in, and work as hard as I can to earn my spot.”

Her father Justin, who is also her head coach at Gateway, noted that Alyssa’s attitude is what will make her successful as a college player. “When she was in kindergarten, she loved ice cream. I told her the only way she would get ice cream is if she shot 50 medicine balls a day. She would just do it. A couple of years later in the summer after second grade, she told me she wanted to be great and said she was going to set her alarm for 6 a.m. every day. She said she wanted me to take her to the YMCA and practice basketball. I sort of smirked and said to myself, sure, we’ll see how long that lasts. But every single morning that summer, she was pounding on my door at 6 a.m. and telling me it was time to get up. She practiced every day that summer from 7-9 a.m. So, she established that work ethic very early in her life.”

In Marino, Embry-Riddle is getting an established player who set her own expectations high. As a freshman, she started at point guard and helped lead her team to 24-7 record and a State Final Four appearance. Two district championships followed, as Gateway posted 18-7 and 20-7 records. This year, the Lady Panthers are 14-2, ranked third in Class 5A and number 25 across all classifications.

With half a season to play, she has already eclipsed 1300 career points, 500 assists and 200 steals.

Although excited about the future, Alyssa says her focus is on the present.

“We basically have the same team that we had last year, but we are one season more experienced. We added a freshman who is an outstanding player in her own right,” Alyssa said. “This team has great chemistry and we’re excited about where it can lead us.”

The second half of the year starts with the Orange Belt Conference Tournament next week. Gateway won its first OBC title a season ago and will be the number one seed this year.

Although the Panthers should be favored to cruise to the OBC title, they will definitely be tested before the start of district play, facing road contests with Bishop Moore on Jan. 22 (14-3, Ranked 1^st in state 4A) and Central Florida Christian on Jan. 27 (11-3, Ranked #8 in 1A); before concluding the regular season with a Jan. 29 game against Village Charter (10-5), the 13^th ranked team in state 3A.

2026 OBC Basketball Girls Championships

Monday, Jan. 12

At Gateway

Game 1: #4 Poinciana vs. #5 Celebration, 5:30 p.m.

Game 2: #8 Osceola vs. #1 Gateway, 7 p.m.

At Harmony

Game 3: #6 St. Cloud vs. #3 Tohopekaliga, 5:30 p.m.

Game 4: #7 Liberty vs. #2 St. Harmony, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 14

At Gateway

Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 5:30 p.m.

Game 6: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.