When the PSAL seeding committee released its brackets for the borough playoffs, Ron Woods was ecstatic. For once, his Alfred E. Smith boys basketball team didn’t have to see powerhouse Wings Academy in the opening round.
And the Warriors responded by knocking off No. 2 Eagle Academy, 74-63, Tuesday night. They face third-seeded John F. Kennedy in The Bronx borough semifinals on Thursday at 5 p.m.
“Since I have a lot of seniors on my team, it means a lot,” said Woods, who added this was the Warriors first borough playoff win “in a while.”
Jahffet Manning had 28 points and six assists to lead Smith (20-5) and Samuel Kamara added 11 points, but it was the play of forward John Smith that Woods felt was the difference. The senior enjoyed his best game of the year, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
“He was awesome today,” Woods said. “He was the key to the game.”
Smith may still see Wings after all, but only if it advances to the borough title game Saturday afternoon at City College of New York. That’s fine with Woods.
“As long as we get an invite to the dance, it doesn’t matter,” he joked.
No. 1 Wings Academy 98, No. 8 South Bronx 47: Yosimar Bernardez poured in 26 points and added 10 assists and Amdy Fall followed with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 13 blocks for Wings (20-2), which hosts No. 4 Gompers Thursday at 6 p.m. in The Bronx borough semifinals. South Bronx is 16-4.
No. 3 John F. Kennedy 85, No. 6 Columbus 68: Jose Lopez put up 25 points and 14 rebounds, Muhammed Ahmed followed with 15 points and seven rebounds and David Hardy added 13 points for Kennedy, which led 47-27 at halftime. The Knights host seventh-seeded Smith Thursday in The Bronx borough semifinals. Columbus is 18-2.
No. 4 Gompers 49, No. 5 FDA III 64: Carlos Galan pumped in 30 points and sank five 3-pointers, Ohndo Smith and 16 points and 12 rebounds and Jordan Webb chipped in 12 points for Gompers (10-9), which meets Wings Academy for the third time on Thursday in The Bronx borough semifinals. FDA III, the lone Class B team in the borough playoffs, is 19-1.
BROOKLYN
No. 1 Lincoln 101, No. 8 Grand Street Campus 50: Shaquille Stokes scored 13 points, Shaquille Thomas notched 12, Kimari Murphy and Ethan Telfair each had 11 and Jordan Dickerson tallied eight points, 15 rebounds and four blocks for Lincoln (21-2). The Railsplitters meet No. 5 South Shore in the Brooklyn borough semifinals on Thursday. Grand Street Campus is 13-3.
No. 2 Boys & Girls 81, No. 7 Acorn 56: Malik Nichols and Jeffland Neverson each had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Teyvon Myers had 12 points and Antione Slaughter nine assists for Boys & Girls, which broke the game open with a 33-12 third quarter. The Kangaroos host third-seeded Thomas Jefferson Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Brooklyn borough semifinals. Ibra Toure had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Acorn (17-7).
No. 5 South Shore 55, No. 4 Robeson 51: Danny Thompson scored 29 points, including nine in the final 90 seconds, as South Shore (15-10) moves on to the Brooklyn borough semifinals, where it will take on Lincoln on Thursday. Darrel Lucky paced Robeson (12-12) with 17 points.
MANHATTAN
No. 1 Wadleigh 66, No. 8 A.P. Randolph 46: Trivante Bloodman notched 19 points and five assists, Basil Harley had 16 points and nine assists and Louis Costen tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds for Wadleigh (21-5). The Tigers host fifth-seeded Graphic Communications Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Manhattan borough semifinals.
No. 5 Graphic Communications 57, No. 4 West 50th Street 55: Grady King scored 19 points, Ricardo Ayuso had 13 points and Robert Spencer 10 points and 10 rebounds for Graphic Communications (18-1), which visits top-seeded Wadleigh on Thursday in the Manhattan borough semifinals. West 50th Street is 2-15.
No. 6 Norman Thomas 80, No. 3 Thurgood Marshall Academy 70: Dylan Cassanova scored 22 points, Osawaru Omorogbeakpata had 18 points and six assists and Corey James contributed 12 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for Norman Thomas. The Tigers (15-2) face seventh-seeded Bayard Rustin in a showdown of Class A teams in Thursday’s Manhattan borough semifinal at 5 p.m. Thurgood Marshall is 5-12.
QUEENS
No. 1 Cardozo 69, No. 8 HS For Construction 49: Shelton Mickell sank four 3-pointers and scored a team-high 18 points, Jermaine Lawrence, Tyrel Hunt and Chris Gayot scored 12 points apiece and Marquis Barnett had nine points and 11 rebounds for Cardozo (23-1), which raced out to a 20-4 lead. The Judges face No. 4 Campus Magnet on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. in the Queens borough semifinals. HS For Construction falls to 14-5.
No. 2 Forest Hills 63, No. 7 Jamaica 46: Jose Torres put up 29 points and 15 rebounds and Denzel Dulin followed with 12 points for Forest Hills, which hosts No. 3 Bayside in the Queens borough semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m. Steven Stephenson had 18 points for Jamaica (10-4).
No. 3 Bayside 69, Queens HS of Teaching 67: William Dobie had 17 points and three assists, Uzonna Akazi notched 14 points and seven rebounds and Cantrell Barker had 10 points for Bayside (15-9), which meets second-seeded Forest Hills in the Queens borough semifinals on Thursday. QHST is now 16-6.
No. 4 Campus Magnet 45, No. 5 Long Island City 43: Jordan Parks scored 13 points, Tarik Raynor had 12 and Samuel Durodola and Devon Lynch 10 apiece for Campus Magnet, which trailed by five points entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs (10-5) visit No. 1 Cardozo Thursday at 5:15 p.m. in the Queens borough semifinals. Aaron Williams poured in 30 points for LIC (22-2).