NYPost.com’s PSAL girls basketball beat writer Marc Raimondi breaks the Class AA quarterfinals, set for Saturday at Hunter College in Manhattan. For the live blog, click here.
SCHEDULE
11 a.m. – No. 2 Murry Bergtraum vs. No. 7 Lincoln
1 p.m. – No. 3 Truman vs. No. 6 Francis Lewis
3 p.m. – No. 4 McKee/Staten Island vs. No. 5 John F. Kennedy
5 p.m. – No. 1 South Shore vs. No. 9 Midwood
No. 2 Murry Bergtraum Lady Blazers
Head coach: Ed Grezinsky
Record: 15-7
Player to watch: Shequana Harris
No. 7 Lincoln Railsplitters
Head coach: Titi Hodges
Record: 12-8
Player to watch: Shaquella Figueroa
Outlook: Lincoln got a very bad break Thursday in a second-round win over Brooklyn Collegiate. Chestnut Hill-bound star Erica Juarbe sprained her ankle in the second quarter and she’ll be out against Bergtraum. Earlier in the season, Juarbe broke a bone in the same foot. The Railsplitters will lean heavily on point guard Simone Roberts and scorer Shaquella Figueroa. In the regular season, they lost to Bergtraum by just four – but that was without Juarbe, of course.
Bergtraum is playing good basketball – at least it was when the regular season ended almost a month ago. UNC Charlotte-bound Shequana Harris and Ashanae McLaughlin provide an excellent 1-2 punch in the backcourt. Dionne Coe can really shoot and get to the basket. Aries Adams has been a pleasant surprise on the boards and Widly Couloute is super athletic. The Lady Blazers are trying to win their 13th straight PSAL city title.
No. 3 Truman Mustangs
Head coach: John Burke
Record: 20-6
Player to watch: Krystal Pearson
No. 6 Francis Lewis
Head coach: Steve Tsai
Record: 13-9
Player to watch: Jasmine Davis
Outlook: Truman owned Francis Lewis in the regular season, routing the Patriots twice. In the second meeting, the Mustangs didn’t even have Joella Gibson, who eventually transferred to Bergtraum. Truman has been one of the PSAL’s best stories of the season. Krystal Pearson, who has offers from VCU, Towson and Florida Atlantic among others, is one of the top seniors in the city and Lynda Fields has been a revelation at the point. Marika Gordon and Daquana Smith are big keys for the Mustangs.
Tyese Purvis has emerged as one of the best players in the PSAL this season, realizing all that potential she has. The senior wing has done most of the scoring this year for Lewis, which frees up Jasmine Davis to do all the little things, which she excels at. Jazmine Hamlet can score and Erica Ward is tough. The Patriots recently got back senior post Sherice Gayle, which gives them a whole new dimension to their team. She missed nearly the whole season with a torn ACL and could be a major factor.
No. 4 McKee/Staten Island Tech Seagulls
Head coach: Peter LaMarca
Record: 20-2
Player to watch: Kelin Walsh
No. 5 John F. Kennedy Knights
Head coach: O’Neil Glenn
Record: 14-9
Player to watch: Joya McFarland
Outlook: MSIT’s record is sterling with just two losses. But the Seagulls are unproven against the PSAL’s elite teams. Yes, they defeated Midwood and Lincoln, but the Railsplitters didn’t have top player Erica Juarbe. No matter what happens, any team will have their hands full with Kaitlyn Astel, the school’s all-time leading scorer. The key, though, could be the play and ball handling of junior point guard Kelin Walsh. Kennedy figures to press Tech from start to finish.
The Knights, as is typical, are not a tremendous offensive team. But when they get after it on defense, they’re very difficult to beat. Kennedy can win games just by playing harder and more intense than the other team. Joya McFarland is a dead-eye 3-point shooter, one of the best there is in the city. Deaisia Acklin and Leshauna Phinazee are excellent athletes and Robin Daley has been strong inside since coming back from a wrist injury. Chelsea Custodio, an athletic 5-foot-10 wing, is the x-factor.
No. 1 South Shore Vikings
Head coach: Anwar Gladden
Record: 20-5
Player to watch: Jenice Winter
No. 9 Midwood Hornets
Head coach: Mike Moore
Record: 9-14
Player to watch: Camera Miley
Outlook: This could be the year for South Shore. Anwar Gladden has built the program from an afterthought to a contender to now the favorite. The Vikings have the best frontcourt in the PSAL and arguably all of New York City. Marshall-bound Fannisha Price and freshman budding star Brianna Fraser are excellent in the paint and VCU-bound Jenice Winter on the wing or on the block is extremely dangerous. It’ll be up to the guards to determine if South Shore can win the whole thing.
Midwood stands in its way in the quarterfinals. The Hornets had a tough early season, struggling through injuries. They lost a few games they shouldn’t have. But there is young talent there, starting with Camera Miley and Monet Keane Dawes. Sophomore Amina Markovic and freshman Kyla Formley have come on of late. Midwood led South Shore at the half in last year’s quarterfinals before losing. Can the Hornets, who have made 11 straight quarters, take the next step?
