Christ the King and Rayne Connell head into the tournament off winning the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens title. (Denis Gostev)
All the debate will finally be settled.
By week’s end the CHSAA’s top girls basketball team will be crowned in a tournament that rivals any in the country with talent and its grueling nature.
Nationally ranked Nazareth will look for a second straight crown and a trip upstate to defend its state Federation Class AA title in Albany. Christ the King, tje winner two years ago, is hoping to get back to the mountaintop after winning its 26th Brooklyn/Queens title in 28 tries. St. Anthony’s, also nationally ranked, is trying to erase the memory of last year’s defeat to Nazareth in the semifinals and earn its first trip upstate in the highest classification.
Bishop Ford coach Mike Toro felt all year he had a group talented enough to finally get the Falcons to Albany and they have proven that. A loss to CK in the diocesan final notwithstanding, Ford has been arguably the city most consistent team. A year ago, Molloy was on the road to claiming a state Federation Class A crown and this year was about accomplishing more. A deep run to a title would certainly be that.
St. John the Baptist started the season slow, but ever since getting star Anastasia Williams back the Cougars have become a force playing at the level expected by coach Ted Oberg. With St. Peter’s and St. Michael Academy closed, Moore Catholic has developed into the premier Archdiocesan program. Some success in the Class AA state tournament is the next step.
SCHEDULE
March 7
Quarterfinals @ St. Francis Prep
4 p.m. – Bishop Ford vs. Moore Catholic
5:45 p.m. – Nazareth vs. St. John the Baptist
7:30 p.m. – Archbishop Molloy vs. St. Anthony’s
March 9
Semifinals @ Archbishop Molloy
5 p.m. – Bishop Ford/Moore vs. Molloy/St. Anthony’s
7 p.m. – Christ the King vs. Nazareth/St. John the Baptist
March 10
Final @ Christ the King
7 p.m. – Semifinal winners
Archbishop Molloy Stanners
Head coach: Scott Lagas
Record: 18-9
Player to watch: Amani Tatum
Outlook: The Stanners may not be the sexy pick in this tournament, but there is no reason why they can’t make a run. Molloy does own two wins over CK, beat Ford and only fell to Nazareth by 10 in their last meeting. There may not be a tougher competitor than point guard Amani Tatu, who can get to the basket at will. Forward Carolyn Gallagher can score in bunches and will try to rebound from a tough outing against Ford. Nyasha Irizarry and Kamille Ejerta can both light things up from the outside. Patti Drogler adds a toughness inside.
Bishop Ford Falcons
Head coach: Mike Toro
Record: 22-5
Player to watch: Aaliyah Lewis
Outlook: It’s tough to find too many backcourts better than Aaliyah Lewis, Aaliyah Jones, Shanice Vaughan and Jill Conroy. They have led the Falcons to their best season ever and a trip to the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens title game. Brittany Lewis is always solid in the middle, but the difference of late has been the play of Brittany (Pookie) Martin as a defensive presence and rebounder inside. Nothing will ease coach Mike Toro’s battle with anxiety more than a trip to Albany.
Christ the King Royals
Head coach: Bob Mackey
Record: 15-13
Player to watch: Sierra Calhoun
Outlook: The Royals are certainly the most improved and most dangerous team in this bracket. All the ills that plagued them during their 0-6 start and .500 regular season appear to be behind them. Sierra Calhoun is showing why she is arguably the city’s top player. She is getting scoring help from Kollyns Scarbrough and Rayne Connell. Taylor Butigian has awoken in the middle and Alyssa Gatti has matured at the point guard spot. CK is playing with confidence, has learned how to win and will never be outcoached with Bob Mackey on the bench.
Moore Catholic Mavericks
Head coach: Rich Postiglione
Record: 20-5
Player to watch: Jamie O’Hare
Outlook: The Staten Island school has established itself as one of NYC’s best with four straight Archdiocesan titles, including two at the Class AA level. The undersized squad can rely heavily on its outside shooting against longer team and will make their guards work. The Division I duo of Christina Rubin (Iona) and Jamie O’Hare (Lafayette) can both light it up from behind the arc and are a handful for defenses. Gabriella Rubin is a streak shooter and Tori Crea is one of the catalysts to a defense that can be down-right suffocating.
Nazareth Lady Kingsmen
Head coach: Lauren Best & Ron Kelley
Record: 15-3
Player to watch: Sadie Edwards
Outlook: A lot of the Lady Kingmen’s playoff hopes will fall squarely on the health of All-American guard Brianna Butler’s knee. Nazareth hasn’t quite played up to its potential without her in the lineup, but with her Naz is the favorite. Electric guards Bianca Cuevas and Sadie Edwards have picked up the scoring slack. West Virginia-bound point guard Darius Faulk is a true floor general. An x-factor could be the play of posts Yasmine Belk and Sofia Roma. A loss leaves the players with an uncertain future as the school is closing in June.
St. Anthony’s Friars
Head coach: Ken Parham
Record: 23-4
Player to watch: Symone Kelly
Outlook: St. Anthony’s has won 33 straight games in league and just collected its second straight diocesan title. They took home a Federation Class A crown three years ago and now want a ‘AA’ title. Tyla Parham, the coach’s daughter, has been the motor to the Friars season. She has plenty of talent around her in wing Chastity Tayler, one of the nation’s best sophomores, Siena-bound forward Symone Kelly and dead-eye shooter Rebecca Musgrove. St. Anthony’s has struggled in the past closing out big games, but that hasn’t been a problem of late.
St. John the Baptist Cougars
Head coach: Ted Oberg
Record: 17-10
Player to watch: Anastasia Williams
Outlook: Coach Ted Oberg’s teams have a history of improving as a season goes along. An injury to Anastasia Williams hurt SJB’s growth in the beginning as it suffered losses to Holy Trinity, John F. Kennedy and Kellenberg. The Cougars, who are always stout defensively, found themselves back in the Long Island final and fell by just three to St. Anthony’s. Freshman point guard Zoe Riis-Fallica has proven she knows how to run a team. Brianna Thomas and Lauren Williams are both studs, who can go off at any moment. Baptist is never an easy out and always a threat to make a run.