By Marc Raimondi
“This time might be as joyful – to see what is happening to them – as any time,” the coach said after second-seeded Cardozo defeated No. 1 Campus Magnet, a team it lost to twice in the regular season, 58-51, on Sunday afternoon at St. John's University.The Judges had seven new faces, had two starters (James Southerland and Chris Hampton) transfer and lost three PSAL Queens AA games – their most defeats in league play in more than two decades. But none of it mattered at Carnesecca Arena when the buzzer sounded and Cardozo's players and coaches hoisted the Queens Borough championship trophy.”I knew we were gonna do it from the start,” said senior point guard Trinity Fields, who fought through leg cramps to score 15 points. “It ain't over yet, though.”Cardozo will be seeded fifth in the PSAL Class AA city playoffs, which begin Tuesday. The Judges will get a bye in the first round and host the winner of Manhattan Center-Canarsie first-round game.But for one day, the celebration was on. Senior Edy Toussaint overcame a lackluster first half – and plenty of Naclerio's screaming – to score 12 points and Reynaldo Walters, a sophomore transfer from Archbishop Molloy, had 10 points. The Judges' perimeter defense was strong, holding Campus Magnet's star guards Mennon Chavis (seven points) and Nathaniel Wilson (three points) to sub par performances. Chavis, one of the best scorers in the borough, didn't have a point in the second half.”Offense wins games, defense wins championships,” Fields said.Cardozo's Iona-bound point guard was correct in this case. But the score stayed close until the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs made only four field goals. The Judges held them without a point from the 3:27 mark until there was 32.7 seconds left. Both of those were baskets by senior Kyle O'Quinn, who led Campus Magnet with 21 points.Bulldogs coach Chuck Granby wished the 6-foot-8 center had gotten the ball more in the second half against a smaller Cardozo frontcourt.”We're supposed to give him the ball,” Granby said. “We didn't run our offensive sets. We've got to continuously go to him.”Cardozo did in the end. The Judges' young players grew up, Fields emerged as one of the best guards in the city and Naclerio probably did one of his best coaching jobs ever.”In the beginning of the year, we weren't together, we didn't know each other,” Walters said.Now, as a unit, they are Queens' best.Reach Associate Sports Editor Marc Raimondi by e-mail at mraimondi@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
