The Benjamin Cardozo Judges (25-1) continued their winning ways in the Public School
Athletic League (PSAL) playoffs, defeating the Bayside Commodores, 62-43, in the Queens Borough Championship at City College of New York in Manhattan on Saturday, February 12.
Bayside (16-10) led 14-6 in the first quarter, but the top-seeded Judges won this game in the second quarter, scoring 21 points to Bayside’s two – a lopsided score that sunk the Commodores.
Three players scored in double digits for the Judges, including senior Christopher Gayot who drained 16 points in the victory and also added four assists and two rebounds. Senior guard Shelton Mickell found the basket with 16 points of his own to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Jermaine Lawrence rounded out the double digit scorers with a double-double – 12 points and 10 rebounds. Although senior Marquis Barnett only had two points he played a big part in the game, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Rounding out Cardozo’s scorers were senior Tyrel Hunt with eight points and six rebounds and junior Tajay Henry with six points and seven rebounds.
For the Commodores, only two players scored in double digits and only one player even scored over five points. Senior William Dobie had a game high 17 points for Bayside, while sophomore Austin Williams scored 10 points and senior Alonso Pizarro notched six points. Junior Ryan Tomlin and senior Wayne Mitchell each had three points.
The victory, and the dominating season that preceded it, was a testament to head coach Ronald Naclerio’s winning ways – as he brought back just one player from last year’s city finalist team.
In the previous two rounds, the Judges took care of their opponents handily. The Judges beat the High School for Construction Red Hawks by a score of 69-49 in the first round of the playoffs, with Mickell leading the way with 18 points. Barnett was once again a rebound machine, leading the team with 11. In the second round, the Judges beat the Campus Magnet Bull-Dogs by a score of 66-50, with Gayot scoring a game-high 21 points.
During the playoffs, Gayot has led the Judges in points with 16.33 points a game, while Barnett leads the team with 12.67 rebounds a game. Next up the Judges will move on to the PSAL ‘AA’ playoffs, where they face New York Transit Tech at home.
