Advertisement
other sports Edit

PSAL Girls Class A & B Championships

MANHATTAN, NY- The final games to be played in New York City this high school basketball season took place on Saturday with the PSAL Class "A" and "B" Championships, and the girls took center stage at Baruch College with 2 teams looking to grab championships and represent the PSAL in Glens Falls at next weekend's NYS Federation Tournament.

Both games proved to be of high quality with all 4 teams doing all they could do to come out with a win, but in the end, it was one Brooklyn team and one Bronx team that were crowned champions, each raising the title for the first time.

James Madison defeats- Lab Museum United, 59-40

Advertisement
Ketaia Athias
Ketaia Athias (M. Libert)

For James Madison coming in as the 3 seed of the PSAL Class "A" Tournament, they were considered the underdog but they played like anything but taking control in the second half and running away with things for a 59-40 title game victory.

It was a struggle for both teams in the early going as neither was able to get on a rhythm. Nina Hennessy '20 was able to knock down a long three late in the first to give Lab Museum a 7-4 lead, but that was soon erased when Ericka James '19 scored on a pair of putbacks to put Madison up for the first time with 2:14 left in the half.

While either team had their top game for most of the opening half, a late three ball by Sarah James '19 allowed the Lady Golden Knights to take a 22-20 lead at halftime as James Madison looked to win their first ever Class "A" title.

Pretty it may not have been, but Lady Golden Knights head coach Richard Tighe maintained a level of belief in his team going into the second half knowing that they weren't playing anywhere near the level he believed they could, and still held out hope that better play was coming.

''I honestly said to them that I thought it was the worst half of basketball we played all year, I thought Lab wanted it more than us," Tighe said. "In the second half, I said you need to prove that you want to win this and I believed that is what they would do."

His words rang true in the 3rd quarter as 21-0 run allowed Madison to take full control of the game as Ketsia Athias '18 was a monster inside scoring 7 points during the run to essentially put the game away as a massive run was going to be needed by Lab Museum to get them back into this one.

They just didn't have the fire power from long range to make that happen as Hennessy only connected on 1 more three ball the rest of the game, and while Delilah Kalle '18 was good off the dribble going to the basket in transition, the deficit and hole they put themselves in proved to be too much.

Athias was a major defensive weapon, as well as an offensive one in the second half, and with James able to score in the halfcourt late, it enabled James Madison to never look back in winning the Class "A" Championship, 59-40.

Sarah James had a game high 15 points to pace the way for the winners in the Lady Golden Knights, Ericka James added 14 points, and it was Athias who was named Game MVP in scoring 8 points, but grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 6 big shots.

Leading the way for Lab Museum was Kalle who had a team high 12 points in the loss that ended what was a great season the Lady Gators, but expect them to be back as they lose just 2 seniors to graduation and should be a force to reckon with going forward.

This night belonged to James Madison though, and they now will go on to play Staten Island Academy in the NYS Federation Tournament Class "A" Semifinals, and they will go in with a lot of momentum after a win that Tighe calls incredibly special for him, and the entire Lady Golden Knights program.

"I have been coaching in the PSAL for 20 years and this is a long time coming. There is like a moment that I'm trying to keep getting up the mountain and I never got over the mountain so it's nice to finally get over it for me and this amazing team."

Holcombe Rucker knocks off Springfield Gardens, 52-40

Gia Correa & Jada Simon
Gia Correa & Jada Simon (M. Libert)

It looked like it was all Springfield Gardens at the start as the Lady Eagles jumped out to a 22-9 lead as McKenzee Cummings '19 was able to get out in transition and finish on the break, while Diamond Burton '17 controlled the paint early on to help push Springfield to the lead.

Rucker was able to slowly chip away at the deficit and get within 27-22 at the half, but with Jada Simon '19 getting in good positions down low, she was beginning to make a solid difference for the Lady Mavericks to get them back in the game before the break.

The pressure applied by the guards of Holcombe Rucker began to wear down Springfield who struggled maintaining possession and after a Simon putback inside, the Lady Mavericks started the 3rd on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 29-27 with 2:55 to go in the quarter.

From there it was all Rucker as they began to heat up from long range as Traynise Delaney '18 and Tiffany Levy '17 each hit three balls, pausing the lead up to as big as 43-30 midway through the 4th quarter.

While Burton continued to do a solid job on the boards for Springfield Gardens, the ability to score in the halfcourt just wasn't there as the Lady Mavericks scored just 20 points in the final 3 quarters, allowing Holcombe Rucker to win their first PSAL Class "B" City Championship, taking down the Lady Eagles for the title in come from behind fashion, 52-40.

Delaney scored a game high 15 points for Rucker to lead in the winning effort, while Gia Correa '18 added 14 points, and Simon chipping in with 12.

In defeat it was Tamera Roberts '17 who had 13 points to pace Springfield Gardens, with Cummings adding 10 points as well in the loss.


Click above banner for more information
Click above banner for more information
Advertisement