NYPost.com girls basketball beat writer Joseph Staszewski breaks down Sunday’s PSAL Class A final between No. 1 Goldstein and No. 2 Curtis 3 p.m. at CCNY.
No. 1 Goldstein Dolphins
Head coach: Adrian Buchhalter
Record: 23-2
Player to watch: Brittany McDonough
No. 2 Curtis Warriors
Head coach: Bob Daggett
Record: 20-8
Player to watch: Kristen Olsen
Outlook: The teams mirror each other in many ways. Both are reliant on strong guard play, outside shooting and a smattering of pressure. Both coaches are also from Staten Island.
Goldstein may have the best player on the floor in Chestnut Hill-bound guard Brittany McDonough. The sure-handed senior is capable of close to a triple double any time she takes the floor. She had 21 points, six assists and four rebounds in a semifinals win over Lab Museum United. McDonough and fellow senior and 1,000-point scorer Nora Elbassiony can both stroke it from the outside. They both refused to let their team lose in the semifinals as they try to win their second citywide title in the last four years. Goldstein won the ‘B’ crown two years ago. Danielle Natoli is the team’s unsung hero. The sprite-like guard is a sneaky scorer and solid defender.
As Goldstein looks to continue to validate its No. 1 seed, Curtis is thoroughly enjoying its ride back to the final. It’s a very different Warriors team that lost to Wings a year ago. New coach Bob Daggett infused the team with young stars from St. Peter’s, which closed last June. Forward Danielle Santucci is the only regular remaining from that squad. This Curtis squad can light up scoreboards with its 3-point shooting starting with Kristen Olsen and Shannon McGill. Olsen had 27 points and four treys in a win over Bayside in the semifinals. Jessica Rosalbo has been steady at the point. Santucci and Adeniji Oluwaseun have been steady in the paint.
McDonough can cause real problems for Curtis with her ability see over its guards and read a defense so well. The Dolphins will need to limit turnovers and make timely shots to open the late up for McDonough. If Curtis gets going from the outside, like Bayside learned it could be a long nice, getting Olsen off early is a key. The winner gets bye into the final of next weekend’s state Federation tournament.