High School Boys Basketball

BY DARREN SANDS

We're back at it again basketball fans! I hope you got a chance to read my game story from yesterday. Lutheran was truly impressive in the win against Bishop Ford. But they can't play like they did against a very long, talented Jamesville-Dewitt team. I saw them play yesterday and they weren't very sharp but they've got length.

I'm gonna try and get a quick word with Lutheran coach Brian Carey. Hadn't had much time to hang, as Wyandanch girls basketball coach Warren Fuller was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame today. Read more about that in tomorrow's Newsday. Five minutes till tip. We'll be here.

UPDATE 7:42 -- Lutheran is out to a 14-8 lead behind back-to-back three-pointers from Rich Harkins and Jeriel Henriquez with 2:40 and running left in the first quarter.

UPDATE 7:50 -- Lutheran leads 19-12 after one complete. Matt Rooney was fouled on a driving layup that he made, but he missed the foul shot with four seconds left.

UPDATE 7:56 -- A couple of things: Didn't mention this, but Lutheran's Kevin Johnson picked up his second foul just 1 minute and 55 seconds into the first quarter. Henriquez has shot two air balls. It's about 60 degrees but they weren't even close. It will be interesting to see how he responds.

UPDATE 8:00 -- Jeriel Henriquez just responded with an emphatic dunk on a fastbreak. Lutheran leads 23-19 with 3:20 and running to go in the first half.

UPDATE 8:15 -- Jamesville-Dewitt tied the score at 31 with a layup to end the second quarter. Lutheran's shooters haven't been as stellar as they were in the semifinal against Bishop Ford, but they had better pick it up in the next 16 minutes. They've done a good job at neutralizing Jamesville-Dewitt's length inside. Back in a minute.

UPDATE 8:38 -- Jamesville-Dewitt had a 15-4 run to start the third and they now lead, 50-42, with 1:12 remaining.

UPDATE 8:49 -- LuHi's Matt Rooney has fouled out with 5:28. Huge three by Rich Harkins has brought Lutheran within five points, 59-54 with 4:45 remaining in the fourth. Getting interesting here in Glens Falls. They were behind for a majority of the game yesterday, and they just didn't get rattled.

-Lutheran's Matt Carpenter, Rooney's replacement, has hit a three-pointer that has tied the game at 59.

-Harkins two free throws give LuHi a two-point lead. There's 3:07 left in the game -- 61-59.

- Carpenter drains three with 7.2 seconds left. LuHi is down, 67-66. Timeout, Jamesville-Dewitt ball.

LuHi falls to Jamesville-Dewitt, 70-66.

BY DARREN SANDS

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Hey folks! We're back live in Glens Falls at the New York State Federation Championships where Long Island Lutheran is about to take on Bishop Ford of Brooklyn. It's the 2, 3, D, 4, 5 and 6 trains against the Long Island Rail Road. It's Jay-Z against Busta Rhymes, Chris Rock against Eddie Murphy...you get the idea. I hope.

Lutheran is coming off a four-week layoff where they scrimmaged the likes of East Hampton and Hills West. I talked to Brian Carey yesterday before they left for Glens Falls, and all he talked about was how prepared they tried to stay and how ready they are to finally play in a game that means something. More on what he had to say later. Stay tuned!

UPDATE 6:08 -- Bishop Ford is out to an early 17-10 lead early in the first quarter. Jeriel Henriquez already has eight points with two NBA-threes. Chaz Williams (who we hear has committed to Hofstra) has eight for the Falcons.

UPDATE 6:14 -- After one here in Glens Falls, Bishop Ford leads 23-18. Lutheran made two straight threes to close the quarter. They came from seniors Rich Harkins and Matt Rooney.

UPDATE 6:25 -- Lutheran just took a 33-31 lead on a three-pointer by Matt Carpenter with 2:10 left in the half.

