Nazareth won the Ball at the Beach girls title. (Joseph Staszewski)
It’s the type of play Apache Paschall never gets tired of watching Darius Faulk make.
The senior point guard was known for providing the momentum-changing moments a year ago when Nazareth captured a New York State Federation Class AA crown. With Bishop Ford in the midst of a run and her Nazareth team’s lead trimmed to five late in the second half Faulk delivered again.
“She’s a coach’s dream,” Paschall said. “Everything you ask her to do she’ll do to exhaustion.”
She raced down the left side and ducked her head. Faulk beat her defender, drew contact and completed a back-breaker 3-point play. Ford never got closer and Nazareth rolled to a 72-59 win in the final of the Ball at the Beach basketball event Monday night at Kingsborough Community College
“It’s easy for her,” Nazareth sophomore Bianca Cuevas said. “She just goes down the middle easy. She’s got the height. She’s strong.”
Bianca Cuevas led Nazareth with 18 points, Diani Mason scored 11 and Taylor Ford had eight. Faulk chipped in six, but shredded the defense multiple times late to create open looks for teammates. Shanice Vaughan led Ford with 17 points and Aaliyah Jones had 12. Shabazz forward DeAshia Jones chipped in 11.
“We needed to score to get their momentum down,” Faulk said.
With her summer season over the highly recruited Faulk, ranked No. 60 in her class by HoopGurlz, can focus on her college recruitment. She already has a visit schedule with West Virginia on Sept. 23 and plans on contacting other schools in the coming weeks to set up more. Faulk has her list of suitors down to West Virginia, Memphis, Kentucky, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Hofstra and Virginia Tech.
“It’s exciting to take visits and see what colleges have to offer, see where I want to spend my next four years,” Faulk said.
She said the hardest part has been keeping up with all the schools interested. Faulk is coming off her first summer with Paschall’s Exodus NYC travel team. He said it expanded her list of schools exponentially. There, and at Ball by the Beach, she got a chance to play with Nazareth transfers Monasia Bolduc (Holland) and Ataya Horn (Holy Trinity).
“They are going to bring their aggressiveness,” Faulk said. “They are kids who can rebound the ball well.”
They will help Faulk during her final high school season as the Lady Kingsmen look to repeat as Federation champs. With veterans like Taylor Ford, Tiffany Jones and Brianna Sidney gone, Faulk will be asked to make more plays like she did Monday. No one thinks that will be a problem.
“Right now she is running the show,” Paschall said. “She is doing everything right for us.”