Pierre-Louis’s 34 not enough for Newtown

Technically, the PSAL Class A girls city championship was a battle of the league’s top two teams. No. 1 Jefferson and second-seeded Newtown each ran through their respective divisions flawlessly, although the Orange Wave ended up with seven league losses when it was revealed they used ineligible players in those instances.
Nevertheless, Newtown (26-2), who dominated Queens-A, was the decided underdog in this battle of titans. The extremely talented Orange Wave go 10 deep, and boast one of the city’s top full court presses in addition to superior size and athleticism. Many consider them to be in the class of the PSAL’s top teams in the AA super division.
“We knew what we were up against,” Newtown Coach John Sarrantonio said. “We watched them play.”
Still, the Pioneers couldn’t stay with the Brooklyn school, not even with their star, Natasha Pierre-Louis, filling it up with 34 points. Jefferson overwhelmed Newtown, 75-54, at Hunter College Saturday afternoon.
Pierre-Louis kept them close early, tallying 10 in the opening quarter. But for Newtown to win, Sarrantonio knew, their supporting players had to make an impact. It didn’t happen.
Danyelle Foster scored just eight points and Talaya Melton seven. Senior Angela Lam, all season a key component on the perimeter, was held scoreless. “We relied too much on Natasha,” Sarrantonio said. “Not too many girls stepped up.”
Yet they trailed by just seven at halftime, and after falling behind by 11 early in the third quarter, were within striking distance late in the quarter. When Pierre-Louis converted on a 3-point play, the differential was just five. But the Pioneers came undone against the Orange Wave press. Jefferson reeled off a 21-9 spurt over the next several minutes, keyed by leading scorers Alicia Cropper (22 points) and Melonie Jones (18).
“It was mental mistakes,” said Melton, Newtown’s primary ball-handler. “Our timing was a little off. We weren’t coming to the ball like we were supposed to.”
Fatigue also set in. Newtown has played with a short bench all year and by the fourth quarter, Melton and Pierre-Louis were dragging, breathing heavily and tugging on their shorts. “I was looking for Gatorade every [timeout],” Pierre-Louis said.
A few of the Pioneers sobbed afterward, but many said they were proud of their history-making season, one that included the school’s first city championship game appearance.
“It’s bittersweet,” Melton said. “There’s a sense of accomplishment. But it’s disappointing not winning it all after a perfect season. We’ve been working so hard for it since our freshman season.”