Bearcats Throttle Lifeless St. John's 76-54

Former White Plains High star Sean Kilpatrick scored 10 of his team high 14 points during a 12-3 run early in the second half. The spurt helped Cincinnati extend a 30-19 halftime advantage to a 44-23 advantage in the opening minutes of the second half. From there, without much resistance from an undermanned St. John's the Bearcats cruised to an easy 76-54 win at Madison Square Garden last night.

            Kilpatrick's first half effort mirrored both teams as he started shooting slowly. But after coach Mick Cronin told him he was rushing he began to take advantage of the room he found on the baseline against St. John's zone defense.

            "You tend to do that when you're excited to play here," the redshirt sophomore admitted.  "I was happy to be here especially being a New York kid," Kilpatrick added.  "When the shots were there I was taking them".

            And while Kilpatrick reminded those in the audience who follow local schoolboy hoops just how good his jumper is, his Bearcat teammates pounded St. John's in the paint; outrebounding them by a 44-27 margin. Yancy Gates tied Kilpatrick for team high scoring honors with 14 points while guard Cashmere Wright added 12 and 10 boards.

            For the Red Storm, who learned earlier in the day that reserve junior guard Malik Stith had left the team for personal reasons, D'angelo Harrison was the lone double figure scorer with 15 points. Moe Harkless, who tipped in the game winning basket in the Red Storm's January 7th win over the Bearcats had 6 points and 5 rebounds on just 8 shots.

            "Any win they get in the Big East this year is gravy," Coach Cronin said mindful of a St. John's roster on which all of the scholarship players are first year players.  "You can't play that way in the Big East it's unrealistic"

            For St. John's which fell to 10-14 overall and 4-8 in league play what Cronin described as unrealistic has become, for this season at least, their reality. The team's two best players, Harkless and Harrison both emphasized the need for the team to stick together.  While that certainly won't guarantee wins for an undermanned team in the Big East Conference, it's the only option they have

            

With Help From Youngsters Bernardi and Burns lead Xaverian to Senior Night Win

Senior Brian Bernardi poured in 25 points and his classmate Dillon Burns added 18 as Xaverian bounced back from Tuesday's tough loss at Cardinal Hayes to earn an 88-77 win over a stubborn Loughlin squad at home last night.
As has been the program's custom, the last league home game was chosen to honor the basketball team's 6 man class of 2012. Starters Bernardi. Burns and Andrew Petric as well as  reserves Stanley Peacock, Shakel Kemp and Sean Dillon were each read tributes and presented with portrait style photographs. Peacock who has contributed energy, toughness and intangibles was rewarded with a senior night start.
The entire team fed off the energy of the ceremony.  Strong shooting from Burns and Bernardi combined with tough play under the basket provided by Peacock and some good moments off the bench by Kemp helped propel the Clippers to a fast start.  And to their credit, the younger Clippers were fully engaged in the effort to make their teammates' night special. Junior Lamel Faison continued his slow and steady return to form from injury, pushing tempo and finding his teammates for baskets, while sophomore Ryan Rossiter made his presence felt around the hoop when both Kemp and Peacock both picked up early fouls.
Of all the contributions from underclassmen perhaps none was more important than that of talented sophomore guard Raven Owen, who along with Faison  provided a penetrating compliment to Burns' and Bernardi's hot shooting.  Save for a bad moment on defense where being a bit too aggressive saddled him with his 5th and final foul, he made terrific decisions setting up teammates or scoring himself on penetration, it was easily his best game as a varsity player. and hopefully for the Clippers a sign of things to come.
To their credit Loughlin did lots of good things in front of a boisterous home crowd for Xaverian.  Even as the Clippers opened substantial margins the Lions used their defensive toughness and outstanding three point shooting to seemingly never go away.  Their outstanding sophomore trio of Mike Williams Khadeem Carrington and Elisha Boone brought the Lions back from as much as 14 points down to within 4 late in the third period. But Burns, as he's done all season buried a huge three to help his team regain its footing for the final winning push on what was a great night especially for the seniors but also for the Clippers' and the Lions' futures which both look very bright.

