Finally, a favorable verdict for Judges

Cardozo snaps recent late-game woes with 73-67 overtime win over Forest Hills

By ZACH BRAZILLER

Dating back to last February, Cardozo had been involved in five games decided by single digits. The Judges had lost them all, finding different and unique ways to snag defeat from the jaws of victory.<p> </p><br /> That unimpressive streak seemed to be well on its way to six Friday night when Forest Hills forced overtime after trailing by five late in regulation.<p> </p><br /> “I don’t know what would’ve happened if we lost tonight,” Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said.<p> </p><br /> He’ll never find out. The Judges rebounded from the sloppy final minutes of the fourth quarter with a crisp four-minute extra period. As a result, they knocked off the Rangers, 73-67, extending their division lead in Queens AA to two full games.<p> </p><br /> “We talk about finding a way to win, but we didn’t know how to do it,” said junior point guard Chris Gayot, who scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and added six assists. “Today we found a way. It was our will. Our seniors didn’t want to lose.”<p> </p><br /> One of them, forward Ryan Rhoomes, led Cardozo (8-2, 8-0 Queens AA) with 21 points – 11 in a monster third quarter – 14 rebounds and six blocked shots. Dwayne Brunson followed with 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, Reynaldo (Junior) Walters had 11 points and eight assists and Malcolm Brooks had 10.<p> </p><br /> Maurice Harkless led Forest Hills (8-6, 6-2) with 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots, Rudy Collins and Nick Padgett each had 14 and Denzil Dulin had 12.<p> </p><br /> “Even though the score might not have been what some of the guys on the team might have wanted it to be, we still got the thrill of victory,” Naclerio said.<p> </p><br /> The victory was particularly significant for this group considering its recent late-game failures. The Judges blew leads in last year’s Queens borough final to Forest Hills and the second-round playoff loss to McKee/Staten Island Tech and failed to execute down the stretch in non-league showdowns against Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin.<p> </p><br /> History was starting to repeat itself when Walters, Shelton Mickell and Gayot combined to miss five-of-six free throws down the stretch, blowing a five-point lead with 42.0 seconds remaining. Collins hit two free throws for Forest Hills with seven seconds in regulation and Rhoomes missed a short bank shot to force overtime.<p> </p><br /> In the extra session, however, Rhoomes and Gayot left little to chance. The big man started the period with a blocked shot and added a free throw. Gayot hit two at the line himself, finished off a drive with a pretty left-handed scoop and Rhoomes also scored inside.<p> </p><br /> “We refused to lose this game,” Gayot said. “My coach was saying attack, because they were backing up.”<p> </p><br /> Said Naclerio: "You could see Chris say I'm not losing, Reynaldo say I'm not losing. They knew what would happen if they didn't reach down, that pain of Christ the King, Bishop Loughlin, last year, was coming back. They wanted to push that pain away."<p> </p><br /> The Judges also tightened up defensively in the final four minutes. Harkless, the UConn-bound forward, barely got any touches. And in overtime, unlike the preceding four quarters, his supporting cast – Collins, Dulin and Padgett – were unable to make Cardozo pay. The Bayside school celebrated the final horn emphatically. Brunson lifted Walters above his shoulders and the players posed for team pictures.<p> </p><br /> “This was a big game because of last year,” Rhoomes said. “We were sick losing to them twice at the end of the year. … This is a big accomplishment. We’re No. 1 in Queens. I think we should be No. 1 in the city.”<p> </p><br /> zbraziller@nypost.com <p> </p><br />

Dating back to last February, Cardozo had been involved in five games decided by single digits. The Judges had lost them all, finding different and unique ways to snag defeat from the jaws of victory.

That unimpressive streak seemed to be well on its way to six Friday night when Forest Hills forced overtime after trailing by five late in regulation.

“I don’t know what would’ve happened if we lost tonight,” Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said.

He’ll never find out. The Judges rebounded from the sloppy final minutes of the fourth quarter with a crisp four-minute extra period. As a result, they knocked off the Rangers, 73-67, extending their division lead in Queens AA to two full games.

“We talk about finding a way to win, but we didn’t know how to do it,” said junior point guard Chris Gayot, who scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and added six assists. “Today we found a way. It was our will. Our seniors didn’t want to lose.”

One of them, forward Ryan Rhoomes, led Cardozo (8-2, 8-0 Queens AA) with 21 points – 11 in a monster third quarter – 14 rebounds and six blocked shots. Dwayne Brunson followed with 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, Reynaldo (Junior) Walters had 11 points and eight assists and Malcolm Brooks had 10.

Maurice Harkless led Forest Hills (8-6, 6-2) with 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots, Rudy Collins and Nick Padgett each had 14 and Denzil Dulin had 12.

“Even though the score might not have been what some of the guys on the team might have wanted it to be, we still got the thrill of victory,” Naclerio said.

The victory was particularly significant for this group considering its recent late-game failures. The Judges blew leads in last year’s Queens borough final to Forest Hills and the second-round playoff loss to McKee/Staten Island Tech and failed to execute down the stretch in non-league showdowns against Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin.

History was starting to repeat itself when Walters, Shelton Mickell and Gayot combined to miss five-of-six free throws down the stretch, blowing a five-point lead with 42.0 seconds remaining. Collins hit two free throws for Forest Hills with seven seconds in regulation and Rhoomes missed a short bank shot to force overtime.

In the extra session, however, Rhoomes and Gayot left little to chance. The big man started the period with a blocked shot and added a free throw. Gayot hit two at the line himself, finished off a drive with a pretty left-handed scoop and Rhoomes also scored inside.

“We refused to lose this game,” Gayot said. “My coach was saying attack, because they were backing up.”

Said Naclerio: "You could see Chris say I'm not losing, Reynaldo say I'm not losing. They knew what would happen if they didn't reach down, that pain of Christ the King, Bishop Loughlin, last year, was coming back. They wanted to push that pain away."

The Judges also tightened up defensively in the final four minutes. Harkless, the UConn-bound forward, barely got any touches. And in overtime, unlike the preceding four quarters, his supporting cast – Collins, Dulin and Padgett – were unable to make Cardozo pay. The Bayside school celebrated the final horn emphatically. Brunson lifted Walters above his shoulders and the players posed for team pictures.

“This was a big game because of last year,” Rhoomes said. “We were sick losing to them twice at the end of the year. … This is a big accomplishment. We’re No. 1 in Queens. I think we should be No. 1 in the city.”