Ron Kelley can’t quite describe the way Bianca Cuevas plays when she is high energy and at her best.
“That old confidence, that confidence she has. That thing she has inside her,” the Nazareth co-coach said. “I don’t even have a word for it.”
Like her team, the sensational sophomore didn’t close the season out well, but that’s all behind them now in their minds.
Cuevas, playing with the same frivolity and attacking nature she is known for, scored 19 points in Nazareth’s comfortable 67-41 win over Long Island runnerup St. John the Baptist in the CHSAA Class AA girls basketball quarterfinals Wednesday at St. Francis Prep.
“I haven’t been the regular Bianca,” Cuevas said. “I’m trying to get my mind focused.”
It’s been a week of soul searching for the nationally ranked Lady Kingsmen. The defending state Federation Class AA champions had a late-season loss to rival Bishop Ford and were upset by Christ the King in the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens semifinals last week. Another defeat ends their season in a year they hoped to repeat. The players have dealt with plenty off the court as well. Coach Apache Paschall died of cardiac arrest in January and the school announced it will be closing its doors in June.
“We lost then — so what,” Kelley said. “Our goal is the Federation championship.”
Added sophomore Yazmine Belk: “We didn’t have the right mindset at first. We just thought we were going to walk into the gym and win every game.”
A big key to that will be McDonald’s All-American Brianna Butler, who missed two games after getting her knee drained. She returned to practice after the Christ the King loss. She scored four points in her return against the Cougars and was happy to back, but her knee is not yet 100 percent.
“It was really hard,” Butler said. “I was sitting there like, ‘Man I wish I could be playing.’”
Sadie Edwards also had 19 points and Darius Faulk added seven for Nazareth (16-3). Yazmine Belk added four points, six rebounds and three blocks. Aliyah Smith led St. John the Baptist (17-10) with 14 points. Anastasia Williams had nine and Lauren Williams added seven.
Kelley said he was inspired by the play of Belk and the rest of the Nazareth posts, Chelsea Robinson and Sofia Roma. Belk challenged and changes numerous shots in the lane against an SJB team that relies on points in the paint.
“I knew if I didn’t keep the ball out of the middle I’m going to have a terrible day at practice because coach Ron is going to be on me,” Belk said.
She and her team gets a chance to further erase the lackluster end to the season Friday. They face Christ the King 7 p.m. in the semifinals at Archbishop Molloy. Nazareth ended the Royals season in last year’s state final, but got the better of the Lady Kingsmen last week.
“Revenge,” Belk said.