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Gallagher picked as best in boro

Gallagher picked as best in boro
Photo by Christina Santucci
By Joseph Staszewski

Queens was again home to some of the city’s best players and teams. Archbishop Molloy was the premier squad in the borough, powered by a special group of seniors. The Stanners won the school’s first CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens regular season title.

Christ the King was again a force. Mary Louis, St. Francis Prep and Francis Lewis have bright futures ahead. Scholars Academy brought home Queens’ lone city title, beating division rival Jamaica for its third straight PSAL Class B crown.

Here are the players who made it happen and deemed the best in Queens:

All-Queens Player of the Year: Carolyn Gallagher, Archbishop Molloy

The Columbia-bound senior put a big finish on her final high school season. Gallagher scored 23 points a contest during the Stanners 10-game winning streak late in the year and added a 19-point performance in a win over St. Anthony’s in the CHSAA Class AA state quarterfinals. What makes Gallagher great isn’t the flash in her game, but the consistency of it, especially at the free throw line.

All-Queens Coach of the Year: Scott Lagas, Archbishop Molloy

Molloy re-established itself as one of the city’s top programs during Lagas’ two seasons. This year he led the Stanners to their first CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens regular season title and a spot in the diocesan title game. Lagas has done so by improving his depth by getting his bench players valuable minutes and placing his players in a position to succeed each time they take the floor.

All-Queens First Team

G Sierra Calhoun, Christ the King

The talented junior was again one of the best players in the city. There isn’t anything Calhoun can’t do on the court and she has worked to improve her mid-range game. Her best performance came when she dropped in 30 points in a loss to Ossining.

F Kadijah Dickson, Mary Louis

The sophomore was a breakout player in the CHSAA this season. Dickson’s length and athleticism made her tough to cover and force on the boards. She has 29 points in a win over St. Francis Prep and a key three-point play to seal an upset of Nazareth.

G Veronica Ganzi, St. Francis Prep

Being the focus of defenses isn’t easy. The senior shooting guard handled it well by averaging 16 points per game, including 29-point performances against St. Dominic and St. John Villa. Ganzi expanded her offensive game and bought in on defense.

G Amani Tatum, Archbishop Molloy

The James Madison-bound guard is one of the city’s toughest competitors. Tatum is smart with the ball and is a much-improved outside shooter. Her finest hour came in the first-place tiebreaker game where she scored 13 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter.

F Kollyns Scarbrough, Christ the King

The junior forward burst onto the scene in a big way this season. She became the second scoring option behind Sierra Calhoun and produced consistent double doubles, including 19 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Ford late in the year.

All-Queens Second Team

F Taylor Butigian, Christ the King

The senior forward came on strong as the season drew to a close. Butigian, was a double-double waiting to happen. She had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks in a win over Bishop Ford and 19 points in season-ending loss to Moore Catholic.

F Sierra Green, Francis Lewis

Green proved she has a bright future ahead of her. The freshman wing and superb outside shooter scored 15.9 points per game during the regular season. She helped Lewis to a second-place finish and a spot in the PSAL quarterfinals.

G Simone Hobdy, Mary Louis

Hobdy showed she was ready for prime time a year after leading TMLA to the CHSAA JV city title. The junior guard is an explosive scorer and an underrated defender. She dropped in 25 points in a loss to Christ the King.

F Kayla Hourany, St. Francis Prep

As Hourany’s confidence grew, so did her production. The bruising junior forward averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds over the Terriers’ final seven games. She scored 29 points in a loss to St. Joseph Hill and Fairfield-bound forward Kelsey Carey.

G Nyasha Irizarry, Archbishop Molloy

The junior with a high basketball IQ was a deadeye spot-up shooter. She hit a number of big shots for the Stanners, including free throws late to seal a win over St. Anthony’s in the playoffs. Expect more from her next season.

Honorable Mention

G Sierra Berkel, Townsend Harris

G Laquasia Berry, Jamaica

G Taliyah Brisco, Francis Lewis

G Jasmine Brunson, Bayside

F Imani Davis, Forest Hills

G Alexa Dietrich, Archbishop Molloy

F Robyn Francis, Francis Lewis

G Taylor Gallagher, Scholars Academy

F Jessica Glaz, Scholars Academy

G Carla Marfe, St. John’s Prep

G Evanda Redwood, August Martin