ALBANY — Sunday’s featured basketball game at the Times Union Center started to get away from Albany Academy in the third quarter, and just like that, it was all but over.
Long Island Lutheran showed off its plethora of strengths in the decisive second-half surge and beat the host school at the Coaches vs. Cancer High School Challenge, 75-57, in the middle card of the five-game block.
Long Island Lutheran (14-4) came in with a No. 3 state Class A ranking, one spot ahead of the Cadets (12-2), who had strung together 11 consecutive wins before running into the reigning Association of Independent Schools and state Federation champs.
“They’re talented. They’ve got the big kids and guards, and then there’s their bench. They are always going to go seven or eight deep, and their No. 9 thinks he should be No. 6,” Albany Academy coach Brian Fruscio said of the Crusaders. “You have to beat them. It isn’t going to just happen.”
Lutheran overwhelmed Albany High School with a 55-point first half Saturday in a 92-45 victory. The Crusaders held a 45-42 lead late in the third quarter Sunday before going on a 14-4 run that displayed their inside and outside firepower, and defensive desire.
“Our goal was to get two wins this weekend,” said 6-foot-7 Lutheran senior forward Ryan DeNicola, who was selected the game’s outstanding player. “Our goal was to battle and get two wins.”
DeNicola piled up 20 points, 21 rebounds and two blocks; 6-3 forward K.J. Lee totaled 21 points and six assists; and 6-9 center Kentan Facey added six points and eight boards. Guards Chris Atkinson, Tim Quashie, Brandon Alford and Tiquan Garner had eight, seven, six and five points, respectively.
“We have a ton of weapons. We have four big men and guards that can move and shoot,” said DeNicola. “We have a full roster, and we can definitely all play.”
“They’re deep, they rebound, they’ve got a good coach [in John Buck],” said Fruscio. “They do good things.”
Darrien White paced Academy with 16 points and three steals, Jelani Curri went 12-for-16 from the line and finished with 15 points, and all-tournament team selection Mike Paparian had 14 points and six rebounds. White scored on a floating, buzzer-beating runner to close the third quarter, but that was the last highlight for the Cadets.
Their only other loss back on Dec. 3rd came against Kingston, 77-76.
“It’s always good to get a readjustment before the stretch run. Coach has to work a little harder. The kids ears get better. There’s no down side to this,” said Fruscio. “I still believe in this group. This doesn’t change how I feel about them. This group can beat a lot of people.”
Academy defeated the state’s No. 1-ranked Class B team Friday when is toppled Burke Catholic, 85-65, behind Currie’s 26 points.
“They’re a tough team. Albany Academy played a tough game,” said DeNicola. “We pulled it out.”
Garner and Atkinson sandwiched three-point baskets around a putback by DeNicola to begin Lutheran’s key second-half run. After Currie sank two foul shots, Lee sank a short jumper and White scored on his runner, Garner began the fourth frame with a layup and Lee made it 59-46 on a tip-in.
Lee and DeNicola both added six points down the stretch.
“We had a timeout right before [the run]. Coach said we had to pressure the ball. We did that, got some good shots, and got the momentum going,” said DeNicola. “We kept pushing and put our foot down.”
Paparian hit a three to give Academy a 38-35 lead early in the third quarter. DeNicola scored down low, Atkinson made two from the line and Lee had a layup, and Lutheran kept the lead from there.
“We missed some opportunities we normally get,” said Fruscio. “Late in the [third] quarter, we had six straight possessions and didn’t get anything out of them. We missed some layups and allowed them to get some key rebounds.”
Academy and Lutheran could meet again in the AIS tournament following the regular season. After copping the AIS championship,
Lutheran capped a 23-4 season with a pair of Federation wins last March, and finished with a No. 1 state ranking. That Lutheran team featured Gatorade New York Boys Basketball Player of the Year Achraf
Yacoubou, who is now at Villanova.
Mohonasen, Bishop Maginn, Watervliet and Newburgh Free Academy also prevailed at the Times Union Center, with the Mighty Warriors knocking down 20 free throws in a 53-50 Suburban Council victory over Niskayuna.
Grant Massaaroni went 11-for-16 from the line and led Mohonasen (6-5, 8-5) with a career-high 23 points. Killian Tallman added 12 in the Mighty Warriors’ third straight win, while Chris Giglio and Aaron Gordon both netted 10 for the Silver Warriors (2-9, 2-11).
