Brooklyn College Academy’s fast-rising girls’ basketball team will have to wait another year for a championship.
The Bobcats missed the playoffs in coach Kristin Conlon’s first season three years ago. Last year, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Scholars Academy. This season, second-seeded Brooklyn College Academy’s rode an unbeaten record into the Public School Athletic League Class B final before falling 49–41 to No. 4 East Harlem Pride at Long Island University last Saturday afternoon.
Despite the loss, Conlon is proud of how far her team has come.
“In three years we went from not making the playoffs to the championship,” she said. “It’s a testament to all the girls’ hard work and dedication.”
Senior forward Shanice Cadogan felt the culture change when Conlon took the reigns. The Bobcats began holding weekend practices and responded well to Conlon’s motivational tools, which included impassioned speeches and sharing inspirational quotes at the practices before games. Cadogan wanted it all to continue a little longer.
“Seeing it end like this was heartbreaking,” she said. “I’m not ready to leave the girls. Seeing it end like that, I couldn’t help but cry.”
Her team has no answer for East Harlem Pride freshman forward Daisha Davis, who scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half. She and junior post Brashawnda Burrus (13 points) dominated the glass on both ends. Shawde Jones closed things out with nine of her 15 points coming in the fourth quarter. The Harlem team closed the third quarter with a layup by Burrus and a basket by a double teamed Davis to give it a 37–28 lead heading into the fourth.
“We wanted to trap, but then they had another big girl,” Cadogan. “They had a big girl who could shoot from outside. The bigs were so athletic.”
Sophomore guard Shajuana Henry did all she could for Brooklyn College Academy (24–1), which trailed just 24–21 at the half. She scored 15 points and connected on two three-pointers. Cadogan added 10 points and Beatrice Wallace chipped in nine.
Conlon took responsibly for not having them ready to handle East Harlem Pride (20–1) using a triangle-and-two defense. Henry felt her team was aggressive enough, but baskets they made in the first half just didn’t go down during the comeback attempt.
“Our goal was to attack and make sure we play defense,” Henry said. “Just some shots weren’t dropping. So we had a deficit throughout the whole game.”
A championship game defeat doesn’t mean Brooklyn College Academy’s rise is over. It loses just three seniors and returns a good portion of its core, including Henry and Wallace.
“We have nine girls returning,” Conlon said. “We will go back to working hard and continue to improve, and go from there.”
