PSAL Semifinal Recaps

FLUSHING, NY - The first PSAL semi-final game at Queens College was #2 seed Jefferson vs. #3 Brooklyn Collegiate. This was the matchup that was supposed to be played, according to the seedings. Both teams came out of the gate playing at a fast pace, putting up and making a lot of shots early on.

Eventually, behind a trio of tough guards, Jefferson took control of the game and kept Brooklyn Collegiate from getting back into it late. The last few minutes turned the game into a free throw exhibition as the Orange Wave won going away, 81-61. The next game is for all the marbles, the PSAL championship.

Senior Kareem Welch and junior Kevin Tabb blitzed Brooklyn Collegiate, assaulting the basket time and time again and finishing with a bucket. Welch had a game high 29, while Tabb was slightly behind him with 28 points.

The first quarter was huge for Brooklyn Collegiate. They almost couldn’t miss, dominating the period and finishing the quarter leading 25-16. They looked like the better team, controlling the boards and knocking down their open jumpers. They outplayed Jefferson in that first quarter, the only thing that kept the game somewhat close was the way Tabb kept putting the ball in the basket. Of course, that quarter had to end and the second one began.

Big difference.

This was one of those times when the team nickname, the Orange Wave, was also the best way to describe how quickly the tide changed. By the end of the half, Jefferson had turned a 9-point deficit to a 9-point lead, 43-34. Tabb was dominate the first half of the quarter, but then the rest of the Orange Wave got their games together, and before you knew it, Jefferson had the lead and kept it when they got to the end of the half.

Welch picked up where Tabb left off and started scoring in bunches. Basically, Welch forced his way into the paint and continuously put the ball in the hoop, finally finishing with the games highest total. Added to the mix was sophomore Jaquan Carlos who controlled the game from the point in the final quarter and ended up with 17 points.

The aggressiveness that both Tabb and Welch played was outstanding. They never let up and eventually Brooklyn Collegiate seemed to wear down. You could see the frustration on the faces of the players as the clock ticked down. It was the total opposite from the Jefferson players, who started to add laughter to the smiles on their faces as they realized they were going to be victorious.

Brooklyn Collegiate was led by junior Amahrie Simpkins, who opened his scoring with 2 three-pointers and finished with a team high 17 points. Senior Charles Brown finished with 14 points.

South Shore, the top seed in this year’s PSAL playoffs and defending champs, had a tough time separating themselves from 12th seeded Wings in the second semi-final matchup. South Shore was able to get a lead up to double digits in the first half, only to see Wings fight back and cut the lead back to a one possession game. Still, there was too much Kadary Richmond for Wings to make it all the way back. The final score was 54-43 in favor of the defending PSAL champions.

Late in the fourth quarter, a tip in by a Wings player made the score 44-43 with under 4 minutes left in the game. It was the last run Wings would make in the game because South Shore went on a 7-point run to cement the game away. Richmond scored on an inside move after two free throws from senior center Isaiah Richards. A three-pointer by Dante Spencer made the score 51-41 and started to send the fans to the exits. There wouldn’t be a miraculous comeback in this game.

Richmond and his teammates made key baskets all night long. The senior guard was a problem driving to the basket all game, pulling off various crowd-pleasing cross-overs and fancy finishes at the hoop. Richmond finished with a game high 17 points. There was a lot of shooting help from Spencer, who made 4 threes in the game, his only field goals in the game, and finished with 12 points.

Lastly, Richards was a steadying force for South Shore in the contest. Despite not starting, Richards (9 pts) came off the bench and immediately gave Wings problems because of his size. His ability to control the boards when he was in the game looked to give South Shore the competitive edge in the game. Wings didn’t have anyone who could come close to the size South Shore had on the floor for most of the game.

Tommy Thomas and Mamadou Nimanga were the high scorers for Wings, scoring 13 and 12 points respectively.