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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Collegiate girls hold off Staten Island Academy

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See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

The first-year coach implored his Brooklyn Collegiate team to be itself if it wanted the game to turn in its favor.

“I told them to get back to what we do and implement our style of play and things started to change,” Levon Cook said.

The Lions girl’s basketball team watched Staten Island Academy rally from a double-digit deficit to take lead into fourth quarter. Cook wanted his team to impose its will on the game. His players did so — just in time.

Brooklyn Collegiate’s press regained its first-half intensity and pushed the ball in transition to regain control of the contest and pull out a 44–41 win over Staten Island Academy at the Rose Classic Super Jam at Nazareth on Monday. The Lions team, which led 1–4 after the first quarter, went on an 11–2 run to grab a 45–39 advantage with 2:20 remaining in the game.

“Our players are faster then theirs so when we opened up the court and got more spacing that is when we started to score more,” senior center Hadiyah Black said.

The Tigers (12–3) didn’t go away with help from Brooklyn Collegiate turnovers. A Lisa Cappiello 3-pointer pulled Staten Island Academy within three in the final minute, but a steal by Tajahane Dopson in the closing seconds sealed the victory.

Dopson, who has interest from Division I colleges, scored six of her 13 points in the fourth quarter. She attacked the basket with ease and helped Brooklyn Collegiate (7–3) navigate through the press.

“She is a blessing,” Cook said. “If she was more aggressive the sky is the limit”

Black, who was dominant in the first half, scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Akiele Lewis added 11 for the Lions. Corinn Baggs and Sade Dinkins had 14 and 12 points respectively. The duo led a 10–2 Tigers run to open the third quarter to get their team back in the game.

The Brooklyn Collegiate players, who reached the semifinals last season, feel it took some time, but they have adjusted well to Cook and Grigoriy Agrest, who took over for Juan Franco and Dytanya Mixon. They have each other’s mutual trust and are looking to finish the regular season strong.

“When we click we are kind of dangerous,” Dopson said.

Archbishop Williams (Mass.) 55, Grand Street 49: Fernanda Reyes Acosta led Grand Street with 12 points, including three 3-pointers at the Rose Classic Super Jam. Katherine Pena Mendoza scored 10 points and Kaisah Lucky added nine. Katryna Veasey paced Archbishop Williams with 16 points.

Grand Street closed the second half on a 7–0 run, capped by a Reyes Acosta 3-pointer, to take a 27–22 lead into the break. Archbishop Williams eventually wore down the Wolves on the glass to pull away late for the win.

“We are not boxing out the way we should have been at that point,” Grand Street assistant coach Luis Aguirre said. “They just got a bunch of offensive boards.

Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.

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