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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Midwood High School sophomore Kyla Formey knocked the ball away from Wings Academy forward Diceena Newsome before she could get off a layup with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter — allowing the undefeated Hornets to celebrate a 51–49 home win on Friday.
Formey said that she’s happy she helped Midwood survive one more scare, but admits that the game could have ended differently if Wings Academy’s Casiris Ruiz 3-pointer didn’t go long as the final buzzer sounded.
“I was just trying to sprint back trying to get the steal,” the sophomore said. “It just felt good to have to the ball back.”
Still, Formey’s strip was one of a number of big plays in the game that showed Midwood coach Mike Moore that his team has grown since he took over two years ago.
“We just held it together,” he said. “They just gave me that effort all the way through to the end. That’s why we were able to pull this one out.”
Amina Markovic is also getting a lot of buzz among her fellow Hornets : she never played organized basketball until two years ago, but finished Friday’s game with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Markovic, who showed off a strong mid-range jumper, dominated the fourth quarter before having to sit out the final minute with an ankle injury. Her spinning layup in the lane tied the score at 47–47 with 2:30 left to play in the game. A transition layup from Alex Moogan put Midwood up for good moments later.
Markovic says she’s noticed the difference in her game.
“I’ve gained more confidence in myself and my teammates have gained more confidence in me,” Markovic said.
The Hornets played without star forward Monet Keane Dawes, who suffered a partial tear of her ACL and meniscus and won’t be back until February.
Yet, despite Dawes’s injury, Moore still feels his squad can compete for a spot in the semifinals — something Midwood has been doing for the last 11 years.
“That’s the bench mark,” Moore said of the quarterfinal berth. “I want to go beyond that.”
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.