St. John's Loses Big East Opener And Maybe More as Ponds is Injured

                Providence had begun to pull away with a flurry of three-point shots against a St. John’s defense that had been good in non-conference play. They could not contain the penetration of Kyron Cartwright, who finished the game with 15 assists in addition to a game-high 21 points. His passing and the three-point marksmanship of he and his teammates triggered an 11-0 run for the Friars and helped them salt away what would ultimately be a 94-72 win in the Big East opener for both teams last night.  The loss was a difficult one but it could be the least of St. John’s problems as they move into the grind of conference play.

                Shamorie Ponds the Red Storm’s do-everything point guard was injured early in the second half. He attempted to play through the injury but struggled before sitting out the final nine minutes of the loss. Without him and Marcus Lovett, who missed his sixth straight game with a knee injury of his own, St. John’s offense sputtered, laying a goose egg from three-point land on all 10 tries in the second half. Providence converted on 11 of 16 threes and while the “points in transition” statistic may have been even, much of the Friars success from beyond the arc came on secondary transition where one swing of the ball lead to open looks.  As Chris Mullin lamented “…. we’ve been good (on defense) all year, tonight we were horrendous”.

                Lead by senior guard Cartwright, the Friars new exactly what to do to take full advantage. He was one of four double figure scorers for Providence as fellow senior Jalen Lindsey scored 18 points making 6 of 10 three-point tries while former Frederick Douglas Academy standout Alpha Diallo had a double-double of his own with 18 points and 12 boards.

                Ponds had put up a game’s worth of stats during the first 20 minutes, scoring 14 of his 16 points while finishing with 6 assists and 3 steals. Despite a strong effort St. John’s trailed 41-40 at the half as Providence’s depth with both playing numbers and scoring options was tough for St. John’s to handle. Marvin Clark scored a team-high 20 points for the Johnnies but they simply could never gain traction first with Ponds struggling and then with him out of the lineup. St. John’s will have to flush to move on from this quickly to get ready for Sunday’s game at Seton Hall, but for now Johnnie Nation holds its collective breath waiting for news on Ponds that may well determine the fate of their season. According to multiple reports an initial diagnosis revealed no structural damage to Ponds’ knee but he will reportedly undergo a what is being described as a precautionary MRI today.

As The Royals Make a Change They Seem to Find Their Stride vs. St. Rays

                It may have taken some fans in attendance at Christ the King by surprise that only one of the team’s twin towers, freshman Moussa Cisse was introduced as a starter and junior Kofi Cockburn began the game on the bench. It’s worth noting that the change did not last very long; only a few minutes into the game. It’s also worth noting that all three players involved in the switch, Cisse, Cockburn and forward Jared Harrison-Hunte all had strong moments in what would be an 82-64 win over St. Ray’s. Time will tell whether or not the change will have a lasting impact but if the first impression is an accurate one it may help the Royals find their stride as they enter the New Year and the rigors of league play.

     Even though the change to the lineup came up front, the Royals’ quick start on offense was triggered by the back court. A 10-0 game starting burst included consecutive 3-point baskets by talented sophomore guards Quaran McPherson and Ryan Meyers. The two youngsters combined with senior Tyson Walker not just for scoring but to move the ball with drives and quick crisp passing and the trio of forwards were the beneficiaries. Cockburn, who came off the bench, was particularly impressive finishing plays with both a soft touch and some powerful dunks. Harrison-Hunte helped clean up whatever the two bigs did not get to and, more significantly helped the Royals control the defensive boards. Meyers would finish with a game high 18 points and showed a lot more than just his shooting skill. He had several terrific assists to the big men and also made good decisions when the proper play was to keep the ball moving. McPherson added 15 and Cockburn 14 for the Royals, who led by a dozen after the first quarter and saw that margin reach as high as 23 points.

     At a time when analytics and statistical analysis have become such a part of basketball as they have in all sports, the effect of the line-up change is hard to quantify using numbers alone. Whether they were on the court together or separately Cisse and Cockburn were game changers on defense with shot blocks and alterations. I think the best part of the rotation was that they were simply able to navigate foul troubles, while both guys picked up 3 fouls early, they maintained a substantial margin and their aggressiveness from the game’s start to its finish.

    St. Ray’s faced a difficult task that was made even harder with the absence of tough senior forward Darius Lee due to an injury. The Ravens had a highlight sequence when Gary Grant scored on a dunk over one of CK’s towers and junior Jalen Reneau connected on a transition triple. Once CK regained their footing the game was in hand for the Royals and while much of the focus may have been on CK’s talented big men, their guards, particularly Meyers showed terrific ability and that they may indeed provide the edge the Royals need for a title run.

Christ the King Uses Depth and Size to Surge Past Xaverian

                Kofi Cockburn finished with a game high 17 points as Christ the King used its size and balance to earn a hard fought and convincing win over Xaverian 67-46 in Brooklyn yesterday.

                The fact that Cockburn, the 6’11” junior center was CK’s only double figure scorer may seem odd if you read about the game on web sites like this one or saw only a box score. But if you watched the game the reason that’s true is readily discernable. It is a tribute to just how deep and well balanced the team is, and while early season losses to Cardinal Hayes and Iona Prep indicate that the Royals have work to do in order to reach their full potential, today’s all-around effort is an indication that the talent is there for a deep post season run and perhaps another city title.

                To be sure Cockburn and fellow big man freshman Moussa Cisse set the pace with their ability to run the floor and protect the rim. Cockburn finished with 8 rebounds in addition to his 17 points while Cisse, who also stands 6’11” finished with a team high 14 rebounds and 2 blocks to go along with 8 points of his own.  Cisse is a remarkably fluid athlete given his size and age and showed remarkable range defensively not only as a shot blocker but as a guy who got to several of those rebounds with quickness that compliments his length. Cockburn might not be quite as athletic as his similarly tall teammate but with bulk and an improved shooting touch that compliments Cisse’s quickness and athleticism the Royals’ “twin towers” appear destined for success at this level and beyond.

