By Dylan Butler
But if those same opponents concentrate on guarding the post players, they could be in for a rude awakening because the Lady Tigers' guards can shoot.
“Everything we are going to do is to try and work the ball inside, but our height opens up the outside as well,” said Queensborough head coach John Felicciardi. “We should be one of the biggest teams in the region.”
Queensborough returns just three players from a team that was 11-17 overall, 7-9 in Region XV. The Lady Tigers advanced to the CUNY tournament championship game as well, losing to Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Back are 5-foot-7 shooting guard Laura Cantatore, 5-foot-7 Pam Harris and 5-foot-6 shooting guard Martha Zarate, who is academically ineligible until January.
Leading the newcomers is 5-foot-8 Anclin Perez from Bushwick High School, who Felicciardi says can score 15 points a game from the small forward position. Perez also joins Cantatore as co-captains this year.
“She is a legitimate scorer, she has a nice mid-range jumper, a nice fade away,” he said. “She needs some work on her defense, but she runs the floor well.”
Tabitha Alicia, a 5-foot-4 freshman with good ball handling skills, is expected to be the team's starting point guard.
But point guard is a position of concern for Felicciardi.
“We're weak at point guard, because we don't really have a legitimate back-up,” he said.
Two of the reasons Felicciardi's team is bigger than ever are newcomers Amoy Kirliew and Trevlyn Headley. Kirliew, a 5-foot-10 freshman from Springfield Gardens, is a strong defensive player and a tenacious rebounder. In the team's preseason scrimmages, Kirliew led the Lady Tigers in assists and averaged 10 points a game.
Meanwhile Headley, a 6-foot-2 forward out of Jamaica High School, played in the shadows of Osoto Edobor-Osula, who is at Division I George Mason.
“She is still learning the game, but she is the type who grabs rebounds at basket level, which is unbelievable at this level,” Felicciardi said. “We just have to work on the physical part of the game with her.”
Queensborough opens the regular season vs. Globe College at Pace Nov. 28 before opening its home slate at Monroe Community College Dec. 7.
