Rashad Andrews wins championships wherever he goes.
After transferring to Boys & Girls from national powerhouse St. Anthony of Jersey City in late November for personal reasons, the Adelphi-bound swingman shot the Kangaroos to their third straight PSAL Class AA crown yesterday.
Upstaging the game’s two stars, Boys & Girls’ Leroy (Truck) Fludd and Thomas Jefferson Thaddeus Hall, the Queens native scored a game-high 26 points to lead No. 2 Boys High past top-seeded Jefferson, 71-67, at the Garden. Andrews was a part of St. Anthony’s undefeated mythical national championship team, but he said this title was more fulfilling because instead of a seldom-used reserve he was a starter.
Denis Gostev
Boys and Girls celebrates its third straight PSAL Class AA title.
Photos: Thomas Jefferson-Boys & Girls
Denis Gostev
Boys and Girls' Rashad Andrews scored a game-high 26 points in the victory.
Photos: Thomas Jefferson-Boys & Girls
“It was a great feeling, but I didn’t feel like I was a part of it,” the 6-foot-4 said after scoring his Boys High career-high. “I really earned this one.”
Coach Ruth Lovelace stopped short of calling this run a dynasty – “that’s for you guys to decide,” she told reporters – but her Kangaroos (24-6) have established their own place in PSAL and program history. They became the first Boys & Girls team to win three titles in a row and only Lincoln has won four straight.
“You never think this can happen,” Lovelace said. “To win three in a row and be part of history is special. ’ll never ever forget it and I just owe so much to the guys that played for me over the three years to make this possible.”
Despite struggling from the field, making 6-of-23 shots, Fludd scored 17 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and limited Jefferson’s Hall to 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Fludd, who Lovelace called the PSAL Player of the Year, is the only Kangaroo to have a hand in each title.
“His name is going to be the answer to a trivia question,” Lovelace said, drawing laughs.
Jaquan (Son Son) Lynch led the Orange Wave (25-7) with 18 points, Kareem Johnakin had 12 points and eight rebounds and Jermoine Faison notched nine points and 10 rebounds. Tyliek Kimbrough had nine points and Wesley Myers had seven for Boys High.
Jefferson was hoping to be the one celebrating on Saturday. The Orange Wave did get off to a good start, their pregame hope. It led 9-3 out of the game, but Boys answered with a 7-0 run and never gave up the lead.
From there, Andrews set the game’s tone, sinking one long jumper after another. He had 14 points in the first quarter as Boys held a two-point lead and 21 by the break as the lead grew to six. Clearly, the Garden didn’t frighten the senior.
“I felt comfortable on that court,” he said. “It felt like I was in the NBA.”
Andrews said he left St. Anthony after a disagreement with the school that didn’t have anything to do with the basketball program. He enjoyed some big moments with Boys & Girls, but nothing like Saturday.
Lovelace, in fact, said he could be an X-factor in the pregame press conference because he didn’t play in the first contest and was a non-factor in the third encounter as he was recovering from the flu. He entered the contest thinking he could make an impact, expecting the Orange Wave to focus on Fludd and Myers. He responded in a major way.
"He was the difference today," Jefferson coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard said. "He played a hell of a game."
Jefferson did a better job on Andrews in the second half, but Fludd scored 11 of his 17 points and whenever the Orange Wave put together any kind of a run, a turnover followed, Hall or Lynch missed a long jumper or Boys High answered with a big basket.
The Orange Wave got within two twice in the fourth quarter, but Angus answered the first time with a basket inside and Fludd countered on the next occasion. Boys High’s fortitude was lacking in the previous two matchups, when it blew 15-point leads to Jefferson, but it never wilted on Saturday.
“That’s something we talked about this week at practice, before the game and at halftime,” Lovelace said.
Boys High held a significant advantage from the free throw line, making 27-of-36 compared to the Orange Wave going 13-24. Kimbrough made 9-of-12 himself and the Kangaroos were flawless down the stretch.
It led to another title, one few expected was possible back in November. Boys & Girls graduated four starters off last year’s team. But Fludd expanded his game over the summer, Myers emerged after a slow start and transfers Andrews and Kimbrough came up aces in the playoffs.
“A lot of people didn’t have confidence in us,” Fludd said. “But I had confidence in my team. This is what we wanted to do.”
zbraziller@nypost.com
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