UPDATE 6:30 -- Bishop Ford tied the score at 36 as the buzzer sounded on the second quarter on a putback off of an air ball from Chaz Williams. Lutheran is letting the ball fly from deep. They've connected on seven three-pointers, largely because defenders are collapsing to help on guards Henriquez and Kevin Johnson. They can all shoot. They're all very disciplined. Considering they haven't played a real game in four weeks, they've got just three turnovers. Impressive.

We'll be back with the third quarter. Lutheran is 16 minutes from advancing to the Class A final.

UPDATE 6:41 -- Bishop Ford scores five quick points in the first 1:05 of the second half. Lutheran's Brian Carey calls a 30-second timeout.

UPDATE 6:52 -- The score is 56-47 with 1:09 left in the third quarter. Lutheran has not been able to get into a rhythm from beyond the arc. Johnson just made a driving layup to help Lutheran pull within seven. That's the score we have at the end of three. Eight minutes to go.

UPDATE 6:59 -- Big three-pointer from Henriquez! Score is 60-58 with 5:30 and counting to go.

UPDATE 7:10 -- Henriquez has 12 points this quarter, and is leading a surge from Lutheran. They are up here 67-62 with 2:12 remaining. We just overheard that Bishop Ford has eight turnovers this quarter. Ouch. Henriquez also has three steals.

UPDATE 7:18 -- Long Island Lutheran is going to pull this game out, folks. Rich Harkins just made two free throws to make the score 75-66 with 35.9 seconds left. Bishop Ford has given to just fouling.

THE CRUSADERS ADVANCE! FINAL SCORE: 77-66.

Tomorrow night at 7:30, Lutheran will play the winner of Jamesville-Dewitt and East New York Transit Tech.

By Stephen Haynes

My apologies for the blog not having been live, but Fordham University's gym isn't as technologically advanced as some others. Extra power sockets? Nope. Extension cords? Nope. Well, it is the Bronx (I can say that because I'm from there). But, here goes it...

Bishop Ford (23-5) beat Chaminade (19-6), 72-62, and it wasn't that close. Powered by point guard Chaz Williams' 32 points and 12 assists, the Falcons dominated. Ford ran a high-octaine offense and the perimeter-oriented Flyers couldn't keep up.

The score was 18-11 at the end of the first quarter, but Ford extended it to 33-21 at halftime. By then, Williams had scored 16 points. Ford pulled away in the third, leading by as many as 18 (41-23) with just over three minutes left in the period.

In the fourth quarter, Chaminade rallied with 30 points to make the game interesting in the final minutes. Sean Wildes went wild inside, scoring 14 of his team-high 28 points, but Williams kept the Flyers at bay with 12 points (and some flashy passes for assists) in the quarter.

When the final buzzer sounded, Williams hurdled the scorer's table (at 5-8, he's got some ups) and climbed into the bleachers to hug his mother. Mama Williams, by the way, is a pretty astute stat-tracker. Right after the game, without seeing the scorebook, she insisted that her baby had 13 assists. She was just one off.

Chaminade seemed dejected after the game (naturally), but coach James Quinn wasn't too down. He kept reiterating the ol' bromidic mantra of the underdog: "Nobody believed in us except us." But he's right. Not many people picked the Flyers to get this far.

By Kimberley A. Martin

There was really nothing East Hampton could do.

When your tallest starter (Hayden Ward) is 6-5 and he's matched up against a 6-10 bean stalk (J-D center Nick Pascale), chances are you're going to get outhustled on the boards. Chances are you're going to wear yourself out jumping for loose balls and shooting over outstretched hands.

No amount of Mikey Russell three-pointers (three in all) is going to change that. It's just that simple.

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

This is it people! Our hopes of a Long Island boys state title rests solely on the shoulders of the Bonackers. I'll be the first to admit it -- not many people were talking about East Hampton early in the season (well, not positively I should say). But Ed Petrie's team is the last Island team standing.

