CARDOZO 80
F. Lewis 62
Throughout this summer and fall, Cardozo guard Cameron Tyler showed signs he was developing into one of the top players in the PSAL.
But a broken wrist suffered on Nov. 11 during a scrimmage against Christ the King kept him out of action for five weeks.
“It was frustrating,” Tyler said. “It was real tough not playing when I knew I was ready to do really well.”
He got his first chance yesterday, making his debut in a 80-62 win over Francis Lewis. The senior finished with a team-high 21 points, added seven rebounds and seven assists, while playing just 14 minutes.
“I was eager to play,” said Tyler, who claimed his wrist felt 95 percent healthy, but his stamina was only around 60 percent. “But once I got out there, I tried not to do too much. I was kind of fighting myself.”
The Judges are expected to be in the mix for a PSAL title in March, but without Tyler were underwhelming. Head coach Ron Naclerio expects that to change.
“We’ve got to put everything together,” said Naclerio, whose team got 20 points from Nik Flagg and 15 points and 19 boards from Skyler Khaleel. “We’re kind of a different team, because guys had to take on different roles. It’s almost like we never had him. But once we put it all together, we’re going to be very tough.”
Tyler had a solid junior year, but it was his performance at AAU tournaments over the summer, as well as at the talent-packed IS8 tournament prior to the high school season, that made it apparent he was among the elite players in the city.
So when he hurt his shooting wrist, the future was cloudy.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Tyler said. “But I know I’m coming back to where I was before.”
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St. Raymond’s advanced to the quarterfinals of the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., with a 92-86 win over Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) yesterday. The Ravens (5-0) were led by Daon Merritt’s 17 points; sophomore Chris Bethel added 14, and Tariq Atkins had 13.