By Joseph Staszewski
Kollyns Scarbrough had four fouls and knew Coach Bob Mackey was saving her on the bench for an important moment.
She just didn’t know when and what would get her back in the game.
The Christ the King basketball forward’s number was called when Michigan-bound wing Maria Backman fouled out late in overtime of the Mayor’s Cup all-star basketbll game. It didn’t take long for Scarbrough to make an impact and earn her CHSAA team bragging rights in the annual matchup against the PSAL.
“Why was I going to have her play the first couple minutes and pick up a cheap foul,” Mackey said about overtime. “It was going to come down to the last couple of minutes anyway.”
Scarbrough, who is headed to Siena next season, put the CHSAA up for good with the put back of a missed Nyasha Irizarry free throw. She scored 12 of her 17 points in the second half to leads the Catholic league team to a come-from-behind 85-80 victory over their PSAL girls’ basketball counterparts during the Mayor’s Cup at City College Saturday. Scarbrough was awarded most valuable player honors.
“It’s bragging rights, you know,” Scarbrough said. “New York City is big for basketball. The PSAL is strong; so is Catholic. It’s kind of like a rival.”
Scarbrough entered the game with 2:44 left in overtime and the score still tied at 78-78 after Backman, who put up a game-high 25 points, was called for an offensive foul and had to exit.
Irizarry, a Manhattan College commit, missed her second free throw with 59 seconds left, but Scarbrough flew in along the left side to grab it and put it back in. The basket gave the CHSAA an 81-80 lead.
“I was just trying to get to the basket,” Scarbrough said. “I just threw it up there and luckily it went in.”
She followed that with a transition layup, and Irizarry, who scored nine points, made two free throws with 17 seconds left to seal the win for the CHSAA. Murry Bergtraum’s Joella Gibson, led the PSAL in scoring with 18 points and Truman’s Marika Gordon added 16.
The Catholic league trailed for most of the game, and was down 60-54 early in the fourth quarter. Irizarry admitted the team didn’t pick up its intensity until late in the game to make sure they picked up a bragging rights win.
“In the fourth quarter we realized we have to get this game,” Irizarry said. “Just to prove, we think our league is better.”
Molloy duo helps power CHSAA boys to rout of PSAL: Archbishop Molloy senior forward Jason Cethoute poured in 17 points and Columbia-bound teammate C.J. Davis added 12 in the CHSAA’s 108-86 victory over the PSAL in the Mayor’s Cup boys’ basketball game.
Cethoute enjoyed getting to play alongside Bishop Loughlin guards Khadeen Carrington (18 points) and Mike Williams (13 points) instead of competing against them for a change.
“It was fun not having to guard these guys,” he said. “I just had fun.”
The game gives the Catholic league some bragging rights after the PSAL held on for a win in last year’s contest.
“Now they know we are the best in the city,” Cethoute said. “They were talking the whole time.”
