Earlier today we did our projections for how we believed Class AA on the boy’s side of the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions would go, and now it's time to see how the girls would play out.

If possible it looked as if the girls field would be even deeper than the boys as the first of the four teams represented would come from NYSAIS and Long Island Lutheran as the Crusaders were a nationally ranked team throughout the year led by a pair of hotshot sophomores in Paris Clark '22 and Kaylene Smikle '22, but the fact remains that this season's LuHi team while young is as deep and talented as any in recent memory.

The PSAL representative would've been South Shore. Another team that was nationally ranked at times throughout the season, the Vikings we believed would've easily taken care of business for the title over Harry Truman in a rematch of last season's championship matchup, though with four committed Division 1 seniors leading the way this time it would've been a much easier victory for a dominant South Shore team.

Getting now to the CHSAA, it would've been an intriguing matchup of teams that feature similar skill sets in their title game between St. Francis Prep of Queens and Cardinal O'Hara from the Buffalo region. Both present size inside with the Terriers featuring JeAnna Cunningham '20, and with Amelia Strong '21 proving to be a tough force inside for the Lady Hawks as well.

Trying to determine a winner here wasn't easy but St. Francis Prep is a senior laden team on a mission, while O'Hara didn't have a senior get any sort of major minutes so with that said you could expect to see MacKayla Scarlett '20 pull out a couple big plays late to lead them to a tight and close 61-59 victory over the Lady Hawks.

When determining the final spot in the Federation TOC, the NYSPHSAA winner, we could've gone a number of different ways. The four teams we had in the mix in our projections were Bishop Kearney out of Section 5, Ursuline out of Section 1, Shenendehowa out of Section 2, and Baldwin out of Section 8.

Each team has a case to be made why they are the team that could win it all, but ever since they had gotten completely healthy it seemed as if the Kings of Bishop Kearney were on a mission. They held the size advantage and the physicality edge over the other three teams remaining, and they may also be the best perimeter shooting team when you consider all they can throw out there as well. Saniaa Wilson '21 would be too much against a smaller Ursuline team in what would be one of the best postseason matchup's of the year, and then in a revenge game from during the season it's the size and strength that allows the Kings to push past Shenendehowa to win the NYSPHSAA crown.

So, it's set and the first semifinal matchup in the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions will pit St. Francis Prep against Bishop Kearney.

Both teams can pressure the ball and do damage with their ability to not just shoot it from the outside, but make plays attacking off the bounce. Scarlett and Destiny Howell '20 provide the Terriers an early advantage, but when Kearney starts pushing it inside to Wilson and Taylor Norris '21 they combined get Cunningham in foul trouble and force her to the bench early in the second quarter.

That allows more space inside for the bruisers of the Kings forcing St. Francis Prep to help more which then enables a late shooting barrage from Marianna Freeman '21 to end the half as Bishop Kearney takes a 36-28 lead at the break over the Terriers.

With Cunningham back on the floor it's the Terriers who start to do a better job controlling the paint and not giving up as many second and third looks as they were, and with them doing a better job on the glass it allows for more breakout opportunities for them as they close the gap with Scarlett scoring 7 points in the third quarter to see things tied going to the fourth.

It looked as if momentum was back on the side of St. Francis Prep's but just when Wilson started to slow down it was Norris who starts to be too much to handle down low as the tough duo of inside threats for the Kings helps them to open the fourth by scoring the first 6 to open up a lead once again.

The Terriers fight back and get within 62-60 in the final minute but Camille Wright '21 would hit her first triple of the game in the biggest spot to put the game away for good as Bishop Kearney pulls off a minor surprise by knocking off St. Francis Prep to start things off 68-64.

Wilson led Bishop Kearney with 17 points and 13 rebounds, with Freeman and Norris adding 16 and 15 respectively with Norris also grabbing 10 boards. In the loss it was Scarlett who went out strong as she had 22 to lead the Terriers in capping off a tremendous high school career.

Rose Hill Gymnasium on the campus of Fordham University is packed to the top of the rafters now for the second semifinal pitting Long Island Lutheran against South Shore. The two teams many consider to be the best in New York meet in the semifinal round but it has a championship like atmosphere with dozens of college coaches and a full house in attendance to catch this one.

South Shore gets off to a strong start as Kateri Poole '20 isn't scoring much in the early going but her vision and playmaking abilities to find the likes of Chloe Wilson '20 and Shcira Fowles '20 for buckets inside allows the Lady Vikings to jump out to a quick lead.

