Sports

CHSAA Class B boys basketball semifinals roundup: Naz advances, still hope for school to stay open

Nazareth is on the verge of closing in June for good. You wouldn’t know that if you went to a Kingsmen practice, though.

After the initial shock and emotion when it was announced three weeks ago, the topic of the school shuttering its doors has not come up.

“We don’t talk about it,” coach Todd Jamison said. “We don’t even want to think about it. We’re focusing on one thing at a time.”

They are one step away from giving their school a big emotional life.

Top-seeded Nazareth routed No. 4 Salesian, 63-37, in the CHSAA Class B boys basketball semifinals Tuesday night at Fordham Prep in The Bronx. The Kingsmen meet No. 2 St. Agnes in the championship game 6 p.m. Friday night at Fordham University. The favorites and undefeated division champions are one win away from making all that promise they had this year stand up.

“This is the opportunity we wanted since November,” Jamison said. “We put ourselves there. Now we gotta take it home somehow.”

Mike Megafu had 17 points and 12 rebounds and sophomore sensation Samson Usilo had 16 points to lead Naz (20-6). Shajea Stephenson had 13 points and Naquan Chandler chipped in 10. The Kingsmen beat St. Agnes, 52-44, on Jan. 12.

While Jamison has not spoken about the school’s potential closure with his players, he is working behind the scenes with Nazareth officials on their save-the-school campaign.

There is good news coming out of the Brooklyn school. Naz will be holding an open enrollment for eighth-graders Wednesday until 9 p.m. Registration fees will be waived. There is a chance if Nazareth shows it can at least replace the graduation senior class of 90, the board will let the school stay open.

“We think we have a good chance to be open next year,” said guidance counselor Nancy Roberts, who has been at the school for 17 years. … “We’re feeling good. We’re feeling confident for next year. If we get over this bump, it’s not like we’ll be open for just one year, either.”

Along with the top-seeded boys team, the girls team is nationally ranked and competing Thursday against Christ the King in the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens semifinals at Bishop Ford. The boys junior varsity won the ‘B’ championship Friday, coming back from 12 points down in the fourth quarter.

“A lot of people were saying that’s the story of our school right now,” Roberts said. “We’re down, but we’re going to come back.”

St. Agnes 46, Sacred Heart 44: Dimencio Vaughn had 21 points and Brian Zorrilla had 13 points to lead St. Agnes (13-8). Sacred Heart finishes 14-9.

mraimondi@nypost.com