                Xaverian tried to counter with their perimeter fire power as guards Isaiah Amazan and Billy Reyes each finished with 13 points. They battled as best they could on the inside but that task was made more difficult by the absence of Mike Graham who rolled his ankle in the Clippers’ Friday win vs. St. Francis Prep. Without him sophomore Elijah Hardison had his hands full despite help from the guards but his effort included 4 blocks and a couple of nice low post moves. He has been a hard-running big man and an active defender who can give Xaverian an additional weapon if he can improve offensively.

                Christ the King’s ability to control the paint likely made the difference in this game but their perimeter players did some good work as well. Senior leader Tyson Walker had filled the stat sheet with 7 points 5 assists and 4 steals while a pair of talented sophomores, Ryan Meyers and Quaron McPherson each provided tough defense and a steady floor game for the Royals. McPherson, who arrived from the Patrick School with a reputation as a scorer had 7 rebounds and 4 steals and did not force his own scoring. Meyers, who lead last season’s freshman team also had a quietly effective game scoring only when opportunity came, feeding the post nicely and being active with his great hands defensively.

                Slowly but surely both of these young teams are learning what it takes to compete in one of the country’s toughest high school leagues. More is expected of Christ the King and they will continue to get better especially as they figure out how best to play defensively. It’s early but both these teams, though very different with respect to how they play will likely be very good by season’s end.

Xaverian Works Overtime for First League Win 77-71

                Sophomore Billy Reyes scored 23 points while junior Isaiah Amazan added 20 to lift Xaverian and new coach Clyde Chapman to their first league win over a tough, St. Francis Prep squad 77-71.

    It makes perfect basketball sense that these two teams would need overtime to decide what was a hard-fought contest as Xaverian and St. Francis enter this season facing very similar circumstances. Both Chapman and The Prep’s Jim Lynch are beginning their first varsity seasons after serving apprenticeships at sub varsity levels. The two teams are also similar because they feature underclassmen as their primary scorers and offense for both teams comes primarily from the perimeter since both teams have guards who can drive the ball to the rim and space the floor with good shooting.  That perimeter emphasis   became even more important for the Clippers in the game’s opening moments when junior forward Michael Graham left the game with a leg injury.

                Graham, an improving 6’7” forward had established himself as a force around the basket in the early going for Xaverian.  His fast start to the season included a 22-point effort in a hard-fought loss to St. Ray’s on Sunday. In his absence the visitors from Queens went right at the Clippers taking the ball strong to the basket and finishing drives at the rim and sometimes kicking the ball for three point tries. The perimeter trio of junior Justin Hendrick, sophomore Anthony Lopez and senior Brandon Tatis all scored with strong drives and shots from distance. The youngest of the group, Lopez is a 6’2” guard with terrific length and a quick and long first step and is a prospect D-1 programs should watch closely. They helped St. Francis forge leads of 18-12 after the first period and 33-27 at the intermission.

    Xaverian started quickly in the third period behind the backcourt tandem of Amazan and Reyes. Their good work plus key plays from senior Josh Denis and junior Zack Hayn helped the Clippers re-take the lead in the third period and set the stage for a terrific see-saw battle that showed off both teams’ ability to make clutch plays at key times. Lopez and Hendrick were high scorers for the Terriers with 21 and 18 respectively while Tatis added double figures and tied the game in the final minute of regulation with a tough drive out of the post.

                While the Clippers went ahead for good on two free throws by Amazan in the overtime and then iced the game with 4 free throws from Reyes, an unexpected contribution off the bench, and on the defensive end of the floor may have provided the difference for the Clippers.  Sophomore reserve Elijah Hardison filled in admirably for his injured team mate Graham. While he finished with just 6 points he provided a tough defensive presence in the paint in a game when his teammates struggled to keep St. Francis’ guards in front of them.  While Xaverian’s offense came from the perimeter Hardison’s play around the basket was just as essential to a well-earned win for the young Clippers and their new coach.

   Both Xaverian and St. Francis figure to be part of a large and competitive middle ground in the CHSAA’s “AA” league. They do not have the size to match up with the top four of Christ the King, Molloy, Stepinac and Hayes, but they have the ability to space the floor and score and, if the young core of both of these teams can continue to improve they could be dangerous come March.

As St. John's Basketball Looks Back The Current team Wins Big 90-55

                On a day when St. John’s honored a cornerstone of its storied basketball past, the current edition of the basketball team took a half to get in gear. With star guard Marcus Lovett missing because of a sprained knee, the aggressive defense and quick ball moving offense that have been part of their best basketball were both decidedly absent. Sacred Heart took advantage of offensive rebounds, kicking the ball out for threes and a defense that, in the words of their coach Chris Mullin gave up “15 or 16 middle drives and as athletic as we are that should not happen to us” Mullin summed up the first half effort succinctly when he said, “We were just participating and not competing”.  As the first 20 minutes drew to a close St. John’s, despite those struggles had briefly pushed their margin to 8 points. But they saw that margin evaporate when they gave up a pair of triples to Kinnon Larose. Sacred Heart then tied the game at 34 on a jumper by De’Von Barnett before Marvin Clark converted of offensive rebound for a basket to give St. John’s a scant 2-point margin at the intermission.

