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for larger version       H.S.Weekend Playoffs Hit Fever Pitch
Here's a primer on those who might be interested in watching some contests. And with a bit of Rockaway flavor added in. The Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan girls Division I and Division II championship will take place on Sunday at Christ the King. The 4 p.m. game might involve Stella Maris in the title game for the second year in a row. That's if at presstime, the #1 seed Lady Flippers can beat St. Saviour in the third matchup between both teams. Stella Maris has lost both contests in the regular season and though playing a team can be tough the third time around, head coach Maureen Gigliello feels confident in her troops. They're healthy with the return of 1,000 career point scorer Alexa Rosella and the gradual game to game improvement from several of their young sophomore additions. "I know they might want to think too much of the pressure of the situation. I told them that I will put the pressure on myself to come up with a game plan to win," Gigliello said. That game plan will be to hold off two of the top St. Saviour players in Elizabeth Burke and Julia Morris. If Stella Maris can contain them, the Lady Flippers will challenge the rest of their opponent to step up and take up the brunt of scoring. That will be an advantage for Gigliello, who will then look to push the ball up and down the court and wear out St. Savior defensively. If the Flippers win, then the championship will be played on Sunday at 4 p.m. against the winner of Catherine McAuley/ Fontbonne Hall Academy. The 6 p.m. scheduled matchup should have the #1 seed Christ the King, playing their championship game at home against either Mary Louis or Bishop Kearney. The Royals were undefeated and are expected to put away 5th seed Bishop Ford at presstime. The intriguing matchup will be who gets to play against the Royals. It's a do or die situation for BKHS, the #2 seed and TMLA, the #3 seed. Bishop Kearney and Mary Louis will play each other for the fourth time this season. The Tigers have won two of three, including a tiebreaking victory with Michelle Kenel hitting a free throw with no time left in the fourth quarter on March 1. In years past, the losers of the semifinal games could play one more time against each other to see who represents the diocesan in the catholic 'B' state title playoffs. That will not take place this year. That matchup took place at St. Francis Prep at presstime. Midwood vs. Murry Bergtraum- 7:45 p.m. at Hunter College on Saturday It may not be the most anticipated matchup of a long day of PSAL action which involves playoff games in the 'AA', 'A' and 'B' at Hunter College. The prior matchup between John F. Kennedy and Manhattan Center, the #2 and #3 seed respectively may get more attention. And Bergtraum, the #1 seed who certainly rolling along to capture an unprecedented eight PSAL title will have to face #4 ranked Midwood. The odds may be against Michelle Cashen, Celeste Roberts and Megan McKenna, the three Midwood stars who take the Q35 from Rockaway, to help lead their team to an upset win. But even if they do lose to Bergtraum, their bid for a chance to head to the New York state Federation Tournament isn't over. With a 49-38 victory over Lincoln last weekend, Midwood has two more chances to make the tournament either as a 'AA' or an 'A' representative. They may have struggled and got a break when Lincoln guard Marissa Austin fouled out in the second quarter. But a win is still a win according to Cashen. "It's a victory no matter what but it would have been nice to beat them at their full strength," Cashen said. "But we'll still take it." Christ the King vs. St. Raymond's Fordham University on Sunday at 3 p.m. The boys' city championship 'AA' game at Fordham has two teams who are fighting to keep their playoff season alive. Both staved off elimination in the semifinals on Wednesday at St. John's University. Christ the King rode the coattails of Erving Walker, who scored 27 points and Andrew Gabriel's 22 points in a 67-64 victory over Rice.
St. Raymond's pulled the shocker of the night, coming back from a 19 point deficit in the third quarter and winning 79-78 over Holy Cross to advance to the finals.
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