The Archbishop Molloy players were so focused on their main goal – the Class AA states – that they lost sight of a solid secondary one: the Class A. The Stanners are in the driver’s seat for the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens top seed in the CHSAA ‘A’ state tournament and are playing like a team rejuvenated.
“At first they thought our season was done,” coach Tom Catalanotto said. “Now we have something to play for.”
After an up and down season, Molloy is beginning to put things together. That was apparent in a 52-45 win against Francis Lewis in non-league girls basketball Sunday on Senior Day in Briarwood. The Stanners came back from a big first-half hole and outscored the Patriots, 22-3, in the third quarter.
Catalanotto’s three-guard lineup – featuring one girl smaller than the next – has worked wonders and that’s what brought Molloy (9-13) out of the doldrums Sunday.
“When we press with those three girls, teams have a hard time getting the ball up the court,” Catalanotto said. … “We put them away after the third quarter. I think we broke their spirits a little bit.”
Lewis (18-4) not having point guard Kelly Robinson (torn ACL) – a Molloy transfer – hurts against a good press. Binghamton-bound forward Kyra Aloizos had 13 points, including six straight to finish the first half to get Molloy back into the game. Elizabeth (Gurt) Lynch had 11 points and Marielle Duryea added nine.
Sabrina Jeridore had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Jasmine Davis had seven points and eight assists and Tatiana Wilson had nine points for Lewis.
“When we come out frustrated, we have a really, really hard time,” Lewis coach Steve Tsai said. “If we would have maintained the level of play we had in the first half, we would have been OK.”
While, Molloy seems to be on the upswing lately, things have been a struggle for Lewis, despite beating Midwood in a key non-league game Friday. Tsai said Jeridore and Niya Walker were very vocal in a postgame team meeting and that it was a good sign.
“It’s bad enough we play against these tough teams,” Tsaid said, “but we gotta play against ourselves, too.”
Christ the King 60, Trenton Catholic (N.J.) 54: Ariel Edwards scored 15 points and Bria Smith had 15 for the Royals (18-5) at the Prime Events Shootout in Absecon, N.J. Nia Oden and Rayne Connell each added 10. CK trailed by as many as 11 in the second quarter, but were within 30-27 at the half thanks to some excellent free throw shooting. It gradually put the game away in the third with the help of big 3-pointers from Jackie Michel and Jackie Mullen. Trenton Catholic is 13-3.
St. Peter’s 54, Cherokee (N.J) 40: Ashley Motrechuk scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked seven shots for St. Peter’s (18-1) at the Prime Events Shootout in Absecon, N.J. Jamie O’Hare had 16 points and Victoria Jones added 14. The Eagles played without forward Catherine Lewis because of a broken wrist. She could miss up to six weeks, but vows to return for the playoffs. Cherokee, which beat St. John Vianney this season, is 14-7.