    No one connected with St. John’s offered the week layoff or Lovett’s absence as excuses for the slow start, and perhaps that’s one reason why they were able to shake it off quickly. As they came out to start the second half their energy was completely different.             An 10-2 run by St. John’s moved the lead to 46-36 before the first media time out and from there St. John’s athleticism and energy controlled the game. Shamorie Ponds finished with a game high 22 points while Clark and Justin Simon added 14 apiece. No one had a better game though, then Tariq Owens who finished with 12 points 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Those numbers, as good as they are obscure the fact that his individual game mirrored the tale of two halves he and his teammates had just experienced. His coach pointed out, “In the first half there were probably two or 3 plays for Tariq where they threw him the ball and he fell or it hit him in the nose, Mullin said. “But then in the second half he catches a lob with his left hand above the top of the box.”

St. John’s ended up routing the Pioneers 54-21 over the latter 20 minutes and ended up scoring the kind of decisive win they need as they head west for two tough tests against Grand Canyon and Arizona State. Mullin warned his team that both those teams are high powered and they must bring energy to start the game or “we’ll be down by 25.” On the road and perhaps without Lovett they face a tough task indeed.

St.John’s Unveils Lapchick Statue

  Prior to today’s game St. John’s unveiled a statue to honor the legacy of coach Joe Lapchick. Coach Lapchick was first a star player for teams such as the Original Celtics and the Cleveland Rosenblums. At 6’5” he was widely considered to be basketball’s best center in the 1920’s and 30’s and was known as a slick passer and clever player. In 1936 he began the first of two coaching stints at St. John’s. In 20 seasons combined he compiled a 334-140 record and 4 N.I.T. Titles. Between his stints at St. John’s he coached the NBA’s New York Knicks.  From 1947-’56 he coached the Knicks to a 326-247 record and 3 trips to the NBA finals. He was enshrined in the Naismith Hall of fame in 1966 and is perhaps best remembered for his actions on behalf of social justice as both a player and coach. As a player his Celtics teams would barnstorm against the “black fives” of that era such as the New York Rens .  The Rens featured hall of famers Pop Gates, John “Boy Wonder” Isaacs and Charles “Tarzan” Cooper. Lapchick would begin each game by embracing fellow center Cooper just prior to the opening tap. As coach of the Knicks he signed Harlem Globetrotters star Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton to a Knicks’ contract. In 1950 Clifton, with Lapchick coaching became just the second African American player to appear in an NBA game just 4 days after Earl Lloyd had broken the league’s color line as a member of the Washington Capitals.

               

Johnnies Get Physical And Drive Past Nebraska For Third Straight Win 79-56

In the lead up to last night’s game against Nebraska, Coach Chris Mullin gave his team a very simple and direct edict. “This is a physical team, typical of the Big 10 we need to match their physicality”.

    Following last night’s79-56 win over the Cornhuskers Coach Mullin may well have been more succinct in comments made over a happy and boisterous celebration in the locker room with two simple words, “mission accomplished”

     On paper, this looked like a potential pitfall for St. John’s since Nebraska’s starting unit that included two post players (including Georgetown transfer Isaac Copeland) and 6’6” junior wing James Palmer Jr. presented size and length that St. John’s had not seen and could not match.

    St. John’s set an aggressive tone against all that size from the outset. On defense they picked up full court and applied pressure from start to finish. And on offense they set that tone by driving to the basket and scoring primarily inside. They made just 5 of 17 three point tries but won the rebounding battle 50-39 and outscored Nebraska 44-16 in the paint.

     Shamorie Ponds once again led St. John’s in scoring with 22 points. And as he had in Tuesday’s win over Central Connecticut Justin Simon had a double double. This time he reached that mark with 13 points and 12 caroms, and seemingly to complete a great defensive stat line he added 3 blocks and 4 steals.

    While all these numbers tell the story of the game pretty thoroughly, the eye test makes the win seem even more impressive. St. John’s won the paint battle despite Nebraska’s big bodies because their guards (particularly Ponds and Simon) got in the paint seemingly at will and made shots consistently over taller defenders. They also limited Nebraska’s effectiveness inside with the combination of help defense inside and pressure on Nebraska’s perimeter players. That perimeter pressure was particularly aggressive because Simon, Ponds and Lovett new they had great rim protection thanks to Tariq Owens, whose 6 blocks represent part of a terrific impact he had on the game despite scoring just 4 points.

       St. John’s led 37-24 at the intermission. A quick 5-0 run by Nebraska included a bench technical on St. John’s was followed by a quick time out. The Red Storm then countered with an 8-2 run of their own that included a triple each from Marcus Lovett and Bashir Ahmed and a tough two-point jumper from Ponds. St. John’s put an exclamation point on the win with a trio of dunks, two by Simon and one by Ahmed, that brought a crowd that had been engaged all night to its’ feet for one final time.

   In what Coach Mullin called their biggest test of the early season they passed with high flying colors.

Other Notes and Observations

1.      Although bookkeeping will call it a bench technical the T was called when Mullin smashed a water bottle following Nebraska’s 5-0 second half start. Give Chris credit for being T’d up by a name brand official since long time NFL ref Gene Steratore got him.

2.      Perhaps lost a bit in the excitement of the win was Bashir Ahmed’s best effort of the year for St. John’s, He finished with 13 points and 5 boards, hit 2-4 treys and did a much better job of letting the game come to him than he had in the earlier games.

Up next for St. John’s is a Monday night contest vs. Division II Molloy College of Long Island at Carnesecca Area. The Red Storm then will play in the AdvoCare Invitational tournament in Orlando Florida. Their first game will be against Oregon State Thanksgiving Day at 2 pm.