Holy Cross Grinds Out Overtime Win at Xaverian

After his team had scored a hard fought 56-54 overtime win against Xaverian, coach Paul Gilvary put it succinctly and accurately describing the game as "well played but tough". Had he chosen to expand on that response he might have added that the terrific game those in the audience had just seen was typical of what happens in the CHSAA's "AA" division when the calendar marks the end of January and the proverbial stretch drive of the season arrives.
To be sure both teams had moments where there was outstanding execution and skill. For the Knights those came primarily from seniors Will Davis and Mairega Clarke who provided much of the team's offense.  Both are unsigned seniors who are talented enough and play well enough to earn division one interest.  Both players have battled injuries throughout their careers so they're just beginning to find their respective strides.. Throughout the game Clarke, who finished with a game high 19 points, displayed his ability to finish at the rim, connect from middle distance on the baseline, and use his terrific athleticism to rebound. Davis, who added 14 points for the Knights, used his outside shot and his ability to pick his spots getting to the basket. Together, they helped the Knights to a 17-14 first quarter lead and after the Clippers came back for a 24-21 halftime advantage a rally that began when Clarke took an alley-oop pass for a dunk, and ended when Davis split a double team and threw a great "hit ahead" pass to Anthony Libroia for a triple, the Knights had a 43-33 advantage as the final quarter began.
Xaverian would storm back immediately in that final quarter.  A long two pointer from reserve Joe Della Russo was sandwiched around a pair of threes by Dillon Burns to pull the Clippers within two points.  From there, the two teams traded baskets and tough defensive stops in a great fourth period.  In addition to Burns (17 points) and Bernardi (13 points) the Clippers got a terrific effort from Lamel Faison. The talented junior guard who has battled injuries of his own scored 11 points and had several pretty assists. His tough drive for a three point play was one of several that kept the Clippers within striking distance and helped create the opportunity for Bernardi's game tying three pointer that sent the game into overtime. The overtime proved to be a defensive struggle and the Knights got their winning margin at the free throw line.  On the Clippers' final possession, Burns had an open look at a game winning triple but it hit the back of the rim. Holy Cross had their great win while Xaverian, even in a tough loss that broke a three game winning streak, showed they'll be a tough out come playoff time.

Christ the King Holds Off Young Lions 77-71

Jon Severe's steal and driving layup with just under two minutes left gave Christ the King the lead for good as they held off a talented Bishop Loughlin squad 77-71 home win last night. 

            Omar Calhoun's long three pointer that tied the score at 55 and Severe's play that came on the next Royals' possession put the brakes on what had been a furious rally by the Lions who stormed out of the locker room trailing 34=22 and quickly sliced into that margin.  They spread the floor beautifully,  using their quickness to slash to the basket for lay-ups. Khadeem Carrington who finished with 15 points and Jordan Nanton who added 12 provided the primary offensive spark for the third quarter rally and soph Elisha Boone scored during the stretch as well. Their good work and some cold shooting from the Royals made the score 42=39 at the end of three quarters and set the stage for what was as good a final quarter as you'll see at any level of basketball.

            The audience for the game included many coaches and media people who are important to the fabric of local basketball. St. John's head coach Steve Lavin and assistant Tony Chiles, Rutgers assistant Van Macon Xavier assistant Rasheen Davis and MSG Television's Mike Quick were all likely present because the SNY event scheduled for last night at LIU thanks to a silly NCAA rule that prohibits high school games on division one college campuses. While this game may have been the second choice of these guys, what they saw was some great basketball, especially in those last 8 minutes.

            Suddenly, Loughlin's "other" talented sophomore Mike Williams, who came back strong after a first half trip to the trainer's room to address a shoulder injury, found the range especially from three point distance. With the help of terrific penetration and passing from his teammates Williams hit four triples and 21 of his team high 26 points in the fourth quarter. As Impressive as that effort was, it was equally impressive that Christ the King had a strong response for every potential back breaking shot Williams made.  Calhoun, who finished with 30 points answered as he always does, by scoring in a variety of ways while Severe not only continued the hot outside shooting that has punctuated a terrific junior season, but had a great game defensively beyond his clutch steal.  While his perimeter partners for the Royals, Calhoun and fellow junior Isaiah Lewis are talented in their own right, Severe is the guy who gives the Royals a competitive edge with his tough defense and aggressive style at both ends of the floor. Davis came away impressed enough to offer Severe a scholarship.   He finished with 17 points to go with that clutch steal and bucket and the Royals earned a great win against a talented young Loughlin squad that had a great game against the two-time  defending league champions.  Round 3 which may come in the diocesan or inter-sectional playoffs that sets up be a great one between a Loughlin squad that's gaining confidence and a Christ the King squad that keeps its place at the top of the league standings by finding ways to win

Youth is Served as St. John's Beats West Virginia 78-62

            Chalk it up to the exuberance of youth.  Even as they've struggled to four straight losses and a 3-6 Big East record the Red Storm have always brought energy and effort even in moments like the end of Saturday's loss to Villanova where their execution and decision making have faltered. Four straight losses or not, the team was due for a winning effort and they put one together last night with a 78-62 wire to wire win over West Virginia at Madison Square Garden last night.

            An early 9-0 run gave St. John's a much needed 21-6 lead and  another run of 8-0 lifted them to a 36-20 halftime advantage.  As he has all season Moe Harkless paced the Red Storm 23 points and 13 rebounds but unlike the previous games there was lots of help for him.  D'angelo Harrison, who has established himself as the team's second best scorer but had been slumping recently added 19 points including 3 of the Red Storm's 4 three point makes. Amir Garrett, who started in place of junior center God'sgift Achiuwa and gave St. John's an all-freshman starting lineup added 11 points 7 boards and the energy that had always been the hallmark of his play at Findlay Prep. Phil Greene scored 11 as well, added 8 assists and along with Harkless provided answers when West Virginia made their expected run and cut what had been a 20 point deficit to 10.

