Eagle soars past Curtis for statement win at Aviator

Curtis entered this upcoming stretch of non-Staten Island games looking to prove itself as team that could contend with the rest of the PSAL's. Eagle Academy felt it was part of that group before a humbling loss to Wings Academy.

So like the Warriors, they had something to prove.

“I remember reading the article saying that Curtis wants to beat Eagle Academy and then they have to beat Boys & Girls, so we came out make a statement,” senior guard Gerard Carty said.

With the loss to Bronx rival Wings still stuck in their craw, Eagle did just that, rallying for a 60-54 win over the Staten Island power at the Aviator Shootout Thursday night in Brooklyn. Star guard Najee Senior scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half, mostly on fearless drives to the basket. His acrobatic scoop shot with 3:06 remaining put Eagle up four and seemed to take the fight out of the Warriors (9-1). Carty had 17 points and center Jalen Chapman added 11.

William Thomas

Eagle Academy's Najee Senior goes in for a shot

Photos: Eagle-Curtis

“This is a good win,” Eagle coach Rodney Plummer said. “Curtis is a really good team, a very well respected team throughout the entire PSAL. To win this game was a phenomenal feat.”

The man-to-man coach switched to a 3-2 zone in the second half intent on denying Curtis guard Dashawn Richmond the ball, holding him to just 12 first-half points. Eagle (11-1) trailed 32-24 at the half and 45-37 with 1:08 left in the third quarter thanks to the play of Curtis center Debonair Edwards, who had 18 points.

A technical foul on Dontay Jackson for arguing after he hit Tishaun Mann going up early in the fourth helped swung the moment back to Eagle. It led to a 6-point possession and a 50-48 lead as Carty and Mann each made two free throws and Benjamin Ellis connected on a layup. Curtis coach Rich Buckheit felt his team lost its feistiness at that point.

“We stopped competing and playing with confidence and passion,” he said.

Ranked No. 5 in the PSAL by The Post, the Warriors were playing their first game without junior star Hassan Martin because of broken finger. Martin, who was averaging 10 points and 12 boards in league play, was sorely missed, though Buckheit refused to use him as an excuse.

“One guy shouldn’t make you a completely different basketball team,” he said.

Eagle certainly felt like one after the win. The Eagles badly wanted to get rid of the feeling from its 98-66 drubbing by Wings and can now boast of a win against one of the PSAL’s top squads.

"The Wings game, that wasn’t supposed to happen,” Senior said. “This right here, with them being ranked No. 5, we had something to prove.”

jstaszewski@nypost.com