Simon Double Doubles His (And St. John's) Pleasure for 2nd Straight Win

     St. John’s combined a balanced scoring effort that featured 4 double figure scorers and a defensive effort that saw them force 21 turnovers and out rebound Central Connecticut for a convincing 80-55 win over the Blue Devils at Carnesecca Arena last night.

      Shamorie Ponds paced the Johnnies with a game high 21 points.  He combined with transfer Justin Simon, whose first career double double included 12 points and 11 rebounds to not only set the pace scoring but provide a needed spark on the glass for a team that will go into most of its games giving up size and strength under the basket.

            “Justin and Shamorie had 11 and 9”, Coach Chris Mullin said of their rebounding effort. “I’ve asked them to get in the paint and help our bigs to help get rebounds that get over their heads when they’re being pushed under the basket.” Their effort helped the Red Storm to 38-29 rebounding advantage, a complete change from their opening night win against New Orleans Friday Night.

            Once again Simon’s early efforts helped jump start St. John’s attack. CCSU took a brief lead 11-9 when they connected on their first 5 shots.  Simon and the Johnnies countered with a 10-0 run with the athletic 6’4” wing flying in for a tip basket and converting on the first of three baskets from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils stayed close thanks to continued good shooting as guards Tyson Batiste and Shakaris Laney connected on triples. But with St. John’s leading 21-17 they went on a 20-2 run over 6 minutes and gave themselves a 41-19 edge. During the run St. John’s got another offensive boost from freshman guard Bryan Trimble, who for the second straight game proved to be a valuable scoring option off the bench.  He scored all 8 of his points in that stretch on two treys and a long 2-point basket.

            “That’s what we ask him to do,” Simon said of Trimble’s shooting. “It’s a great spark off the bench for us.”

     St. John’s took a 43-27 advantage to the intermission.  From there CCSU trimmed the deficit to 11 but each time the Blue Devils shooting got them to within shouting distance St. John’s had an answer. Marcus Lovett scored all of his 15 points in the second half to help keep the Blue Devils at arm’s length.

Other Notes and Observations

1.      CCSU assistant coach Mike Witcoske filled in for absent head coach Donyell Marshall who, along with assistant Anthony Anderson, is suspended pending an investigation of what was termed a “personnel matter”. Ironically Chris Mullin said that he scheduled the game in part for a chance to coach against his former Warriors teammate.

2.      CCSU brought with them three players with local ties.  Jersey City freshman Kashaun Hicks who prepped at MacDuffie (MA) School` contributed 3 points in limited minutes while seniors Shakaris Laney of St. Benedict’s (NJ) Prep and Mustafa Jones of Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx contributed 6 and 13 points respectively.

Juco big man Deion Bute scored 19 points and added 9 rebounds for the Blue Devils.

Up next for St. John’s is a Thursday tilt against Big 10 foe Nebraska in the annual Gavitt games, that annual honor the Big East’s founding Commissioner. Tip off at Carnesecca Arena is at 6:30 pm.

On Opening Night St. John's Shows Some Warts but Wins Easily

     Marcus Lovett led four double figure scorers with 23 points as St. John’s scored a deceptively easy 77-61 win over defending Southland Conference Champion New Orleans at Carnesecca Arena last night.

   Lovett and Michigan State transfer Marvin Clark, who played his first game for St. John’s provided the best most consistent scoring options for the Red Storm. Lovett’s 23 points came on 7-14 shooting from the floor and included 5-10 from beyond the arc. Clark took fewer shots but missed just once in six tries, and made both of his triples in route to a terrific 15-point debut.  Their hot shooting helped offset an effort that their coach Chris Mullin perhaps politely and certainly correctly described as “choppy”.  Which might as well be coaching shorthand for “We got a win but we need to get better.”

   St. John’s trailed only briefly in the game’s opening moments and in fact got out of the gate quickly thanks to some early good work from their other transfer Justin Simon. While many who know his game project him as more of a playmaker who can help facilitate the scoring of Lovett and Shamorie Ponds, he showed off terrific athleticism finishing two dunks and a layup propelling St. John’s to an early lead and getting the crowd involved early. For good measure he did indeed throw in an assist during the rally; a nice pass to Ponds who converted a triple.

     Coach Mark Slessinger’s Privateeers never got rushed despite the early fireworks. In fact, they used soft zone pressure on defense and a patient “flex” offense to stay close in the game and create a tempo that made St. John’s a bit uncomfortable at times. As Coach Mullin explained. “We got a little too concerned with what they were doing instead of just playing.”  Thanks in part to the hesitance that they created UNO trailed by just a basket at 30-28 with three minutes remaining in the first half. St. John’s closed strong with a 7-0 run and extended the spurt to 17-5 in the opening moments of the second half to lead 47-33. While they were never challenged UNO never got away from their tempo and was able to stay within hailing distance of the Red Storm. While some St. John’s fans may be concerned about the sloppy play keep in mind that the team and coach they faced were tournament tested and tough so they simply provided a tougher test than the typical season opener.

Other thoughts and Observations

1.      While Lovett and Clark had strong games shooting the ball St. John’s other two double figure scorers did not. Shamorie Ponds finished with an inefficient 12 points on 5-15 shooting. The rest of his game was however solid as always with 6 boards and 6 assists. Forward Bashir Ahmed finished with 10 points on 3-9 shooting and had 4 turnovers.

2.      While both the players and coach Mullin tried to downplay the issue of depth at the post game presser it was exposed a bit. Freshman reserve Bryan Trimble was ok in limited minutes as a reserve guard. He connected on 1 of 2 triples and had an assist in 10 minutes. Up front junior Kassoum Yakwe and senior Amar Alibegovic struggled badly in limited minutes and were part of the reason why UNO out rebounded St. John’s 42-27. That margin should be alarming since UNO did not have a player with the kind of size and athleticism that one might think would contribute to such a margin. More than any area that’s the one St. John’s must be better if they want to do well once the schedule gets tougher.

