Forget the Golden State Warriors in the NBA or the University of Connecticut in NCAA women’s basketball.
When it comes to high school hoops supremacy in New York City, all roads lead to South Shore High School, 6565 Flatlands Avenue in Canarise.
That after the school saw their basketball program cap a historic run on Saturday, when both their boys and girls varsity teams won the PSAL (Public School Athletic League) AA championship.
Saturday’s games at Barclays Center marked the first time in PSAL history that a school had both their boys & girls teams qualify for the city basketball championships, and to win both title games in the same season could be a record that will stand the test of time.
Facing Manhattan’s Murry Bergtraum High School, the Lady Vikings took the court first in search of their fourth straight city championship under the leadership of coach Anwar Gladden.
After getting off to an early lead, the South Shore cooled off as they lost the advantage in the second quarter, before finishing the half with a ferocious 10-2 run. The game remained close until the final minutes, as Murry Bergtraum pulled within three points in the fourth quarter. South Shore managed to pull away at the end, lead by senior point guard Density Philoxy’s game-high 18 points, propelling the team to a commanding 57-37 victory.
“This’s my last time with these girls, and I love them to death.” said Philoxy after the game.
“These seniors knew what was at stake today. They had amazing careers, to win four city championships,” added Coach Gladden in a post game interview.
Looking to cement the school’s basketball dominance, the Lady Viking’s male counterparts took the court in search of their first AA city championship against Benjamin Cardozo High School of Queens.
Senior forward Sekou Sylla and junior guard Femi Odukale propelled South Shore to an early lead, and the team never looked back. Nursing a 21-9 lead after the first quarter, Coach Pat Trani and the Vikings kept the pressure up, closing the second quarter with a 12 point lead.
After a steal and a long three pointer by Odukale to close the third, South Shore entered the home stretch with a 20 point lead, only to expand their dominating performance in the fourth to a 28 point margin.
Sylla finished the game with 27 points in his MVP performance, along with Odukale’s 18 to pair with junior center Isiah Richard’s 13 rebounds.
“We just made history. Lady Vikings and Male Vikings,” Odukale told reporters after the game.
Both teams will now head to Glen Falls, where they will compete in the Federation Tournament of Champions to determine the boys and girls state champions of New York.
The Federation Tournament annually contains the boys and girls champions of the four major New York High School athletic leagues: The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, New York City’s Public School Athletic League and Catholic High School Athletic Association, as well as the Independent Schools Athletic Association.
