St. Peter’s Catherine Lewis is back from a broken left wrist. (Damion Reid)
CHSAA girls basketball beat writer Joseph Staszewski breaks down the CHSAA Archdiocesan Class AA final, set for 7 p.m. at Tolentine (2336 Andrews Avenue, Bronx).
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St. Peter’s Eagles
Record: 22-1
Head coach: Bob Daggett
Player to watch: Catherine Lewis
St. Michael Academy Eagles
Record: 16-5
Head coach: Apache Paschall
Player to watch: Jennifer O’Neill
Outlook: It is one of the season’s most anticipated games as St. Mike’s returns to the game it lost to St. Peter’s a season ago. Even though that win came with controversy over whether Apache Paschall and his troops played to win, St. Peter’s has all the tools needed to beat the once nationally ranked squad. They are very similar to St. John Vianney and Colts Neck, both of which own victories over the defending state Federation Class AA champion. The game’s loser likely earns a matchup with Christ the King in Middle Village in the CHSAA state semifinals. The winner gets a date with The Mary Academy in the quarters.
St. Peter’s is well coached, fearless, has multiple scoring options and can flat out light it up from the outside. St. Mike’s amoeba zone may have a tough time flustering speedy guards Jamie O’Hare and Christine Kline. Colgate-bound forward Catherine Lewis will be back as the cast on her broken wrist was taken off early this week. She, Victoria Jones and Ashley Motrechuk form a good enough front line to compete with St. Mike’s on the boards and Kline is one of the best rebounding guards in the city. If the Staten Island power is knocking down jumpers, it is a touch matchup for any team.
This isn’t a sure win for St. Mike’s by any means. Coach Apache Paschall’s club has had its struggles this year and St. Peter’s certainly will not be happy by the last-minute change from St. John Villa to The Bronx. The game site is supposed to alternate each year and they played at Villa last season.
What McDonalds All-American guard Jennifer O’Neill will bring is almost a given. She will score inside, knockdown big shots, find teammates and attack on defense. The rest is up in the air. Her team needs a big day from one of it sharp shooters — Allysia Rohlehr or Brianna Sidney — and from at least one of it many talented forwards: Brittany Webb, Tiffany Jones and Taylor Ford. Guards Starr Breedlove and Darius Faulk can also be a handful.
