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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Nazareth returned to its old form on Wednesday — and gave a peek into its future in the process.
The Lady Kingsmen bounced back from a disappointing loss to Archbishop Molloy in the diocesan semifinals with a 65–41 drubbing of Moore Catholic in the Catholic Class AA girls’ basketball state quarterfinals at St. Anthony’s.
“We needed to get our team back together and we did the right thing,” Quinnipiac-bound guard Jen Fay said. “We brought all the energy that we need.”
Nazareth coach Ron Kelley wasn’t sure which way his team’s confidence would go after the loss to the Stanners. McDonald’s All-American and South Carolina commit Bianca Cuevas, who was sick with strep throat, hit the court in second half against Molloy in a last-ditch effort.
Cuevas and the other four seniors agreed on the eve of the Moore game that they weren’t going to go out without giving their best.
“We all had a discussion last night,” Cuevas said. “We were saying how much we wanted to win, how hard we had to play and all the effort we had to put in.”
Cuevas scored 21 points against Moore (14–11). Fay had nine points and seven rebounds, and Sofia Roma, who is headed to Wagner, had 12 boards. Sophomore Niya Johnson had seven points and five boards, and freshman Shaniqua Edwards added five points and eight rebounds. Dina Motrechuk led the Mavericks with 16 points.
Nazareth’s supporting cast took issue with people thinking the only way they could win is if Cuevas had a big game.
“We know that we can’t rely on one player to do everything,” Fay said. “It motivates us when she is not playing well. We have to pick up the slack for her.”
Nazareth also got to show off its young players, such as Edwards, Johnson, sophomore Erykah Russell and classmate Shalix Hines. Edwards, who was moved up from the junior varsity in early January, had her way on the boards against the undersized Mavericks. Hines showed off a shooting touch, while Russell and Johnson were factors on defense.
“It’s immense for the program,” Kelley said. “Those are the next ones.”
The Lady Kingsmen took control of the game with a 12–0 run to end the first quarter, thanks in part to its signature trapping defense. Nazareth turned steals into transition layups. They included a Shiclasia Brown bucket after a strip with 1:07 left in the frame to make it 21–13. Cuevas then had her way by scoring six of her team’s first eight second-quarter points, sparking a 17–3 spurt. Sofia Roma ended the run with a three-point play to give Nazareth a commanding 38–18 lead at the break.
Nazareth advances to face arch rival and Brooklyn-Queens champion Christ the King in the semifinals 6 pm on Friday at Holy Trinity. The Royals won both meetings during the regular season, but Nazareth knocked them off in the state semifinals two years ago with Christ the King again coming off bye.
“We know what they’re about. They know what we’re about,” Fay said. “It’s all going to come down to who plays harder. If we play like we did today, I think we will be all right.”