Coach Ties Lady Vikings Woes To School’s “Bad Reputation”
By Jason Medina

Despite the South Shore Lady Vikings varsity girls basketball dropping their sixth game in a row and falling to a disappointing 2-8 record after losing to George Westinghouse on Monday, South Shore head coach Anwar Gladden was somewhat upbeat. His mood had nothing to do with what was happening on the court but instead at what was happening off of it.

“We are struggling and have had a tough season thus far,” said Gladden after the game. “But the girls have also had a tough time off the court as they have had a lot of negative outside factors affecting them coming from a school that was on the cities list of impact schools. I feel now that we were taken off that list last Tuesday the girls can forget about the negativity and bad feelings surrounding South Shore and can feel good about representing their school.”

Gladden contends that South Shore and its athletic program endured a negative reputation for being one of sixteen schools placed on the cities list of schools with crime and disorder problems last January. However, he now feels now that since the school has been removed from the list there will be nothing but good things ahead for South Shore and the Lady Vikings.

“Now that we have had some positive news it is bound to rub off and, hopefully, the school and our team can capitalize and accomplish good things in the future,” the coach explained.

Last Thursday, the Lady Vikings went up against the Grand Street Campus Lady Wolves. Before the game, Gladden admitted the match up was going to be tough for his team.

“They are a good team and are playing well right now with their eyes on the playoffs,” he said. “It’s my hope we come out like this is a playoff game because from here on out every game for us is big.”

Coming into the game both teams were going in opposite directions. The Wolves were in first place in the Brooklyn A-2 PSAL division, while South Shore was one game from the basement in fifth place.

The Lady Vikings finished the first quarter down 16-7 and were outscored by three points in the second quarter (17-14), still in striking distance as they went into half time trailing 33-21. But, in the second half reality set in as Grand Street erupted with a 29-3 third quarter and a 21-8 fourth quarter to topple South Shore 83-32.

The victory was the Lady Wolves eighth in nine games. Grand Street’s Kenya Kirkland was two assists shy of a triple double (18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists) while Monet Johnson had 12 points and 15 rebounds and Shade Rice scored 16 points.

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