See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Brooklyn produced plenty of Division-I players and champions this season.
Bishop Ford led the way by winning the school’s first diocesan, Catholic state and Federation titles. South Shore reached the Public School Athletic League final for the third time in five years. Bishop Loughlin earned a place in the Catholic state Class AA championship game, Nazareth won the Catholic Class A title, and Bishop Kearney took home the Division II diocesan crown. Brooklyn Collegiate also reached its first-ever city semifinal. Here are the players who made it happen, and were picked as Brooklyn’s best:
All-Brooklyn Player of the Year: Aaliyah Jones, Bishop Ford
Jones put her name among the city’s elite players by leading Bishop Ford to its first state Federation Class AA title. The junior guard did it all with a fractured finger in her left hand. Jones, who is also a lockdown defender, dropped in 25 points in the state final, one of nine 20-plus -point games this season. She also had big baskets down the stretch to beat Molloy in the diocesan title game.
All-Brooklyn Coach of the Year: Anwar Gladden, South Shore
Gladden helped lead South Shore back to Public School Athletic League Class AA finals, after it earned its second straight top seed. He did so by developing Iona-bound forward Aurellia Cammock, helping shooter Aliyah Cooley to mature, and getting the most out of sophomore Brianna Fraser. Gladden’s half-time adjustments had the Vikings within two points of eventual champion Murry Bergtraum late in the title game.
All-Brooklyn First Team:
G Jasmine Alston, Bishop Loughlin
The senior was the floor general for the Lions and the team’s second-leading scorer behind Imani Tate. The LaSalle-bound point guard committed herself to being a force on the defense end and got all of Loughlin’s players clicking together by season’s end.
F Aurellia Cammock, South Shore
The bruising Iona-bound forward turned in the best season of her career. Cammock averaged 12.5 points and 9.2 rebounds a contest in league play, including 15 points in a win over Murry Bergtraum during the regular season.
F Brianna Fraser, South Shore
Fraser has developed into one of the city’s best forwards averaging 13 points and seven rebounds during league play. The sophomore was the driving force behind the Vikings nearly winning the city title game as she scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half.
G Aaliyah Lewis, Bishop Ford
The best thing the St. John’s-bound guard did was adapting to teammate Aaliyah Jones’ increased scoring. Lewis focused on distributing, defending, and scoring when need be. She dropped in 15 of her 22 points in the second half of a diocesan semifinal win.
F Imani Tate, Bishop Loughlin
The Albany-bound forward had the best season of her career and helped Loughlin reach its first-ever Catholic Class AA state final. Tate was a 20-plus point scorer thanks to her relentlessness in the paint and her improved jump shot.
All-Brooklyn Second Team
G Shiclasia Brown, Nazareth
Brown flourished in an increased role after the suspension of Bianca Cuevas. The junior’s scoring increased, as did her leadership. Brown scored 25 points to ensure Nazareth’s win in the Catholic High School Athletic Association Class A state final.
G Jill Conroy, Bishop Ford
Ford couldn’t win the state title without Conroy’s blue-collar contributions and clutch shooting. The Holy Family-bound senior hit two huge 3-pointers in a playoff win over Molloy and averaged 12.5 points over two games in the Federation tournament.
F Aliyah Cooley, South Shore
The senior guard’s level of maturity improved, and so did her game. Cooley was the consistent outside threat the Vikings hoped for, averaging 12.3 points per game to complement her team’s dominance in the paint.
F Jen Fay, Nazareth
Fay came back from a knee injury to have an impact season for Nazareth. She scored consistently inside and was the lady Kingsmen’s best shooter from behind the arc. Her speed and size made her a versatile defender.
G Chelsea Gibson, Brooklyn Collegiate
The Bishop Loughlin transfer flourished at Brooklyn Collegiate and thrived in the Public School Athletic League. The senior averaged 20 points per game and six rebounds while helping to lead her team to its first semifinals.
Honorable Mention
G Darieli Abreu, Grand Street
F Hadiyah Black, Brooklyn Collegiate
G Africa Williams, Benjamin Banneker
G Cindy Henderson, Fontbonne Hall
F Brittany Henry, Bishop Ford
G Christina Heyer, Bishop Kearney
F Jacquie Kennedy, Poly Prep
F Amina Markovic, Midwood
G Camera Miley, Midwood
F Shakila Small, Medgar Evers
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.