By Dylan Butler
Shanay Freeman and Katie Driscoll said they heard the chatter after the last meeting between two of the top PSAL girls’ basketball teams in Queens.
It came from members of August Martin, who promised a tougher game at their gym after the 19-point defeat Dec. 1.
And the Angels had good reason to be confident, beating Townsend Harris all but one time on their home floor in Larry Ceraulo’s 16 years as Harris head coach.
Make that two times.
Freeman fought through early foul trouble to score a game-high 29 points and Driscoll added 19, including a huge late three-pointer in a come-from-behind 71-63 win Monday at August Martin.
“It was all about giving them what they said they were going to give us. They said wait until you get to our gym,” said the Farleigh Dickinson-bound Freeman. “To win in this house is very big. Not a lot of teams do it.”
Townsend Harris (13-4, 9-2 Queens A) trailed by as many as 14 in the second half as August Martin used its athleticism to grab a bevy of offensive rebounds and score on the putbacks.
Shahida Horne scored 18 of her team-high 23 points in the first half as the Angels were ahead, 38-27, at the break.
But August Martin (7-8, 7-4) tired late, strayed from its effective box-and-one defense on Freeman and missed costly free throws, allowing Townsend Harris back in the game.
Freeman, who scored just six points in the first half, took advantage of the Angels’ switch to man-to-man defense and exploded for 23 second-half points.
“We had our open shots in the first half, but we were missing shot after shot. But when they started to fall, they got out of the box-and-one and into man and it helped us,” Ceraulo said. “Shanay is able to isolate so well, we made some easy baskets in the man-to-man and got us moving, got us into a flow.”
Driscoll and Kathryn Dubowski (13 points) were constantly left open on the perimeter and the two quick guards made Martin pay with huge three-pointers late. Dubowski tied the game at 59 on a three-pointer with 3:30 left before Freeman gave Townsend Harris its first lead of the second half with a pair of free throws.
“That’s been the story of the season,” Martin head coach Joel Ascher said. “For whatever reason, we give up games in the second half.”
Nicole Michael’s three-pointer brought Martin to within 64-63 with 1:31 left before Driscoll buried the bucket of the game, banking in a three-pointer with 1:22 left to put Townsend Harris ahead, 67-63.
“It was definitely one of the luckier shots of the game,” Driscoll said. “We refused to submit to defeat.”
Grover Cleveland 56, Campus Magnet 39. Jill Miller led Cleveland (9-8, 6-6 Queens I-B) with 10 points.
Francis Lewis 78, Jamaica 29. Dawn Coleman had 17 points and five rebounds, and Gina Wade added 12 points, five rebounds and two assists for Francis Lewis (15-3, 11-0 Queens A).
John Bowne 52, Newtown 32. Katrina Brown had 16 points, seven assists and six steals, and Tacheyana Brown added 15 points for John Bowne (15-1, 13-0 Queens II-B).
Van Buren 45, Renaissance 36. Delise Johnson had 15 points and 24 rebounds, and Samantha Johnson added 15 for Van Buren (17-4, 13-2 Queens II-B).
Beach Channel 63, Richmond Hill 54. Katreem Palmer had 18 points and 18 rebounds, Gina Giles had 12 points and 15 rebounds, and Chaquita Ivory added 11 points and five assists for Beach Channel (15-2, 13-0 Queens I-B). Richmond Hill fell to 15-3, 11-2 in Queens I-B.
Newcomers 52, Robert F. Kennedy 19. Maria Rios had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight steals, and Ana Sanchez added seven points and five assists for Newcomers (1-13 Queens II-B).
Thomas Edison 48, Springfield Gardens 31. Nicole Wright had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Diana Robinson added nine points and five rebounds for Edison (6-6, 6-5 Queens I-B).
Cardozo 30, Sheepshead Bay 28. Nicky Oyesile had 12 points for Cardozo (9-8), which led 21-7 at the end of three quarters in the Brooklyn Winter Classic Sunday.
Francis Lewis 56, Lehman 45. Jasmin Lawrence had 15 points, Diatiema Hill had 12 points and Alaina Davis added 11 points for the Patriots, who trailed through most of the game of the Bronx Winter Classic at Lehman College Saturday. Loulou Harris had 14 points and seven assists, and Danielle Norman added 14 rebounds for Lehman (16-3).
Grover Cleveland 63, Frank Sinatra 38. Jill Alicea had 11 points and Timea Rendes added 10 for Cleveland. Denise Finnegan led Frank Sinatra with 15 points in the non-leaguer.
John Bowne 51, Newcomers 32. Chantal Biscette had 10 points and 18 rebounds, and Tacheyana Brown had 10 points, five assists and five steals for Bowne.
St. Peter’s 70, Francis Lewis 59. Tennessee-bound Nicky Anosike had 26 points, 18 rebounds and seven steals, and Tara Driscoll added 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for St. Peter’s (4-6) Friday. Lawrence had 17 points, five assists and five steals for Lewis.
Van Buren 53, Newtown 33. Samantha Johnson had 21 points and Delise Johnson and Olivia DeSouza-McClain scored 14 points apiece for the VeeBees.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