Bishop Maginn (5-6, 5-8) built a first-quarter lead and made enough plays late to hold off Schenectady (4-7, 5-8) for its second Big 10 win over the Pats this season, 51-43. Rushon Young had 15 points for the Golden Grifins. Jallah Tarver put in 16 and Abel Marrero had 10 for Schenectady, which saw its win streak halted at three games.
Antoine Johnson scored 21 points, and Tyler McLeod and Griffin Kelly both sank a free throw in the final seconds to seal Watervliet’s 50-46 Colonial Council win over Lansingburgh. Jordan Gleason and McLeod both had 11 points for the Cannoneers (9-0, 12-1), and Raheem Felder topped the Knights (6-3, 7-65) with 15.
The game matched coaching brothers Orlando DiBacco of Watervliet and Guy DiBacco of Lansingburgh.
Newburgh Free Academy (8-4) got 17 points from Jarrod Scurlock and beat Green Tech (10-4) for the second times this season, 71-54. The Goldbacks also downed the Eagles at Schenectady’s Hilliard tournament, 62-59. Maurice West scored 17 for Green Tech.
On Saturday, Dan Schilde finished with 20 points for Sharon Springs, but the Indians dropped a 61-55 non-league decision to Taconic Hills (10-4) at The College of Saint Rose. Brett Ullman added 14 for the Spartans (9-4).
COACHES VS. CANCER HIGH SCHOOL CHALLENGE
LI LUTHERAN 75, ALBANY ACADEMY 57
LONG ISLAND LUTHERAN
Atkinson 2-2-8, Garner 2-0-5, Alford 2-0-6, Quashie 3-1-7, Lebo 0-2-2, Lee 10-1-21, Facey 3-0-6, DeNicola 9-2-20. Totals: 31-8-75.
ALBANY ACADEMY
White 7-2-16, Puleo 1-0-2, Curie 1-12-15, Gavin 1-0-2, Morrow 0-1-1, LaClair 1-3-5, Paparian 5-3-14, Jackson 1-0-2. Totals: 17-21-57.
LI Lutheran 16 17 22 20 — 75
Albany Academy 15 19 12 11 — 57
Three-point goals: Atkinson 2, Garner, Alford 2, Currie, Paparian.
MOHONASEN 53, NISKAYUNA 50
NISKAYUNA
Akpanikat 0-1-1, Byrne 2-0-4, Clock 4-0-9, Giglio 4-0-10, Gordon 4-0-10, Lawson 1-0-2, McGonigle 1-0-2, Oliver 2-1-6, Sise 2-0-6. Totals: 20-2-50.
Cafarelli 2-1-5, Giordano 2-2-6, Manikas 2-3-7, Massaroni 5-11-23, Tallman 4-3-12. Totals: 15-20-53.
Niskayuna 11 16 8 15 — 50
Mohonasen 16 13 13 11 — 53
Three-point goals: Clock, Giglio 2, Gordon 2, Oliver, Sise 2, Massaroni 2, Tallman.
BISHOP MAGINN 51, SCHENECTADY 43
BISHOP MAGINN
Briceeus 3-4-10, Bruton 1-0-3, Gibbs 2-0-4, Hannah 2-1-6, Mathis 3-2-8, Thomas 2-1-5, Young 7-1-15. Totals: 20-9-51.
SCHENECTADY
Garlic 1-0-2, Mason 2-1-5, Marrero 4-2-10, Shafer 1-1-3, Symes 1-0-2, Tarver 7-2-16, Tucker 2-1-5. Totals: 18-7-43.
Bishop Maginn 11 8 13 19 — 51
Schenectady 5 9 15 14 — 43
Three-point goals: Bruton, Hannah.
WATERVLIET 50, LANSINGBURGH 46
WATERVLIET
Brace 1-0-2, Gleason 4-3-11, Johnson 6-9-21, Kelly 2-1-5, McLeod 4-3-11. Totals: 17-16-50.
LANSINGBURGH
Burke 1-1-3, Carr 4-0-9, Felder 4-6-15, Grillo 2-0-4, Jones 3-0-6, Miller 2-0-4, Schongar 2-0-5. Totals: 18-7-46.
Watervliet 11 17 8 14 — 50
Lansingburgh 10 9 15 12 — 46
Three-point goals: Carr, Felder, Schongar.
NEWBURGH FREE ACADEMY 71, GREEN TECH 54
NEWBURGH FREE ACADEMY
Buxton 0-2-2, Dubose 0-1-1, Fields 6-3-16, McAllister 1-2-4, Polk 0-2-2, Rutty 6-1-14, Salman 6-2-15, Scurlock 7-3-17. Totals: 26-16-71.
