New York Post girls basketball beat writer Joseph Staszewski breaks down Friday’s CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I rematch between Christ the King and Bishop Ford.
When: Dec. 15, 7:30 p.n.
Where: Christ the King (2802 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village)
Christ the King Royals
Head coach: Bob Mackey
Record: 8-3, 5-1 B/Q
Player to watch: Bria Smith
Bishop Ford Falcons
Head coach: Mike Toro
Record: 12-1, 5-1 B/Q
Player to watch: Shayra Brown
Outlook: It’s one of the most anticipated girls basketball rematches in recent years. Back on Dec. 7, Bishop Ford sent shockwaves through New York City when it beat Christ the King, 73-64 in overtime, in Park Slope. It was just CK’s second CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens regular season loss in a decade, a feat first-year Falcons coach Mike Toro had been predicting since he took over the job. They did so with relentless defense and by playing with a palatable will to win. Ford now has Christ the King’s full attention.
The Royals are a much different team than the one that made that trip to Brooklyn. They went 2-2 at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona in late December. CK easily could have won all four, including a four-point loss to Long Beach Poly, ranked No. 5 in the country by USA Today. Since returning to New York, Christ the King has played at a different level, especially on defense. Penn State-bound Ariel Edwards has been a machine at drawing charges and has led a more physical attack.
Star guard Bria Smith had one of the worst performances of her career the first time around. She fouled out early in the fourth quarter and scored just four points. Edwards and Nia Oden also picked up five fouls and CK, which has won four straight, shot poorly. Its goal in this one is to make Ford a halfcourt team and do a better job on the backboards. The supporting cast will have to be exponentially better,.
The Falcons looked less than inspired in a tight win over Bishop Kearney at home on Wednesday night. That won’t be a problem come Friday. Ford will rev up its intensity to a frantic level, knowing it will likely have to face a hostile environment and a very angry Royals squad as it looks to move itself closer to a regular season title.
Shayra Brown has been playing as well as any player in the city late in games. The Boston College-bound guard has used her athleticism, court sense and even a few big 3-pointers to close out of a handful of games during the Falcons’ seven-game winning streak. The only blemish on their record is a road loss to St. Francis Prep.
If Brown was the closer in Ford’s win over CK, Vanessa D’Ambrosi, who is headed to St. Anselm, was the spark. She scored 13 of her 19 points in the third quarter. Her outside shooting will be paramount again if Ford is going to leave with a victory. Lost in some of the big plays was the ability of guards Anjali Moncrieffe and Shanice Vaughan, who recently returned from a knee, to attack the CK defense, one of the big reasons for the Royals’ foul trouble. The Falcons will likely have to play better than they did in the first meeting if they are going to sweep the season series.