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Haldane Girls Nip Putnam Valley
Pace University Classic to feature ton of star power
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Blue Devil Brittany Fleming had a big 16-point game against PV in the game won by Haldane, 53-48. |
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The 14-time defending sectional champion Haldane girls (must be nice to see that in print, eh?), despite winning five of six to start the season, are a team far from in synch. The Blue Devils, ranked No. 4 in NYS Class C, had to overcome a 25- 17 halftime deficit in a 53-48 win over Putnam Valley last Thursday. December 21st, doing so with a 20-7 third-quarter run. Shields (23) and Brittany Fleming (season-high 16 points) went off; Shields doing so at the line (11-of-14) and Fleming from downtown (3 3’s) to overcome a 20-point, 7-rebound effort from Tiger guard Christin Kemp and a 10-point, 11-board showing from Kim Kastuk. The game, which featured great athleticism from both school districts, was improperly pre-christened as the PCN&R Cup game between the two Putnam County-based bordering schools. However, Putnam Valley school officials determined the need for Board of Education approval to ensure proper scheduling in the future before giving it additional hype and build-up. We hope to see them put their best foot forward and welcome the notion as Haldane did.
If you’re in to varsity preps basketball and you want to start the New Year off with a day trip full of athleticism, you Bball fanatics can see a pretty intense level of action on January 6-7 at Pace University’s Goldstein Center, which will accommodate several thousand hoop junkies for the Westchester Elite Winter Hardwood Classic.
The venue features some of the finest basketball players in the nation, a veritable slew of them; hailing from a dozen schools who are either nationally ranked, state-ranked or on the cusp. The schedule, drawn up by Westchester Elite watchdogs Anthony Nicodemo and Greg Procino, is sick… just plain ridiculous.
Get a look at it: Saturday January 6 - 6:30pm Peekskill (#1, NYS Class A) vs. Newburgh Free (#23, NYS Class AA); 8pm (#4 Sports Ill.) Mater Dei (CA) vs. White Plains (No.12, NYS Class AA)
Sunday January 7 - Noon Spring Valley (#14, NYS Class A) vs. New Rochelle (#16, NYS Class AA); 2pm Notre Dame Prep (MA) (#1, Scout.com) vs. South Kent School (CT) (#5, Scout.com); 4pm Ossining (#20, NYS Class AA) vs. Stepinac; 6pm Briarcliff (#2, NYS Class B) vs. Pleasantville.
Now that you know what I mean by high caliber, you should know this: there are 15 players who have already committed to major D-I schools, including Taylor King — Mater Dei - (Duke), Alex Jacobson — Mater Dei - (Arizona), Kamyron Brown — Mater Dei - (Oregon), Michael Beasley — Notre Dame - (Kansas St.), Sean Williams — Notre Dame - (Syracuse), Damian Saunders — Notre Dame - (Marquette), Matt Bryan-Amaning— South Kent (Washington), Ayodele Coker — South Kent - (St. John’s), Isaiah Thomas — South Kent - (Washington), Calvin Haynes — South Kent - (Oregon St.), Manuel Cass — South Kent - (UTEP), Papa Dia — South Kent - (SMU), Mike Walker — South Kent – (SMU), Melquan Bolding — Stepinac - (Louisville) and Kenny Horton — Ossining - (Quinipiac).
Throw in versatile underclassmen like Peekskill’s Mookie Jones and you get the sense that Nicodemo and Procino have assembled a vintage crop of hoopsters to wet the appetite of local b-ball junkies.
“The level of talent is insane, better than anything we’ve seen around here,” said Nicodemo. “I really feel that the stars have aligned for this year’s event. On Saturday night we legitimately have three of the best teams in the state competing along with one of the best in the country. The four teams have over 10 combined division one players. The action continues on Sunday with the number one player in the country
coming to town, Michael Beasley of Notre Dame Prep. Their contest with South Kent will feature over 15 division one players. Also the top two teams in Class B will meet with Briarcliff and Pleasantville wrapping up the day. The rivalry will take on a whole new meaning with both squads having a shot to take home the gold ball. It has the potential to be the best event ever put on in Westchester and I am really looking forward to seeing all these great teams compete.”
So are a lot of other local Bballers and a slew of us wannabe’s.
So if for one reason or another, the NFLslate of playoff games doesn’t suit your fancy, step on over to Pace University on the 6th or the 7th of January for some of the best basketball preps in the world: Yes, the world! And the aforementioned list of participants more than backs that up. The game between Mater Dei and White Plains should be something the folks from downcounty Westchester can sink their teeth into. The Peekskill vs. Newburgh Free Academy game is chock-full-o local flavor, what with Peekskill’s Jones dialing it up regularly just a hopskip and-a-jump from the folks in and about Putnam and Westchester Counties. Jones, a 6’7" junior, is quite possibly the most versatile player in Peekskill history, having been a central figure in each of the Red Devils’ consecutive NYS championships.
His Red Devils have dominated the Section 1 landscape in a manner similar to the Haldane girls, coming off the single greatest year in Red Devils history with a state and Federation Class A championship in hand. Like the Lady Blue Devils (5-1) in Haldane, who are off and running behind 23.7 PPG from All-State forward Brittany Shields, Peekskill makes the voyage to the state tournament as much as any boy’s basketball program in Section 1.
Well, there you have it; something to do for $10 just a hop skip and a jump down Rt. 9. For more information and updated rankings of the teams see www.westchesterelite.com.
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