On February 1st, Martin Van Buren still had a shot to catch Newtown for the Queens A-I division crown. They were hosting the Pioneers, who had edged them in their first meeting. However, the Vee Bees didn’t show up, getting routed, 63-38, in their worst performance to date.
While that loss erased any chances of a regular season title, it may have contributed to their recent success. No. 4 Van Buren ripped fifth-seeded Medgar Evers at Lehman College Saturday afternoon in the PSAL Class B quarterfinals. Nickia Witherspoon led the Vee Bees with 16 points and Sam Johnson added 15.
“They’ve been playing excellent basketball since that Newtown game,” Van Buren Coach Michael McClain said. “We’re getting there,” McClain said. “I think it’s a great achievement (getting to the semifinals). It’s a testament to our girls’ resolve.”
Van Buren was understandably rusty in that loss to Newtown. Because a wall in their gym fell apart and had to be rebuilt, they had to postpone and reschedule five games and forfeit another in addition to missing countless practices.
Since that loss, they’ve won seven straight. Gaining practice time in the refurbished gym has helped the cause, as well as McClain’s decision to change to a motion offense from the 1-4 isolation sets they used to run. “We’re moving girls around instead of just standing there, waiting for the ball,” he said. “That helps. I have six girls that are capable of scoring 16 points at any given moment.”
All six of them may have to do that for the Vee Bees to advance to their second title game in four years. They will meet No. 1 Thomas Jefferson, 72-31 winners over Clinton, the defending PSAL Class B city champions.
McClain is confident his seven seniors, particularly Johnson and Katrina Robinson - the duo played on the 2004-05 team that lost to Brandeis in the championship game - will give a game effort. He also sees that same fire that enabled this group to make the school’s longest postseason run.
“I see attitude,” the coach said. “That 2004 team, they had an attitude of invincibility, and I see that kind of attitude in this team since we played Newtown. If you’re going to beat this team, you’re going to earn it. You’re not going to walk all over us.”
Speaking of No. 2 Newtown, they will also be at Hunter Saturday, facing third-seeded Curtis. The Pioneers topped No. 10 Bronx Leadership Academy, 47-35, behind 28 points and 13 rebounds from Natasha Pierre-Louis. Eleventh-seeded Long Island City fell to Curtis, 49-33.
In PSAL Class B hoops, No. 1 Queens HS of Teaching topped No. 16 Julia Richman, 62-41. Rukiya Hazelwood led the way with 17 points. Sixth-seeded Campus Magnet topped No. 11 Seward Park, 59-38, and No. 3 Academy of American Studies edged 14th-seeded Edison, 55-48.