3.      Two former PSAL players returned home to play for UNO at Carnesecca Arena. Tyren Harrison, a former all Queens guard at Campus Magnet finished with 6 points while former Lincoln High standout Ezekiel Charles finished with 8.      

Up next for St. John’s is a Tuesday night tilt vs. Coach Donyell Marshall’s Central Connecticut State Blue Devils beginning at 6:30 pm.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Hayes Completes Historic Championship Run with 64-62 win over Molloy

              Following a regular season full of surprises, CHSAA's "AA" intersectional playoff bracket held form, with Molloy the top playoff seed from Brooklyn-Queens scoring an impressive win and then surviving a great effort from Stepinac to reach the final.

              Cardinal Hayes, on the other hand, was an outlier in these playoffs, not only because they reached them as the New York Archdiocese # 5 seed but because in a year where several teams featured prominent big men, Hayes did not have a player who could match the size of Christ the King's Kofi Cockburn or Moses Brown, who's Molloy team they would upset Sunday 64-62 for the school's first "AA" title since the Jamal Mashburn led 1990 team.

              Hayes began its intersectional playoff run with a win against a talented Holy Cross team and then beat the Archdiocese's top seed Mt. St. Michael's and the Brooklyn-Queens #2 seed Bishop Loughlin in what were "upsets" because of seeding but with the league so balanced it's hard to think of them that way.

              With the stage set for Sunday, Cardinal Hayes let everyone know they were ready for battle. Guards Joe Toussaint and Jontai Williams connected on early triples to help the Cardinals forge an early advantage. Just as important for Hayes' hot start was that their inside guys established quickly that they too were ready for a fight despite giving up height and length to Moses Brown and the Stanners. Time and again players like Terrence Reaves, Terry Dawkins Mark Jackson and Tyrese Williams played terrific position defense and outfought the Stanners for position and rebounds under the basket. And when the Hayesmen needed a play on offense Toussaint got it for them either with his scoring ability (12 points­) or his passing  (9 assists). He and Williams who finished with a team high 15 points helped Hayes maintain a small advantage throughout the game and set the stage for a fantastic final quarter where Hayes' ability to make key plays and maintain their poise made the difference.

                     Molloy's Cole Anthony completed an and 1-three point play to end the third quarter and cut Hayes' advantage to 49-46. The Stanners then opened the final period by capping a 7-0 advantage when John Herring fed Moses Brown for a dunk. Suddenly trailing 50-49 Hayes had a quick answer when Toussaint found Tyrese Williams with a perfectly timed pass as he curled off a screen for a triple. And when Molloy tied the game on a Herring jumper Hayes had another answer when the iron was kind to a Toussaint jumper and Hayes led 54-52 with just under 4 minutes left.

 Anthony quickly countered for Molloy, scoring on consecutive drives to give the  Stanners a56-54 advantage. Then, in a game loaded with talented underclassmen on both teams, a senior leader came up with three gigantic plays for Cardinal Hayes. First he tipped in a miss to tie the game at 56, following a Molloy basket he tied it again at 58, this time on a foul line jumper. With the game tied at 58 on Hayes' next possession, Jackson again got the ball at the foul line. This time, he drove to the basket, made a righty finish through contact and completed the and 1 three point play to give the Cardinals a 61-58 advantage with just over a minute left that they would not relinquish.

              Molloy would not go down without a fight. Brown rebounded a three point miss and made a pair of free throws to bring the Stanners within a point with just under 30 seconds left. They fouled quickly, sending Tyrese Williams to the line where  he made one of two free throws. Then Joe Toussaint came up with perhaps his biggest of many big plays for this game. Timing a pinch off his own man and stealing the ball. He was fouled and made both free throws to push the advantage to 64-60. Brown followed in another miss to make the score 64-62 Jontai Williams missed the front end of a 1 and 1 and gave Molloy one last chance to tie it up.  Cole Anthony made the smart play given time and score, a great drive to the basket to try and tie the game. But Hayes team defense, led by Tyrese Williams did just enough to force a miss and help Hayes complete their improbable title run. Williams and Toussaint reportedly shared MVP honors and each was deserving for their clutch play, poise and toughness.  Congratulations to the Cardinals for completing a Cinderella season in grand style and to Molloy who remains the Brooklyn Queens champions. The sellout crowd was treated to a great early dose of March Madness and were treated to as well played and competitive a game as you will find at any level of basketball.

 

Loughlin Wins Epic Battle Will Face Molloy Friday

              Top seeded Archbishop Molloy and second seeded Bishop Loughlin will meet in Friday's Brooklyn Queens Diocesan championship at Christ the King. Although form held with the best teams in the regular season advancing for what should be an epic title tilt, the semi-final games demonstrated the balance and depth in the CHSAA "AA" division. Molloy rallied from an early deficit against a young and quick Holy Cross team in the opener while Bishop Loughlin beat Christ the King in a 98-90 double overtime thriller that may well be remembered as one of the best game's ever played in long and storied history of the  New York CHSAA and indeed New York City scholastic basketball. Here are recaps of both games which set up Friday's finale.

