If Kennedy’s Isis Alonso gets hot from 3, Midwood could be in for a long game. (Damion Reid)
The New York Post’s PSAL girls basketball beat writer Marc Raimondi takes a look at Saturday’s Class AA quarterfinals at York College.
SCHEDULE
11 a.m. – No. 3 John F. Kennedy vs. No. 6 Midwood
1 p.m. – No. 2 Francis Lewis vs. No. 7 Manhattan Center
3 p.m. – No. 4 South Shore vs. No. 5 McKee/Staten Island Tech
5 p.m. – No. 1 Murry Bergtraum vs. No. 8 Thomas Jefferson
John F. Kennedy Knights
Head coach: O’Neil Glenn
Record: 18-8
Player to watch: Isis Alonso
Midwood Hornets
Head coach: Artie LaGreca
Record: 15-11
Player to watch: Jewel Tunstull
Outlook: Kennedy already owns a win over Midwood this season, but these programs are no strangers to each other in the postseason. The Hornets own a pair of wins against the Knights going back to the early 2000s.
Arguably, neither team is as good as it was back then – players like Melanie Murphy and Niki Avery are long gone – but Midwood and Kennedy are as evenly matched as ever. Kennedy had a stronger regular season with a win against CHSAA power Mary Louis. The Knights are more athletic and have more depth than their counterparts.
Midwood, on the other hand, has more size. Beranda Felder grabs a ton of rebounds and Northeastern-bound center Jewel Tunstull can be a real problem down low. Kennedy can’t let junior sharpshooter Francess Henry get going either. The same way that Midwood can’t let Isis Alonso get hot from beyond the arc.
Francis Lewis Patriots
Head coach: Steve Tsai
Record: 19-4
Player to watch: Jasmine Davis
Manhattan Center Lady Rams
Head coach: Jaywana Bradley
Record: 15-10
Player to watch: Brea Castro Gambrell
Outlook: If Kelly Robinson (torn ACL) were healthy for Francis Lewis, this would have been a matchup of two of the best point guards in the city. Aziza Patterson will be on the court for Manhattan Center and she has been adjusting to the transition from shooting guard to lead.
The key to the game, though, could be found down low. While Iona-bound center Sabrina Jeridore will be the tallest post on the court, and arguably the best, Manhattan Center has two girls – Nijah LaCourt and Brea Castro Gambrell – who can put a strong body on her. If Patterson handles the point well and scores when needed, the Lady Rams can pull off the upset.
The Patriots are the favorites for a reason, however. Despite the absence of Robinson, Lewis is still very deep. Jeridore, Jasmine Davis, Ayana Duncanson, Tatiana Wilson, Shenita Urquhart and a few others all have a chance to lead the team in scoring. The Patriots are a tough matchup in this way and it might be their biggest advantage.
South Shore Vikings
Head coach: Anwar Gladden
Record: 17-8
Player to watch: Fannisha Price
McKee/Staten Island Tech Sea Gulls
Head coach: Peter LaMarca
Record: 24-2
Player to watch: Kaitlyn Astel
Outlook: There might not be a team more motivated coming into the quarterfinals than the Sea Gulls. MSIT felt robbed two weeks ago when it lost a game at South Shore in which star players Kristen Markoe and Kaitlyn Astel fouled out and coach Peter LaMarca was ejected after two technical fouls. Emotions will certainly be running high at York College.
The Sea Gulls had tied the score when LaMarca was thrown out early in the fourth quarter and seemed to have momentum. If their offense is running smoothly and Markoe is making 3-pointers, they’re a very hard team to beat. South Shore defender extraordinaire Taylor Lloyd is sure to be draped all over Astel, but she also needs to get her points.
With that being said, South Shore has the significant advantage in athleticism and speed. On a big court, that could be an advantage for the Vikings. Their key, though, is certainly Fannisha Price. The sophomore big has shown flashes of absolute dominance, including a nice first-half performance against St. Peter’s last week. If she has a big game, South Shore is all but a lock. Even if she doesn’t, MSIT cannot afford star guard Jasmine Odom going crazy.
Murry Bergtraum Lady Blazers
Head coach: Ed Grezinsky
Record: 22-0
Player to watch: Doris Ortega
Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave
Head coach: Dean Emma
Record: 13-7
Player to watch: Danielle Pearson
Outlook: This is a rematch from last year’s semifinals, won by Bergtraum. But then again Bergtraum has been a regular at the Garden for more than a decade. The question every year is can the Lady Blazers do it again? And the answer every time thus far has been yes.
What can Jefferson do to shock Bergtraum early? The Orange Wave need to play a perfect game. Alicia Cropper figures to get her points. She went for 35 in the semifinals Thursday against Lincoln. But Danielle Pearson, Cropper’s fellow Providence-bound guard, needs to go off in the scoring column and the other statistical categories.
It’ll be a serious uphill battle for Jefferson. Bergtraum is the 11-time city champion for a reason. The Lady Blazers are an excellent offensive team with CeCe Dixon running the point, Shukurah Washington throwing outlet passes and Doris Ortega and Cori Coleman draining 3s. They’re almost impossible for a team to guard for an entire game. A Jefferson victory would be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