GREEN TECH
Ali 0-1-1, D. Clark 3-0-6, K. Clark 2-1-5, Coleman 1-0-2, Hood 1-0-2, Jackson 2-1-5, Lane 1-1-3, Ward 3-1-8, Welch 2-0-5, West 7-2-17. Totals: 22-7-54.
NFA 14 21 17 19 — 71
Green Tech 11 16 13 14 — 54
Saturday
NON-LEAGUE
TACONIC HILLS 61, SHARON SPRINGS 55
SHARON SPRINGS
Manko 4-1-10, Willey 1-0-2, Ullman 4-4-14, Schilde 7-6-20, Larkin 0-1-1, Johnstone 2-4-8. Totals: 18-16-55
TACONIC HILLS
Arcuri 4-2-13, Dotterer 2-0-4, Hoose 8-0-16, Preusser 4-6-14, Zyri 1-0-2, Chicaza 3-1-7, Kradt 1-2-5. Totals: 23-11-61.
Sharon Springs 14 10 15 16 — 55
Taconic Hills 13 14 15 19 — 61
Three-point goals: Manko, Ullman 2, Arcuri 3, Preusser 3, Kraft.
Hockey
Plainsmen fall
Kevin Egan and Joey Chiara each scored two goals Saturday night as Shaker/Colonie handed Shenendehowa its first Capital District High School Hockey League loss of the season, 6-4, at the Albany County Hockey Facility.
Goals by Sean Leach and Egan in a span of 3:22 in the second period gave the Jets (7-3, 7-8-2) a two-goal lead, and the Plainsmen never pulled even.
Kevin Miles led the Plainsmen (8-1, 9-7) with two goals.
Shenendehowa 2 0 2 — 4
Shaker/Colonie 2 2 2 — 6
First Period — 1, S/C, Kevin Egan (Joey Chiara, Eric Egan), 3:07. 2, Shen, Adam Bearisto (Max Papale, Nick Quigley), 9:43. 3, S/C, Chiara (Mike Mineau, E. Egan), 10:22. 4, Shen, Kevin Miles (Peter Sacks), 14:32.
Second Period — 5, S/C, Sean Leach (K. Egan), 8:04. 6, S/C, K. Egan (Leach), 11:26.
Third Period — 7, Shen, Miles (Brad Tardif, Ryan Mortka), 2:50. 8, S/C, E. Egan, 9:34. 9, Shen, Tardif (Peter Russo, Joe Ferraro), 11:21. 10, S/C, Chiara, 14:51 (en).
Goalies — Shenendehowa, Brian Walter, 25 saves; Matt Cologgi, 4 saves. Shaker/Colonie, Kodi Ridell, 34 saves.
Track and field
Patriots win title
The Schenectady boys scored 113 points to win their first Big 10 championship since 2007 at Williams College.
The Patriots held off LaSalle, which accumulated 97 points. Mukhtar Barros won the long jump and was second in the triple jump, Shane Batese was first in the triple jump and Keith McMillan-Moss was second in the 300 to lead Schenectady.
Jason Lange of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, who doubled in the 1,000 and 1,600, was named the male Athlete of the Meet.
Catholic Central won the girls’ title, nipping Albany, 1031⁄2-102. Talya Williams of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, who was a triple winner (1,000, 1,500, 3,000) was the female Athlete of the Meet.
The Shaker boys and Saratoga Springs girls won team titles at the Suburban Council Championships held at the University at Albany.
Shaker finished with 1051⁄2 points to finish with a comfortable 301⁄2-point cushion over Bethlehem, and the Blue Streaks finished 26 points in front of Colonie in the girls’ competition.
Franklin Abban led the Shaker boys, getting victories in the long jump (221⁄2) and triple jump (46-4), which are both area-bests this season.
Mark Thomas of Shenendehowa uncorked an area-best throw of 49-71⁄4 to win the shot put, and Tim Hartwell of Saratoga Springs tied his season’s personal best with a winning jump of 13-6 in the pole vault.
Saratoga’s girls were led by freshman Estela Smith, who ran an area-best of 4:50.91 to win the 1,500 as the Blue Streaks had the top three finishers in both the 1,500 and the 3,000.
Cassidy Keane of Colonie won the long jump with a leap of 17-33⁄4, the second-best performance in the area this season.
Close Standings
