The final moments of Van Buren’s 44-24 win Friday were suppose to be a joyous time…
By Dylan Butler
With a comfortable 19-point lead, the Van Buren girls basketball team was 70 seconds away from a well-earned first round PSAL ‘B’ Division playoff win over Global Studies.
The final moments of Van Buren’s 44-24 win Friday were suppose to be a joyous time for Mike McClain and his team, an opportunity to sit back and relax before the VeeBees second round date with Queens rival Grover Cleveland.
But the final 1:10 of the game was anything but calm. Van Buren starting guard junior Cheriese Soto and Global Studies guard Tinesha Mayers got into a heated argument. The players, just inches from each other, also pointed in each others faces.
That was enough for the game’s officials, Vincent Bonini and Archie Layne, to whistle each player for double technical fouls and each were ejected.
“It happened so fast, when the official blew his whistle, I told him I was going to take Cheriese out because that was her fifth foul,” McClain said. “There were no punches thrown.”
The confrontation between the two paled in comparison to a bizarre incident just after the game. After the traditional hand shake following the game, Global Studies players Raina Taylor and Natalia Benton had an argument which quickly led to punches thrown by each player before being separated by other their teammates.
Less than five minutes later, Global Studies freshman Yoneqque Steadman had to be restrained from trying to get at Benton. Another donnybrook was narrowly averted moments later when a fight almost broke out between fans from both schools. Van Buren officials turned the lights off in the gym and quickly escorted fans out of the gym.
The confrontation between Soto and Mayers proved to be a costly one for Van Buren (18-6), which was without Soto, who was suspended for its second round game against Cleveland.
“She was not eligible to play and I’m playing the game under protest because [Layne] said she was out because of conduct,” McClain said. “It was her fifth foul anyway, she would have been out of the game regardless.”
Without Soto, the VeeBees were no match for Cleveland as, led by Jennifer Barenboim’s 24 points, the Indians defeated Van Buren, 68-30 Tuesday. Ina Serri has 13 points and Andrea Stewart added 12 for Cleveland (16-6), which outscored Van Buren 25-3 in the third quarter.
As for the game against Global Studies (17-6), the VeeBees dominated from the outset, opening up an 11-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.
It became evident from the beginning that any offense generated by Global Studies was going to go through Benton, a 6-foot-2 sophomore center.
But with the backcourt tandem of Soto (four steals) and Geneva Kelly (16 points, five steals), gave the Jaguars’ guards fits as the duo had several steals at half court for numerous easy layups.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on,” McClain said. “They cause a good amount of turnovers and allowed us to get an early lead, which is always good.”
While Van Buren used a balanced offensive attack, Global Studies lone scoring option was Benton — who scored all eight of the Jaguars first half points as the VeeBees led 17-8 at the break.
Benton finished with 20 of her team’s 24 points — including all of the Jaguars field goals — mostly on putbacks. She also had a game-high 22 rebounds.
“She’s a tough kid,” McClain said of Benton. “She’s obviously a great rebounder. She typifies what it means to be a great rebounder. She knows where the ball is going to fall. She hurt us.”
But it was Van Buren’s balanced scoring attack that did in Global Studies. The VeeBees extended its 28-13 lead after three quarters to 17, 35-18, on Kelly’s desperation 30-foot bank shot from the top of the key with one second left on the clock.
“The crowd said, ‘Shoot it, shoot it’, so I just shot it,” said Kelly.
Benton got Global Studies back to within 13, 37-24, with two free throws with 3:12 left in the game. But when Benton picked up her fifth foul with 2:37 remaining, all hope of a Jaguars comeback were gone.
“After [Benton] fouled out, they knew they weren’t going anywhere,” said sophomore Shauntae Parker, who also scored 16 points and was whistled for the game’s first technical foul for taunting when she stared back at the Jaguars players following her 16-foot jumper with 6:53 left in the game. “They were frustrated out there.”
Francis Lewis 64, Clinton 26. Maria Miaoulis had 13 points and six rebounds and Diane Ramirez added six points and four assists for Francis Lewis (22-3) in a PSAL ‘A’ first-round game Tuesday. The third-seeded Patriots take on the winner of the August Martin-McKee/Staten Island Tech game in the quarterfinals March 3 at Elmcor.
Environmental Studies 46, Campus Magnet 44. A pair of free throws by Morganna Green with eight seconds left lifted Environmental Studies to the ‘B’ Division first-round win Friday. Green had a game-high 24 points and Debra Lubenowicz added eight for Environmental Studies (16-7). Magnet was paced by Delores Maeweather’s 13 points and eight assists.
Julia Richman Educational Complex 37, Forest Hills 36. JREC came back from an eight-point deficit with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter to upset Forest Hills in a first round ‘B’ playoff game last Thursday.
Munira King scored on a layup with eight seconds left and then blocked Katherine Shea’s short jumper at the buzzer to secure the win for JREC (16-2).
Gena Romano scored a game-high 14 points and Christina Klusko added eight points and 11 boards for Forest Hills (15-9).
John Adams 44, School of the Future 27. Nicole Moore had 17 points, five assists and five steals and Amanda Sanders had 14 points and six rebounds for the defending ‘B’ division champs. The Spartans advance to the second round to take on Banneker in a game scheduled for Wednesday.
Bowne 58, Newtown 40. Nashaun Burrell had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Jennifer Muojeke had 16 points and 14 boards for Bowne (20-2). Newtown, which was without its best player, Monica Pahl, who was sidelined with an anterior cruciate injury, finished the season at 14-11. Bowne faces South Shore in the Round of 16 in a game scheduled for Wednesday.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