            St. John's also did an outstanding job taking care of area's that have plagued them as the losses have mounted.  The obvious ones were shooting percentages from both two and three point distances, where St. John's entered the game last in the league and shot 48% and 33% respectively last night. They also played an experienced mountaineer front line even on the boards and committed just 12 turnovers. The most complete effort of their season helped them beat a West Virginia team that had won its last 3 games and helped them overcome a great effort from a local star as senior forward Kevin Jones, from Mount Vernon High had game highs of 26 points and 14 boards as he continues to put together a player of the year caliber season in the Big East Conference. As they prepare to play at Duke on Saturday the Red Storm finally achieved success on which they may be able to build.  As Harkless said the team has been "getting better every game" and this weekend at Cameron will be a test of both the team's progress and their resolve.

Bernardi And Burns Lead Clippers To Second Straight Win

Dillon Burns followed his virtuoso performance against Christ the King with 21 points while fellow senior Brian Bernardi added 18 as the Clippers won at Molloy 67-52 Tuesday afternoon.

After a buzzer beating layup tied the game at 14 at the end of the first period.  From there, he Burns and junior wingman George Lambert lead the Clippers to a 29-9 second quarter that gave them a 43-23 halftime advantage.  The run included two triples and a long two point basket from Bernardi and an array of jumpers and drives by Burns that has become his trademark and helped him to a first-team all city caliber senior season. But while the Clippers shot extremely well during the one perhaps the key difference from the Clippers' home loss to the Stanners was the defense as Xaverian did a much better job contesting shots and keeping C.J. Davis and the other Stanner guards out of the lane.
Molloy, which welcomed back legendary coach Jack Curran after a two game absence with pneumonia made an adjustment as the second half began; going to a triangle-and-2 defense where they used the two chasers to guard Burns and Bernardi all over the floor. It lead to some sloppy play by the Clippers and some transition scoring for the Stanners.  Forwards Marco Kozul and Morrell Gaskins, who finished with 11 points apiece for the Stanners provided the offense during the rally which brought the Stanners to within 7 points in the fourth quarter. But Lambert, who finished with 17 points of his own combined with Burns to close out a needed road win for the Clippers who seem to have gained some traction after a slow start to the league season. Christ the King and Hayes have established themselves at the top of the league but the number of good teams in the middle of the pack means that anything can happen as we come down the stretch and in the playoffs as teams like Xaverian, Molloy Holy Cross and Mount St. Michael's continue to get better the road to a championship for the league's elite will not be easy.

Burns' Huge Effort Lifts Clippers Past Royals

Dillon Burns and t his Xaverian teammates each broke out of slumps in a big way yesterday and the result was a much needed, unexpected and well earned 76-70 home win over Brooklyn-Queens front runner Christ the King. The win snapped a four game losing streak for the Clippers.

Burns who had struggled in league losses to Mount St. Michael and Holy Cross regained his early season form and exploded for 33 points and while he was outstanding from start to finish, he was exceptional during winning time in the last quarter with nearly perfect shooting from the floor and perfect shooting from the free throw line. And as Christ the King made runs at the Clippers behind Omar Calhoun, who finished with 24 hard earned points along with Isaiah Lewis and Jon Severe  who finished with 12 points each, the Clippers always seemed to have answers. And while Burns' effort was the catalyst for the win there were many other contributions that were just as essential to their great effort.

Burns and George Lambert helped the Clippers storm from the out of the blocks to a 27-20 lead and extend that lead to as many as 13 points before the two time defending champion Royals closed the gap to 38-36 at the intermission. Burns' effort was likely aided by the decision to insert Lamel Faison into the starting lineup. Playing in just his fourth game since returning from a knee injury, the junior guard provided a steady hand, got the Clippers into their offense and allowed coach Jack Alesi, to move his best scorer, Burns around the court for good shots.  Talented sophomore Raven Owen also gave the Clippers key minutes and important baskets with his ability to penetrate. Inside the undersized Clippers battled the physical Royals front line and held their own.  Andrew Petric scored 10 points of his own and Stanley Peacock got the Clippers extra possessions twice in the fourth quarter. And Brian Bernardi, who finished with 13 points oh his own diligently followed Calhoun through screens and made him work for every one of those 26 points. To assume that the Royals lost this game because they played poorly would be a mistake. The Clippers played great and snapped their 4 game league losing streak the hard way, beating the Royals. Coach Alesi's teams always get better as the season progresses so Tuesday's game at Molloy will be a true measure of their progress. If they keep getting better, they will be a team the league's powers don't want to face in the playoffs. Christ the King found out yesterday just how good they could be.