Wings Academy’s Juan L. Gonzalez is The Post’s All-Bronx girls basketball Coach of the Year. (Denis Gostev)
The Bronx was very well-represented in the PSAL.
Wings Academy won the PSAL Class A title for the very first time and became the first girls team from the borough to make the trip to the New York State Federation tournament in four years. John F. Kennedy advanced to a remarkable seventh straight PSAL city semifinals only to fall short of a second straight Garden berth by falling to nemesis Murry Bergtraum in an absolute war.
In the CHSAA, Cardinal Spellman, led by Boston University-bound star Troi Melton was top dog again, winning Bronx/Westchester, earning the Archdiocesan’s No. 1 seed in the Class A state tournament and advancing to the state semifinals.
All-Bronx girls basketball Player of the Year: Troi Melton, Cardinal Spellman
As Troi Melton went so did Cardinal Spellman. The Pilots were a much different team with the versatile Boston University-bound senior on the floor. In the beginning of the year Melton started at small forward and was asked to score and rebound. A midseason injury to guard Laura McCaffrey forced coach Jane Morris to move her to shooting guard where she flourished as a distributor and outside threat.
“When she starts off the game good, we all feel good and have confidence in ourselves and everybody starts playing well,” Spellman guard Joye Tirado said.
Melton helped lead Spellman to another CHSAA Bronx/Westchester title. She had 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and six steals in a regular-season win over Our Lady of Victory. The 1,000-point scorer dropped in 28 points to beat Sacred Heart (L.I.) and send the Pilots to the CHSAA Class A state semifinals.
“She is a great player,” Morris said. “She is underrated.”
All-Bronx girls basketball Coach of the Year: Juan Gonzalez, Wings
From the very end of last year, Juan Gonzalez made it clear to his team that anything less than winning a PSAL Class A title would be a failure. Wings Academy fell in the 2009-10 championship to Medgar Evers and with a boatload of talent returning, the Lady Wings almost had to win this year.
“Coming into the season, we were the team to beat,” Gonzalez said.
And no one in the PSAL did. Wings navigated through a tough semifinals game against Tottenville and a staunch test against Curtis in the final. Gonzalez pulled his team together in that title game when junior Tyler Moses ended up in tears after seeing her mother involved in a skirmish in the stands. The Lady Wings came back from a third-quarter deficit and won their first-ever crown.
“That was adversity,” he said. “I tried to get them together to stay focused and that just pumped them up even more.”
FIRST TEAM
G Shaquaya Daniels, John F. Kennedy
The tough, 5-foot-2 senior was Kennedy’s most clutch player all season. She had all eight of the Knights’ points in the fourth quarter of a near-upset win over Murry Bergtraum in the PSAL Class AA semifinals.
G Aquillin Hayes, Wings Academy
Hayes almost singlehandedly won Wings the PSAL Class A title when her long-range heave with 2.3 seconds left against Curtis found the bottom of the net. The New Haven-bound guard was the team’s linchpin on offense all season.
G Joya McFarland, John F. Kennedy
Games with five or six or seven 3-pointers were a norm for McFarland. The left-handed junior became Kennedy’s top scoring threat, helping lead the Knights to their seventh straight PSAL city semifinals.
G Krystal Pearson, Truman
The 5-foot-11 Pearson had to do it all for Truman, including bring up the ball and rebound. The junior was a scoring machine, with a polished mid-range game, and has Division I looks.
F Rykema Stone, Wings Academy
At 6-foot-2, her size, wingspan and jumping ability was an absolute nightmare for any opposing post player. The New Haven-bound Stone typically owned the offensive boards and showed off a developing back-to-the-basket scoring game.
SECOND TEAM
G Deaisia Acklin, John F. Kennedy
When she caught fire, Acklin could provide offensive in spurts for Kennedy like in the first half of an eventual loss to Murry Bergtraum in the PSAL Class AA semifinals. Coach O’Neil Glenn said all season that his team’s performance depended on the 5-foot-8 junior guard’s play.
F Amber Griffin, Cardinal Spellman
The senior had an up and down start, but played some of her best basketball by season’s end. She had 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists against St. John Villa in the Archdiocesan consolation game.
F Ogechukwu Uwanaka, Morrisania
A defensive and rebounding specialist, Uwanaka still averaged 20.3 points per game and helped lead Morrisania to the playoffs. The super-athletic, 5-foot-11 forward was one of the city’s leaders with 17.9 points per game and she is receiving Division I and Division II interest.
F Leshauna Phinazee, John F. Kennedy
Phinazee could be counted on for her defense, rebounding and leadership. When the undersized yet physical, 5-foot-8 forward got into foul trouble against Bergtraum in the PSAL Class AA semifinals, Kennedy struggled to recover.
F Onia Webb, Cardinal Spellman
The 6-foot-2 junior forward was an athletic force in the middle for Spellman all season. Webb changed shots, rebounded and scored in the paint to keep defenses honest against star Troi Melton.
THIRD TEAM
G Chelsea Baez, Riverdale
There wasn’t much Baez wasn’t asked to do. The 6-foot-1 senior would handle the ball, control the glass and also knock down the occasional 3-pointer. As Baez went, so did the Falcons.
G Maddie Gordon, Horace Mann
The junior is still one of the city’s best clutch shooters. Gordon constantly provided the Lions with the big momentum-stopping score on their way to finishing third in the Ivy League this season.
F Rachel Lander, Horace Mann
The 6-foot-1 sophomore was a model of consistency in her finest season to date. Lander was always in double figures and provided the inside force needed to balance Horace Mann’s superb backcurt.
F Tyler Moses, Wings Academy
With her family members involved in a skirmish in the stands, Moses dried off her tears and hit the biggest 3-pointer and grabbed the biggest rebound of the PSAL Class A championship game against Curtis. The strong, 5-foot-10 junior forward will control the glass for another season at Wings.
G Christine Pavia, Bronx Science
The Wolverines graduated the stars that made them an elite ‘A’ team the last few years, but Pavia was there to keep them afloat. The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 24.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs to lead Science to the quarterfinals.
HONORABLE MENTION
G Shaisa Brent, Taft
G Shaniqua Frazier, Fannie Lou Hamer
G Shaakira Harewood, South Bronx
G Tierra Hollins, Truman
G Joye Tirado, Cardinal Spellman