Maybe it's because of the long 30+ day layoff but good looks from the outside from both Smikle and Jamie Behar '20 aren't falling at the start as early in the second quarter the Lady Vikings take their first double digit lead going up 16-6 after a sluggish opening quarter.

Doing a great job pressuring the ball and slowing down LuHi is causing a lot of Crusaders mistakes with the pressure being put on by both Alexia Nelson '20 and Rori Cox '20 proving to really be stifling a usually well-oiled Long Island Lutheran machine as the Crusaders hits just 1 opening half three as South Shore takes what looks to be a commanding 28-15 lead into halftime.

When Behar knocks down her first three to open the third the Long Island Lutheran bench looks as if they get a surge of adrenaline immediately, and after a miss for South Shore, Simona Visockaite '20 gets the rebound and outlets it to Clark who finds Smikle on the left wing who drains another three as the once 13 point lead for South Shore is down to 7 just over a minute into the third quarter.

Slowly but surely some defensive adjustments that were made are allowing the Crusaders to close up driving lanes and are forcing South Shore to shoot more from the outside. Wilson has been solid enough on second chances on the offensive glass to keep the Lady Vikings in front, but after making just 1 three in the opening half Long Island Lutheran drain 5 in the third to see a 13 point lead trimmed down to just 38-34 going to the fourth.

A loud LuHi crowd has them back in the game and with 3:38 left it's a Visockaite finish inside with her left hand that ties the game up for the first time at 43.

Even though she hasn't scored much up until this point Poole pulls up for a long three and nails it on the ensuing South Shore possession, and then it's a trap at midcourt that forces a turnover with Nelson finding Poole for an easy layup to put the Lady Vikings back up by 5 and forcing a LuHi timeout.

Those though were the key moments of the game as even though Poole only finish with 12 points, she would add 9 assists and 7 rebounds to put together a tremendous all-around performance to help her South Shore team fight through tough adversity in the fourth quarter and take a 54-48 victory over Long Island Lutheran who would get 19 points from Smikle in the defeat.

So, the NYS Federation TOC Championship Game is set as South Shore will take on Bishop Kearney for the title with the winner being able to call themselves truly the best in New York.

Much like South Shore did the day before against Long Island Lutheran they are looking to defend the perimeter and deny good outside looks while also pressuring the ball and trying to create mistake from Bishop Kearney. On the flip side though, the Kings are looking to give the Lady Vikings some of the same medicine they are dishing out and while both teams are successful at forcing 10+ turnovers in the opening half it means a bit of a sloppier game than expected.

Most of the interior players for both teams are hit with early fouls as well, though the unsung Wilson for South Shore finishes with 8 in the opening half to help the Lady Vikings to a 24-19 lead over Bishop Kearney.

Seeing the Kings in a lot of foul trouble, Anwar Gladden has his South Shore team drive at the interior players for Kearney to start the third as both Wilson and Norris are saddled with two fouls. Both pick up their third fouls by the midway point of the quarter as well, and with Poole beginning to make a living from the charity stripe the lead for the Lady Vikings begins to grow.

It's a 37-27 lead going to the final quarter for South Shore, and as expected a push it made from Bishop Kearney with Freeman rattling in a three ball from the corner off a nice Kaia Goode '22 feed, and with Wilson playing with no fear she is able to putback misses on back to back possessions to get the 10 point lead down to as little as 3 with 2:06 to go.

Again, though when South Shore needs a big play it's Poole who shined biggest as she took on her defender one on one and got herself to the hoop for the bucket and foul with just under two minutes to go. Poole drained the FT and it was a 6 point Lady Vikings lead again. Freeman would again get a good look at a three that was off with the long rebound this time coming to Poole who got the ball up court to a streaking Nelson this time for a basket to seal the deal for good.

There were some late fouls that dragged the game out a bit but with Poole scoring 16 points, dishing out 7 assists, and grabbing 7 rebounds it was South Shore finishing off a great season in a title. Wilson added 14 points and 9 rebounds while Nelson had 11 points as well to help the Lady Vikings to a 53-45 win over Bishop Kearney who got 18 from Freeman to lead the Kings.

Poole would find her father Marquee after the game and give him a big hug before being named NYS Federation Tournament of Champions MVP as this was the culmination of an amazing four years for one of NYC's best, and in the Bronx on this day it's Brooklyn and South Shore that reigns supreme.

Kateri Poole (South Shore '20)

Kateri Poole (South Shore '20)

Chloe Wilson (South Shore '20)

Marianna Freeman (Bishop Kearney '21)

Saniaa Wilson (Bishop Kearney '21)

Kaylene Smikle (Long Island Lutheran '22)

MacKayla Scarlett (St. Francis Prep '20)