Perfect ending

Gena Brown knew the Central Lancers won a lot of Public League basketball games over the last four years. She just didn’t know exactly how many.

After all, it’s easy to lose track when you haven’t lost.

The final tally was 64-0, including four Public League championships. And Brown, of 15th and Reed streets, has been there for all of it.

"I really didn’t know how many wins we had until this year," said the 17-year-old. "I knew we were undefeated in the Public League, but it really didn’t hit me until my coach started saying something in practice.

"It’s like nobody will be able to accomplish that. That’s a nice thing."

The most recent victory came Feb. 25 when the Lancers defeated Engineering and Science 79-56 for the Public League District XII crown. Brown was voted the game’s MVP after scoring a game-high 21 points to accompany her five rebounds.

"What more can I ask for?" the player said.

It’s been a fairytale all along for Brown, who nearly missed the varsity cut in her freshman year. Coach Frank Greco was prepared to send the rookie to junior varsity until one of his assistants took note of Brown’s big hands and feet. The 5-foot-5 freshman wore size-10 shoes.

She also was a big team player, thanks to her years of Catholic Youth Organization basketball at St. Charles Borromeo.

"It helped me a lot in getting used to organized basketball," said Brown, whose father, Royale Eugene Brown, also played at St. Charles before going on to play at then-Bishop Neumann High and Lehigh University.

The athlete was drawn to Central for the academics as well as the basketball program, but she would have to wait a bit to experience the latter.

Brown spent the majority of her freshman year on the bench, cheering her teammates as they won the first in their streak of Public League titles.

The minutes increased in Brown’s sophomore year, but she really had a chance to shine during the 2004 season. She was one of 10 players averaging 16 minutes a game. The 4-inch growth spurt following her freshman year helped, but it was Brown’s no-quit mentality that made the difference, Greco said.

"She has worked very, very hard, and that hard work has paid off for her."

BY HER SENIOR year, Brown knew what it took to be proclaimed best of Philly. Whether the Lancers were playing undefeated University City or a smaller school like E&S;, they had to be relentless in their pursuit of perfection.

The semifinals featured a rematch of last year’s championship game against University City. And, like last season, the Lancers came out on top, this time with a 68-65 victory. Brown, who led all scorers with 17 points, said it was a most satisfying win.

"The championship game is what I’ve been playing for, for the last four years of my life," the athlete said.

The guard earned equally high marks in the classroom with an A-B average and a SAT score of 1,210. The combination of brains and basketball makes Brown an attractive prospect for Division III schools Cabrini, Dickinson, Rosemont and Arcadia, but the player said she could hang up her sneaks and focus solely on academics.

In the meantime, Hofstra and Pittsburgh already have accepted the young talent and she is awaiting word from Division I schools Cornell, New York University, Fordham and Georgetown.

If Brown does take the Division I route, she could join a team as a walk-on.

"Basically, in the next couple of months, I am going to visit the schools and see which ones I like," said the student, who wants to major in business management or finance.

The bright teen said she doesn’t need to study endlessly to ace an exam. If she wants to make it just on street smarts, there’s always the next round of The Apprentice.

"I would be pretty heartbroken if I got fired," Brown said with a laugh.

The player had to deal with an unusual case of heartbreak earlier this month when Central was eliminated in the first round of the PIAA AAAA state playoffs by Dallastown. The Lancers were expected to advance past some of the more experienced state tournament teams, but all eight girls’ basketball squads were eliminated in opening-round action. "We just wanted to represent the Public League and get past the first round," Brown said.

The Lancers nearly did, until Dallastown hit the game-winning shot in the final seconds to win 49-46.

"We were all upset that we lost, but the Public League championship is what we’ve been playing for," said Brown, who finished the state game with 12 points.

Brown will suit up one more time as a high-school player when she joins other seniors from around the city in next Sunday’s All-Star Labor Classic. The roster of Philadelphia Public and Catholic League players – which also includes Neumann-Goretti senior Shonte Skinner – will face a team of suburban all-stars. Neumann-Goretti’s Chip Reitano will coach the squad.

When Brown moves on to the college ranks, it will be up to her younger teammates to keep the 64-game win streak intact.

Greco said Brown will be very difficult to replace.

"You’re talking about a young lady who earned the MVP award of the Public League championship game," the coach said.