Molloy 80 Holy Cross 61 The final margin in the opener is a bit deceptive given that the Stanners had to rally from an early nine point deficit. Holy Cross does not have a player who can match Moses Brown's presence in the middle but they have a talented group of perimeter guys who were able to spread the court and get to the basket. Talented sophomores Hassan Diarra and Shemar Franklin combined with junior Shadique Watkins combined to execute a fine game plan where the Knights spread the floor on offense and got to the rim. Diarra in particular is a prospect that schools at every level must keep an eye on because in addition to great talent he has terrific strength that allow him to finish through contact and compete for rebounds. The Knights' effort put Molloy on its heels early but behind sophomore Cole Anthony and Brown who finished with 21 and 23 points respectively the Stanners took control in the third quarter. Brown finished often with powerful dunks at the end of press offense navigated beautifully by Anthony whose game seems to be maturing both physically and mentally as he showed improved athleticism getting several in traffic rebounds. In what was a well earned win for the Stanners, the Knights showed that they could surprise in the intersectional playoffs and that they will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Bishop Loughlin 98 Christ the King 90 Simply put, this game had all the elements of a classic and, I'll say it again, it will go down as one of the greatest in the history of New York schoolboy hoops.

              First and foremost Loughlin got an MVP  performance from the player chosen as the league's MVP Keith Williams, who finished with 37 points including three free throws with no time left on the clock that sent the game into its first overtime session. Prior to that, CK had staged a furious comeback to pull ahead after trailing for nearly the entire game.  Sophomore  Phillps Joseph, junior Tyson Walker and Alvarado all contributed important baskets to the Royals rally.  But when Alvarado missed the second of two free throws and the Royals had only a 70-67 margin Alvarado smartly fouled Williams  with 3 seconds left to keep him from attempting a game tying three point shot. The foul was CK's fourth team foul and Alvarado's  fourth personal foul and ruled a common foul by the officials meaning no free throws for the Lions. Loughlin inbounded the ball again, and again Alvarado fouled in an attempt to prevent a three point try. This was Alvarado's last foul and it was ruled a shooting foul by the official. Williams stepped up, alone at the line because time had expired. swished the first two and had the last one  crawl over the front of the rim thanks to good backspin. The game was tied at 70.

              To their credit, Christ the King continued to play tough. In addition to good poise from junior Tyson Walker and Sophomore Jaylen Davis the Royals got key baskets from Josh Hodge and Jonathan Lamartine.  They tied the game at 79 at the end of the first extra session when Davis made a great cut without the ball to get a pass from Walker. He then dropped a perfect dime to big man Kofi Cockburn who powered in a dunk. Moments into the second extra session Walker drew his final foul and Loughlin was finally able to secure the win..

              For Loughlin, Williams' virtuoso performance not only gave the Lions an early working margin but it gave the super junior Marquise Nowell time to get going on offense. He was terrific in the second half finishing with 24 points and 17 assists. Sophomore Justin Champangie provided terrific early energy for the Lions as well. Save for Williams' Ed Gonzalez team is young and talented and last night's fight for survival will serve them well as they face Molloy on Friday. The Lions and Stanners split two regular season meetings each winning on the road. Those results plus last night's drama may well set up another game for the ages tomorrow. It will certainly be a game worthy of a championship.

Anthony Does "Little Things" Helps Molloy to Big Win

              In what was an otherwise quiet night for Cole Anthony. he came up big when it mattered most. His two free throws with .9 seconds left gave Molloy a 68-66 win at Christ the King last night and his two  offensive rebounds off missed free throws took extra possessions away from the Royals  down the stretch, and may well have kept his team in position to win the game.

              Even with those extra possessions, Christ the King still had a chance in the closing moments to get back in it. Trailing 66-63 sophomore forward Phillips Joseph connected on a left wing trey to tie the game with 12.5 seconds left. After a time out the Stanners moved the ball patiently until Cole Anthony drove to the basket and  was fouled on a reach in that set the stage for Anthony's game winning free throws.

              To their credit the young Royals battled back from an early deficit for nearly the entire game. The Stanners' lead was 17-12 after the first quarter but just one at halftime (36-35) and one again after three quarters. Early in the game senior guard Jose Alvarado provided much of the scoring but his effort was matched by swingman Khalid Moore, who scored 17 of his game high 20 points in the first two quarters.

              For this game at least, the much anticipated battle in the paint between Molloy's Moses Brown and CK's Kofi Cockburn was one where Cockburn had the edge. While Brown had some good moments for sure Cockburn demonstrated that he's a very different player than he was when these two teams met a month ago. Experience has improved his ability to move around in the lane and combined with his strength made him a significantly better rebounder. The one highlight move for him on offense was a perfectly executed drop step to the baseline that he powered in for a layup. It's a move he does not make at Molloy a month ago and demonstrates that he's making  significant progress toward becoming an elite level prospect.

              Despite Cockburn's strong game inside, the clutch basket by Joseph and a strong effort from Alvarado Molloy seemingly had just enough to win the game. In addition to Moore's hot start, John Herring provided steady scoring both with his outside shooting and his ability to move without the ball.

              With the win Molloy sweeps the season series from the Royals. Keep in mind that the Royals are a young team with a terrific senior leader at point guard in Alvarado. The regular season games between these two teams and the competitiveness of the league on both the Brooklyn-Queens side and the New York side will no doubt make for an exciting playoff run.

Owens' Big Play And Big Effort Help St. John's Past Seton Hall

              Perhaps it's a bit ironic that in today's 78-70 win over Seton Hall, St. John's, a team that has tried to make the three point shot a focal point of its offense made just three of them in what was one of this season's best wins. Two of those triples came in a first half closing rally that helped St. John's take a 37-27 lead into the locker room at MSG that they would never relinquish. Make no mistake though, the play that triggered the rally that included those three point shots was all about defense and effort and came from a player who's given St. John's those things all season long.

              With just over 4 minutes to go with the Johnnies trailing by three, Tariq Owens sprinted to the paint and with great length and a well timed leap blocked what looked to be a sure layup by Pirate freshman  Myles Powell. Then as St. John's moved the ball quickly in transition he made a rim run that was just as perfectly timed and slammed home a Marcus LoVett miss. The play brought the St. John's crowd to life and even though Seton Hall still had a one point margin, coach Kevin Willard called a time out, perhaps sensing  the momentum had changed right there.

