Wings Knocks Off PSAL Defending Champs

NEW YORK, NY - It was already crunch time. A City Championship was on the line. Wings Academy had played a great game, going up by as many as 9 points with 3:18 left in the game. But Cardozo scored the next 7 points, the last four from the free throw line.

The score was 45-43, and Wings center Jessie Govan had gotten position and sealed off his defender in the paint. Randy Corporan saw Govan in the paint and passed the ball to him. The 6-10 Govan caught it, took one step and power dunked it through the basket to put Wings up 47-43. It was the play of the game, and it was the one that finally propelled Wings to the city title. The final score was 50-46 and Wings finally was able to finish what they started.

Govan was a monster in the game, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds and using his size to dominate the paint. The senior center is going to Georgetown next year, and he showed why he was offered a scholarship. He finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds and carried his team to the chip. After the game Govan was overcome with emotion, bending over several times as he tried to regain his composure.

"I couldn't even believe it once the buzzer went off," Govan said in the post-game press conference. "We were PSAL champions."

Wings came out with a slow start as Cardozo came out the chute and went ahead 10-2 in the first quarter. Wings was able to get back on track after a timeout which was started by a three pointer from Corporan. Then junior center Jamar Brown powered in two inside baskets, followed by a lay-up from senior Desure Buie to make it 11-10 and Wings all of a sudden on top. That was how the first quarter ended.

The second quarter was kind of ugly. Neither team was able to really get anything to fall through the basket. It was almost as if both teams were still trying to feel each other out. They were throwing jabs instead of trying to land knockout punches. Wings outscored Cardozo 9-5 in the second quarter and went into the half with a 20-15 lead.

The third quarter was when there it finally started to feel like there was some energy in the building. The game was starting to heat up the Garden and you finally started to hear the fans in the crowd makes some noise.

Cardozo junior guard Rashond Salnave didn't score any points in the first half. He was sitting on a goose egg when he came to life and started to contribute in the scoring column. Two free throws broke the ice for Salnave, and then his teammate Aaron Walker found him for a three to tie the game at 28 halfway through the third.

Salnave was heating up, but Wings stayed together and fought Cardozo off. After two free throws put Wings up 30-28, Corporan knocked down his second big three of the game to give Wings a 5 point cushion and was part of a 9-2 run to end the third period and give Wings a 37-30 advantage going into the fourth.

They continued to keep the lead for most of the last quarter, eventually building it up to 45-36 with a few minutes remaining. That was when Cardozo started to make their final run, started by three from junior Tareq Coburn. Two pairs of free throws made by Walker and Salnave cut Wings lead down to 45-43 with 1:29 on the clock. That was when Govan sealed and dunked Wings to the city title.

Wings coach Billy Turnage was all smiles after this game, which was contrary to his teary eyed interview that was caught on camera. Maybe he should have been tearing up after winning the title, but Turnage was not in emotional realm.

"All the years of getting to that point, and like I said, I was beginning to think we were cursed for a minute" Turnage said, referring to how many times Wings had gotten to the semi-finals but never made it to the last game. "I was more confident that these guys would get it done today, no disrespect to Cardozo. They're a great team with Ron, but I felt once we got over that hurdle, we would win the championship"

Kevin Saylor was the only other Wings player in double figures with 10 points. Corporan and Buie both chipped in with 6 points. As a 10th grader, Buie had promised Turnage he would win him a city championship before he graduated. After knocking off Cardozo, Buie can say that he is a man of his word.

Walker had 14 points for Cardozo, while Salnave chipped in with 11. Coburn had 9 points, and all three top scorers will be back next year. So in some ways, it's easier to deal with the pain of losing, according to Coach Ron Naclerio.

"Hopefully, the juniors want it as bad as I want it, so that when…the normal 6, 7 months go by - that they're going to refocus - and they're ready to do what they have to do to be champions as seniors."