STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— The dynamic duo of Valentina Li and Rita Moschella delivered a statement win for Staten Island Academy in its first CHSAA outing against NDA on Saturday afternoon in the Borough President’s Cup, combining for 47 points as the Tigers defeated the Gators, 64–51, at CYO MIV.

“We really didn’t know how we would match up against schools we don’t play in our league, so this was a nice chance to see that,” SIA head coach Sandy Litkenhaus said after the contest.

“Player for player, we matched up well and knew it would be a good game. We had to stay focused, play intense and run our offense. Since they were a different type of team and we hadn’t practiced today, it was about reminding the players of what we’ve learned and making small adjustments as the game went on,” she went on.

Speaking on Li’s 25-point outing— in which she nearly outscored NDA herself in the first half (18–17)— Litkenhaus said that “she’s intense, focused, and sometimes, like today, she just wants it more than anybody else.”

“When she comes out like that, people start double and triple teaming her, and that’s when it opens it up for the rest of the scorers like Rita,” she added. “Even when everybody’s focused on one player, if you play together like a team, you can start to realize what would work against it.”

Li was quick to credit the Tigers’ unit as a whole.

“Honestly, it’s really my teammates,” she said. “They feed me the ball and I get a few buckets, then I feed it right back to them. We feed off each other’s energy, and today it wasn’t just me— I couldn’t do it alone. It was my team backing me up the whole time, like they always do.”

In addition to the standout offensive performances from Li and Moschella, the Tigers stymied the Gators with stout perimeter defense, as Notre Dame struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc for much of the game.

“We knew they were three-point scorers, and we knew their tall players could score from three, too; I feel like our defense played with intensity and quickness,” Litkenhaus said.

While the Tigers might have preferred a slightly more comfortable finish than allowing the Gators to cut the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, Litkenhaus gave props to the Gators, “knowing they were never going to give up.”

“A team like Notre Dame isn’t going to just sit back and say, ‘Okay, you won,’” she shared.

“We knew they were going to make a run, and we were going to have to readjust. Maybe we were a little tired, so we had to change something up to give ourselves a little break and continue through the long fourth-quarter stretch,” she concluded.

With the win, the Tigers advance to the quarterfinals, setting up a matchup with the Curtis Warriors on Tuesday at Petrides.

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2026 Borough President’s Cup: Curtis vs. MSIT, SIA vs. NDA

Curtis 65, MSIT 9

SIA’s upcoming quarterfinal opponent put on a dominant performance of their own, combining dynamic scoring with suffocating defense for arguably the most comprehensive showing of the tournament so far.

“That felt good. The tournament’s a beautiful thing for the girls, the coaches, and everyone involved. We’re excited for them to be part of such a historic moment and this opportunity 30 years in the making; they’re helping get the tournament started and bringing attention to all the girls on Staten Island,” Curtis head coach Talia Sutton said following the Warriors’ first win of the tourney.

The final score reflects the Warriors’ collective effort, but freshman Kathryn Kouronus stood out with an upperclassman-like performance, pouring in a game-high 19 points while dominating both inside and on the perimeter, splashing three treys in the third quarter.

“She’s a wonderful inside-outside shooter. She’s also been working on her defense this year, and I think when she plays better defense, she also plays better offense. I’m happy she was able to get going; we’re going to need her and other players, but when she’s scoring, we do better,” Sutton concluded.

As mentioned earlier, the Warriors will now turn their attention to a fascinating matchup with SIA on Tuesday at Petrides.

Sea 72, Petrides 20

St. Joseph by-the-Sea kicked off their Borough President’s Cup title defense with a bang, cruising to an easy win over Petrides in a big effort for the Vikings on Saturday.

“Today was a total team win. It was nice to see everyone’s contributions on the floor tonight,” Sea head coach Josh Suslak said after the game.

Particularly shining for the Vikings were high scorers Giovanna Grima (21 points) and Lila Goldstein (18), as the Sea guards combined for nearly 40 points—most impressively without needing a single three-pointer.

With the victory, the defending champs will now prepare for a meeting with CHSAA foe St. Joseph Hill in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at Petrides.