The Post’s high school staff looks ahead to the most intriguing matchups in boys basketball and girls basketball for the week of Feb. 6 through Feb. 12.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Poly Prep @ Collegiate (Monday, 5 p.m.)
The two archrivals enter this showdown tied atop the Ivy Prep League, having handled everyone else. Surprisngly, this is the first of two matchups — did the league know something we didn’t? — seven days apart. Collegiate will be rocking Monday afternoon.
Holy Cross @ Christ the King (Friday, 6 p.m.)
The team to beat right now in the CHSAA is Christ the King after an excellent weekend featuring wins over both Cardinal Hayes and St. Raymond. Holy Cross has been pretty hot itself and star Marquise Moore is back in the lineup after a lingering toe injury has finally healed. Can the Knights get that signature win they’ve been looking for or will the Royals further establish themselves as city favorites?
St. Raymond @ Cardinal Hayes (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
If the second meeting is anything like the first, the gym at Cardinal Hayes should be jumping Friday night. Hayes celebrated on St. Ray’s floor the first time around and the Ravens were none too happy about the outward display of emotion. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from losses this weekend to Christ the King and a win in this game would go a long way toward that.
PSAL borough finals (Saturday, All day @ TBA)
Bragging rights and seeding will be on the line Saturday when Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn decide their borough champions. Of the four, Queens and Brooklyn promise to be the most interesting as Wings Academy (Bronx) and Wadleigh (Manhattan) are heavy favorites in their respective boroughs while the other two have a series of contenders.
SIHSL final (Saturday, 7 p.m. @ CSI)
Whoever gets to the championship game, the Staten Island crown will come down to a PSAL-CHSAA showdown. PSAL schools Curtis meets McKee/Staten Island Tech in one semifinal and the CHSAA’s St. Peter’s faces Monsignor Farrell in the other on Wednesday, setting up an intriguing final one way or the other.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
McKee/Staten Island Tech @ Curtis (Monday, 6 p.m.)
There might not be a bigger girls basketball game on Staten Island this year. The PSAL Staten Island A title is up for grabs Monday night with Curtis trying to draw even with MSIT, which has won six of the last seven championships. Making the game even more meaningful is that the division title earns a PSAL Class AA playoff spot and if the two teams tie both will go.
Bishop Ford @ Archbishop Molloy (Thursday, 6:45 p.m.)
The last time these teams met, Bishop Ford handed the Stanners a bit of a beating. Molloy was still reeling after facing Ossining dynamo Saniya Chong. This time it’s the Falcons who come in a bit out of sorts after a 1-2 week with losses to Christ the King and Nazareth. A Molloy win ties it for second place in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division I and a loss puts Ford in control for that coveted second spot.
Bishop Loughlin vs. Cardinal Spellman, Lady Falcons Coaches vs. Cancer High School Showcase (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.)
The Lions and Pilots get together for a great cause at the Lady Falcons Coaches vs. Cancer Event at Bishop Ford. Loughlin’s Imani Tate will get to test her budding skill set against one of the city’s best front lines led by Onia Webb, who is headed to Northeastern. A Spellman win would be a big statement.
C
hrist the King vs. Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.), Mecca Challenge (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.)
Christ the King has not ducked tough competition all season and that won’t change this weekend. The Royals face off against UConn-bound center Breanna Stewart at the Mecca Challenge at Gauchos Gym on Sunday. It will be a tall task literally and figuratively for Sierra Calhoun and Co. Cicero-North Syracuse is ranked No. 5 in the country by USA Today.
Nazareth vs. Manasquan (N.J.), Mecca Challenge (Sunday, 5 p.m.)
This should be one of the best matchups of the season at the Mecca Challenge event at Gauchos Gym. Manasquan features a trio of high Division I talents in Notre Dame-bound wing Michaela Mabrey, sophomore point guard Katelynn Flaherty and Marina Mabrey, one of the country’s top freshmen. Nazareth will counter with sophomore sensation Bianca Cuevas and Syracuse-bound star Brianna Butler.