              What followed was another block, this time by Bashir Ahmed, who followed with a triple on a pretty drive and kick pass from Shamorie Ponds.  On St. John's next possession Ponds came off a screen and drilled a triple of his own. By the time the half had ended St. John's had finished off a 20-6 run and had a firm handle on their 6th Big East win of the season.

              The block and follow slam was the best sequence in a terrific game that saw him finish with 12 points 10 points 12 boards and 4 blocks. While St. John's was again outrebounded by Seton Hall 46-34, the game stood in direct contrast to the Pirates' January 22nd win at the Prudential Center. In that game St. John's was dominated as a team in the paint and individually by Pirates' center Angel Delgado, who posted 21 points and 20 boards in that win. This time the numbers were still good (13 and 10) but clearly nowhere near the dominant effort he'd  had at home. While Owens' ability to attack and defend the rim was the biggest key to the win, others made key contributions to a battle well fought and ultimately won by St. John's in the paint. Kassoum Yakwe's game was statistically quiet but he provided good initial defense on Delgado and allowed St. John's to mix their strategy; sometimes double teaming him with a second big  while sending a guard down to rake his dribble on other post touches.

              Between them, Ponds and LoVett made just one three pointer but they drove the paint for 17 and 19 points respectively. Nearly all came on drives to the basket and pretty in traffic finishes from the pair of lefties. It should be noted that LoVett's effort came off the bench as coach Mullin started both Yakwe and Owens. The move was particularly risky in this game since reserve big man  Darien Williams missed the game  with a reported foot injury. It paid off as the two bigs played effectively and got some assistance from an unexpected source. Amar Alibegovic had 7 points, a rebound and, yes, a blocked shot in 13 very important minutes.

              The Pirates committed 18 turnovers which St. John's turned into 30 points. The loss came after two straight overtime wins. The Pirates were missing starting forward Ismael Sanogo due to an ankle injury but got a terrific 11 point 12 rebound effort from Michael Nzei who started in his place. St. John's visits  Hinkle Field House on Wednesday for a matchup against Butler.

                                                                                                                                                                             

Ahmed and Yakwe Help St. John's Go Inside for Win over Marquette.

              All season long St. John's coaches, fans, and perhaps even his teammates have been waiting for a game like this from Kassoum Yakwe.  As a freshman last season there were several of them for the 6'7" forward, including a game vs. Seton Hall at MSG where his effort and rebounding helped the Johnnies nearly steal a win.

              Last night's 86-72 win over Marquette at the Garden was hardly stolen. It was in fact a terrific all around effort that saw the Johnnies not only get strong performances on the perimeter but lots of production inside. Bashir Ahmed scored a career high 23 points and while that total included a pair of three point baskets, he also drove hard for scores when St. John's, adjusting to a zone defense by Marquette, had him flash into the middle take passes and drive hard to the basket. He made several baskets  in traffic and when he got to the line he shot a perfect 5-5.

              While Ahmed provided punch in the paint for the second half, it was Ahmed who did so particularly in the first 20 minutes and he did so in a way that looked familiar to those who saw him last year; slipping ball screens and cutting to the basket for finishes at the rim.  The difference between last season and this one may be that there are new perimeter players getting him the ball and they needed time to develop chemistry. Whatever the reason might be for Yakwe's  early season struggles, the difference last evening was immediately discernible according to one of those guards Marcus LoVett.

              "We're definitely a different team when Kassoum is on fire like  he was today and Bashir as well". Lovett said. Head coach Chris Mullin offered another reason for Yakwe's sophomore struggles, suggesting that Yakwe often playing as the only "big" on the floor was a contributing factor. And while Yakwe filled the stat sheet with 14 points 6 rebounds and 3 blocks Coach Mullin was quick to point out the contributions of the team's other big men, Tariq Owens and Darien Williams, who did not score a single point but provided a solid defensive presence guarding Marquette in the paint and were able to stay on the floor with Yakwe. Owens pulled in a game high 11 rebounds for the Johnnies.

              While the good work inside may have provided the difference in the game, the perimeter guys who have provided scoring punch all year were good as  well.  Shamorie Ponds finished with 18 points and a team high 7 assists which included a personal 7-0 first half closing run which gave the Johnnies a 45-37 edge at the half.  Lovett added 17 and 5 helpers. On the defensive end, St. John's effectively limited three of Marquette's key scorers. Sophomore Haanif Cheatham, senior Luke Fischer and freshman Marcus Howard all entered the game with double digit scoring averages for the Golden Eagles and all were held under those numbers while graduate transfer and three point shooting specialist Katin Reinhardt was held to just three points, making one triple in five tries.

              Coach Mullin called this his team's most complete effort of the season, and indeed it was thanks to terrific play at both ends of the floor and terrific balance on offense. In what has been a season full of excitement and exasperation for St. John's fans, 5 league wins with 7 games to go is certainly a sign of progress, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Stanners Take Round One Vs. Royals 78-67

For one night at least, and perhaps others over the next two seasons given how good these teams are, it felt like the old days at an Archbishop Molloy -Christ the King game. They reportedly stopped selling tickets an hour and a half before the varsity, spectators were lined up 4 and 5 deep on the stage at one end of the gym and the buzz in the crowd remained constant from start to finish.

But the names and exploits of the great players from those days; like Kenny Anderson and Rob Werdann from Molloy along with Khalid Reeves and Derrick Phelps from CK are distant happy memories. And the gym at Molloy is now named for their late legendary coach Jack Curran, who guided the Stanners  through over a half century of great basketball.

