By Dylan Butler
Jim Malone’s worst nightmare almost became a reality.
The head coach of the Beach Channel varsity boys’ basketball team was concerned that his club would overlook visiting Jamaica, missing three starters to academic ineligibility.
He was right.
Luckily for Malone, senior point guard Victor Alvarez saved the day, scoring a career-high 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting to lift No. 4 Beach Channel to a 63-47 win over No. 29 Jamaica in the first round of the PSAL playoffs last Thursday.
“As soon as they heard three starters failed off, it’s the kiss of death,” Malone said of his Dolphins, who were lethargic throughout the game. “Right away they think because [Jamaica] doesn’t have their whole team they’re not any good. It’s stupid to think that.”
Making maters worse for Malone was that his star player, 6-foot-5 Rahshon Clark, struggled to deal with Jamaica’s box-and-one defense and a pulled muscle in his lower back suffered in the Queens Borough Championship win over August Martin Feb. 5.
Clark still scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and capped the game’s scoring with a thunderous alley-oop dunk from Alvarez. But it was the point guard who made the difference.
Alvarez, who usually plays a supporting role to Clark, was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range and added 8 assists and 5 steals.
“I said to myself I have to step up and score,” Alvarez said. “I had to be more active offensively.”
“He just maintained his poise,” Jamaica coach Dewitt Thomson said of Alvarez. “In the face of the big guy not getting the ball, he had to do it and he did. The word was he was shaky and he was not.”
Alvarez’s biggest shot came at the end of the third quarter. With Jamaica (14-14) struggling to hang close, Alvarez buried his fourth three-pointer of the game with 44 seconds left in the third quarter to put Beach Channel (22-2) ahead, 47-38.
It was the Dolphins’ largest lead of the game.
“He stepped up big,” Clark said of Alvarez. “I said he can score at will and he proved it today.”
Led by lightning quick Kevin St. Pierre, who scored eight of his team’s first 13 points and finished with a team-high 13 points, Jamaica, which defeated Long Island City 51-44 in an outbracket game, drove to the basket at will and led 20-18 at the end of the first quarter.
Playing without starters Brandon Lawley (8.1 points, 10.2 rebounds per game), Darryl Eilam (4.9 points, 6.4 assists per game) and Keith Forbes (7.3 points, 9.9 rebounds per game), who were all ruled academically ineligible just before the start of the playoffs, the Beavers remained in the game for three quarters.
“For three quarters we gave them everything they could handle,” said Thomson, who announced his retirement after 12 years and a career record of 185-92. “We played that hard without any rest and we lost a lot of rebounds and layups to fatigue. If we had the other guys it might have been closer.”
Beach Channel advances to the second round to face No. 13 Gompers (20-7) Feb. 27 at Elmcor at 6 p.m.
“We can’t take teams lightly,” Clark said. “We have to play our hearts out and hopefully we’ll win.”
Cardozo 80, Park West 53. Cameron Tyler had 24 points, Skyler Khaleel added 13 points and 16 rebounds and Nick Flagg scored 11 points for No. 5 Cardozo (28-5), which advances to play No. 12 Urban Peace (14-3) in the second round Feb. 27 at Elmcor at 4 p.m.
Benjamin Banneker 64, Hillcrest 46. Nick Jones scored 16 points for No. 34 Hillcrest (12-10) but it wasn’t enough, as No. 2 Banneker advances to face No. 18 Curtis at Lehman College Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.
Manhattan Center 68, Forest Hills 49. Terry Williams and 16 points and 14 rebounds and Derrell Thomas added 12 points and 7 assists for No. 8 Manhattan Center (21-4), which advances to play No. 9 FDA at Hunter College Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.
Bergtraum 68, Bayside 66 (OT). The Commodores, seeded No. 27, nearly pulled off the monumental upset, but Darnell Cudjoe (17 points) buried the game-winning jumper with one second left to clinch the win for No. 6 Bergtraum (24-4). Sam Jenkins and Kawan Stroman scored 21 points apiece for the Blazers, which faces No. 22 Sheepshead Bay at Lehman College Feb. 25 at 4 p.m.
Theodore Roosevelt 67, Newtown 47. Rudolph Smith had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Eric Hall had 7 points and 20 boards and Edward Berrios had 15 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds for No. 7 Roosevelt (23-6), which faces No. 10 Grady at Lehman College Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. Tyshawn Bierra scored 13 points for No. 26 Newtown (17-10), which defeated Randolph 54-29 in an outbracket game.
Curtis 80, August Martin 64. Ramadan Shabazz had 26 points for No. 18 Curtis (19-4), which faces Benjamin Banneker in the second round. No. 15 August Martin (19-8) was led by Jenar Harrison, who had 22 points and 20 rebounds.
Transit Tech 85, Far Rockaway 57. Robert Armstrong scored 30 points, Corey McFarlane had 15 points and 9 assists and Anthony Gibbs (12 rebounds) and Durrell Watson (10 boards) scored 13 points apiece for No. 19 Transit Tech, which takes on No. 3 Boys and Girls at Lehman College Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
PSAL B playoffs
Wings Academy 69, Robert F. Wagner 56. Garfiel Johns had 27 points and 8 rebounds and Elton Barry added 25 points and 10 boards for top-seeded Wings, which advances to play No. 8 Susan McKinney in the quarterfinals at Hunter College Mar. 2 at 2 p.m. No. 16 Robert F. Wagner (19-7) was led by Jaysen Murphy, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Kenneth Chapman, who added 12 points and 8 boards.
Jane Addams 70, American Studies 67. Paris Valentine had 34 points and 14 rebounds and James Broddie added 21 points and 8 assists for No. 3 Jane Addams (16-8), which advances to play No. 6 Clara Barton at Lehman College Mar. 1 at 2 p.m. No. 14 American Studies (18-5) defeated Richard R. Green 85-67 in an outbracket game.
LaGuardia 46, Richmond Hill 44. Nathaniel Ripp’s two free throws with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter lifted No. 11 LaGuardia (19-6) in an outbracket game.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 1-718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
