The Post’s high school staff looks ahead to the most intriguing matchups in boys basketball and girls basketball for the week of Dec. 19 through Dec. 25.
BOYS BASKETBALL
St. Raymond vs. Montverde Academy (Fla.), City of Palms quarterfinals (Monday, 8:15 p.m.)
What’s St. Ray’s reward for coming back from 21 points down in the fourth quarter against Trinity (Ky.) in the City of Palms Classic first round Saturday? A meeting with Montverde (Fla.), ranked No. 7 in the country by USA Today. Daniel Dingle, Kerwin Okoro and company will have their work cut out for them.
Xavier @ Moore Catholic (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.)
Before the holidays, it seems like a three-team race in CHSAA Class A. A lot can change from now until March, but Iona Prep, Moore Catholic and Xavier seem like the top three teams – two of them will meet Wednesday. Xavier and Moore both execute so well and are extremely well-coached – expect a goodie.
McKee/Staten Island Tech @ Curtis (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
The Jets and Giants meet on Christmas Eve, but if you want to see a real rivalry for bragging rights, we advise you to be in St. George on Tuesday night. The last time these two teams met, MSIT was shocking Curtis in the SIHSL semifinals en route to its first Island crown. Curtis, meanwhile, enters the matchup undefeated and loaded with talent up and down its roster. Then there is the matchup of Martin brothers, MSIT’s Kareem against Curtis’ Hassan.
Eagle Academy vs. Wings Academy (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. @ Mott Haven)
Someone’s “O” has got to go. The two undefeated squads meet with first place in Bronx AA at stake. Wings is the established power, the team with back-to-back PSAL Class AA semifinal berths on its resume, while Eagle is looking to prove it can hang with the borough’s best after losing twice to the Wings by an average of 25 points per contest last winter.
Xaverian @ Archbishop Stepinac (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
Xaverian has been awfully quiet this season, playing just three games while some teams have played more than triple that. Perhaps it’s the calm before the storm. A victory Friday night would be a great way to go into Christmas for either teams, but the loser won’t be enjoying their egg nog quite as much.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cardinal Spellman @ Mary Louis (Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
Onia Webb’s possible absence from this game could take away some of its luster if Spellman playing without the Northeastern-bound wing. The Hilltoppers will try to build off their win over Murry Bergtraum in front of a few special alumni. A victory would be one of the Pilots biggest in recent years as they continue to prove they are a team to be reckoned with this season.
Curtis @ McKee/Staten Island Tech (Wednesday, 6 p.m.)
This is the game all of Staten Island has been waiting for. Both teams are vying for a division title and that coveted PSAL ‘AA’ playoff berth. But there’s so much more to this one – former Curtis assistant John Curatolo is on MSIT’s bench now and there is no love lost between the programs.
Archbishop Molloy @ Bishop Ford (Thursday, 5 p.m.)
Bishop Ford is wins against St. Francis Prep and Molloy away from setting up a possible first-place showdown with Nazareth. The best way for the Stanners to get rid of the taste of a loss Sunday to Ossining would be a big victory against one of the city’s hottest teams. It would also avenge last season’s overtime loss in a tiebreaker and diocesan quarterfinal that denied Molloy a ‘AA’ berth.
Francis Lewis @ John F. Kennedy (Friday, 5 p.m.)
Both teams are coming off weeks they’d rather forget and are looking for a big victory. Francis Lewis fell to St. John the Baptist (L.I.) on Sunday in a game it led at halftime and also lost to South Shore on Friday. Meanwhile, Kennedy took a big hit when it lost at home to Truman for the first time perhaps ever.
Banneker @ Truman (Friday, 5 p.m.)
Watching the matchup between future Division I players Africa Williams and Krystal Pearson is worth the price of admission alone. But keep your eyes on the two point guards: Truman’s Lynda Fields and Banneker’s Jenipher Rodriguez. Both are steady and really make their respective team go.