       Last night's game between these two storied programs had so much more than just the elements of atmosphere and tradition for both sides. There was also plenty of talent on both sides. Combine that with terrific effort and fans were treated to a great game that was a much tougher win for Molloy than the 78-67 final tally indicates.

The electric atmosphere may have had something to do with both teams struggling to shoot the ball early. And in a game loaded with talented underclassmen it was a pair of upperclassmen guards who helped the Royals get and maintain an advantage early in the game. Georgia Tech bound Jose Alvarado was solid and smart as always and his spinning scoop shot where he took the ball under rather than over 6'6" Khalid Moore was the first of several highlight reel plays for the game. The Royals' best player last night though was his back court  partner junior Tyson Walker. He heated up from 3 point distance quickly, scoring 16 of his game high 27 points in the opening two quarters, played his typically pesky on ball defense against super soph Cole Anthony and had a terrific floor game.

Despite that difficult early moment guarding Alvarado Moore emerged quickly as the Stanners' best player. Statistically he finished with 21 points and 9 boards, he drove to the basket early and found his outside shot as the game progressed, He also involved fellow junior Moses Brown with his passing and helped set up what may have been the biggest play of the night.

The much anticipated battle of the big men, CK's soph Kofi Cockburn and Molloy junior Moses Brown never really got on track.  While both young players showed good improvement in some areas such as catching the ball and "second jump" if you will for rebounding, both guys spent significant time on the bench thanks to early fouls. Cockburn drew an unfortunate fourth foul halfway through the third quarter when he took a quick pass sprinting into the lane and could not stop to avoid a bravely taken charge by Molloy's John Herring. Molloy was able to take advantage as Anthony finally found some rhythm. He scored on consecutive drives to give Molloy a 5 point advantage when the tenure of the battle between the two big men changed completely. Perhaps frustrated by his foul problems. Cockburn rebounded a badly errant three pointer and tomahawked a right handed dunk over Brown. The dunk drew oohs and ahhs but the most impressive part of the play was the catch of a ball that rebounded sharply and at an odd angle off the glass. That play could have been a game changer for CK but Moore and Brown combined on a quick response with Moore making a spinning drive and dish to Brown for a two handed power slam. The dunk drew Cockburn's final foul and the sequence seemed stir a healthy dose of competitive anger in Brown, who controlled the paint, made his free throws down the stretch and combined with Anthony, who scored 11 of his 23 points in the final quarter to salt away round one for the Stanners. 

The game had an old school feel to be sure, and it may be an indication of an  old school ending for the season  in which these teams meet for a Diocesan title in March and in the inter-sectionals for what would be a fourth time. The "AA" division is as deep and talented as it has been in some time so the road to those games will not be easy, but both teams looked great last night and figure to improve with experience. The atmosphere and talent on the floor harkened an old basketball soul back to a glorious time in  New York hoops.

The Big Fundamental 2.0 Leads Creighton Past St. John's

              The immediate reaction to last night's 85-72 loss by St. John's to Creighton, was fairly predictable. Coach Chris Mullin "didn't like his players' overall energy." And the team's two best players, Marcus LoVett, and Shamorie Ponds questioned their own aggressiveness in the loss. It's almost reflexive these days for players to blame themselves in post game pressers. But the 4,928 fans in attendance might remember the game more simply as their first look at Justin Patton.

              Even those of us who follow recruiting closely on the internet had to do a little digging to find out about the young big man from Omaha. Two summers ago, ESPN and other services made him an consensus top 100 player. Though he was taken off that list by ESPN during his senior year at Omaha North High, big things were still expected from a guy whose length and athleticism made most observers think he could make an immediate impact on defense while his offensive game developed.

              Before the start of last season, both the youngster and the program made a decision to redshirt. Both player and coaching staff insisting that it was for the long term, that there was no physical issue or off court trouble.

              That athletic but unpolished player may have been the guy who arrived on campus two years ago but the player fans  were treated to last night combined that uber athleticism and length with fantastic fundamentals; catching everything, making perfectly time rim runs and using the glass on offense, while walling up to block and change shots on defense. Of his 4 assists three of them were perfectly timed back door passes from the high post to a cutter; two were bounce passes and one was a perfectly placed lob to the rim for a Marcus Foster slam. He also had 25 points and 9 boards, not a bad night's work for a supposed raw athlete who showed lots more polish than any of his more highly touted classmates at Kentucky and Duke.

              Patton's effort was part of a well-balanced Creighton attack that saw Maurice Watson orchestrate beautifully, add 19 points of his own and make a pair of crucial three pointers as St. John's tried to claw their way back into the game.

              The Blue Jays closed the first half with an 11-2 run to take a 44-26 advantage into the locker room, and followed that with a 6-0 opening burst to begin the 2nd half and push the margin to 24 before St. John's could find their footing. LoVett and Ponds lead the offense with 23 and 17 points respectively and Tariq Owens had a strong second half, finishing with 12 points and 5 boards. Despite their best efforts St. John's cut Creighton's margin under 10 just once at 63-55 on a LoVett basket with 6:17 left.  Watson responded quickly with a triple and the veteran Blue Jays, with help from their talented redshirt freshman Justin Patton put the finishing touches on a road win that will be precious in the rugged Big East conference. No doubt he left a lasting impression on the fans at Carnesecca Arena last night.  What they saw was a player who showed unusual patience by redshirting, and one who's now reaping the reward of that patience. For those who follow college basketball to the exclusion of pro ball enjoy him while you can. He deserves recognition with the so-called one and doners in other programs. And in fact, because of patience work and coaching, he may be a better pro than any of those guys.