Yesterday, the Bonackers outlasted a much bigger Buffalo East team, relying on their quickness and athletic ability (have you seen how high Marcus Edwards elevates off the ground?). But the Red Rams just ran by the press table onto the court, and I've got to say -- they are some BIG BOYS. I'm looking at the roster as we speak and they have a 6-10 center in Nick Pascale. Throw in 6-7 Marcus Williams and Mickey Davis, Mitchell Howe and Mychal Weekes (all of whom are 6-5), and this could end up being a long afternoon for East Hampton.

But the one thing Marcus Edwards and Mikey Russell have stressed to me this season is how much they love proving the haters wrong. Let's see if it happens.

8:35 and counting....

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

Less than seven minutes until the Class B championship game. The Mules don't look nervous at all. One thing's certain, though: they'll need to start and end strong against Olean (Section VI).

OK, gotta finish my Burger King meal before tip-off...be back in a flash!

(Whoa...Olean just did this really weird "on-the-floor-huddle"...apparently that psyches them up. Whatever does it for you, I guess. Laura took a pic using her camera phone -- hopefully we can find a way to post it online for your viewing pleasure.)

Ta-da:

Class AA Semifinals: Bishop Maginn defeats Mount Vernon, 54-52.

Class A Finals: Maple Grove trounces Mechanicville, 71-46.

(I guess having fans who paint themselves in team colors really does help.)

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Baldwin fell behind early and never recovered after Niagara Falls scored 23 in the first quarter to go on to defeat the Bruins 66-49 at the Class AA Semifinals in Glens Falls.

Kelvin Agee led all scorers for the Wolverines with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Rashon Tabb and T.J. Critterden chipped in 20 and 15, respectively. Chris Manning and Chris Mauldin led Baldwin with 10 points each.

Niagara Falls outscored Baldwin 23-12 at the end of the first and led by as many as 22 midway through the fourth. Baldwin came within six twice in the second, after Matt Brown hit the front end of a one-and-one and Ashanti DePass sunk a three with 2:30 left. In the third, they ame within five at 3:19, but would draw no closer.

Niagara put it away in the fourth with a 12-7 run that spanned about four minutes. The scoring was capped off by four foul shots by Tabb and Eric Spanbauer.

Niagara plays the winner of Mt. Vernon/Bishop Maginn tomorrow at 2:45.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

8:00 - Starting Lineups: 2 Rashon Tabb, T.J. Critternden, Kelvin Agee, Michael Crumpton, and Eric Spanbaur start for Niagara. Nick Thomas, Cailup Norris, Chris Mauldin, Matt Brown, Chris Manning take the court for the Bruins.

5:02 – It’s not looking good early for Baldwin, who already trail by 11, 15-4. Kelvin Agee already has seven points in the game, including a three-point baseline jumper.

3:05 – Niagara is having a little trouble converting and has missed four straight shots. Bruins, meanwhile, have gotten into a groove – Derrell Brown and Chris Mauldin scored on two consecutive layins to make it 15-8.

2:40 – Baldwin is on the comeback trail – Anthony Lee just scored on a layup to make it 15-10 and Niagara has been held scoreless for more than 2:30 minutes.

41.5 – Niagara scored the next six off a three from Bobby Daniels and a putback from Kelvin Agee. Agee sunk one of two foul shots to make it 21-10.

End of the first: 23-12, Niagara.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

We're about 15 minutes from tip-off here at the Glens Falls Civic Center and I'm noticing a trend - once again, a Long Island team will have to overcome a sizable (pun!) height difference to advance to the finals. Niagara has all but two players over 6-feet, with three guys at 6'7. Compare this to the Bruins, who top out at 6'4 and are comparably small across the board.

The Wolverines are 24-1 going into this afternoon's game, while the Bruins are 19-3. Stay tuned for the blow-by-blow.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Jamesville leads Peekskill, 36-31, with 3:30 left in the third. Very intense, and lots of bodies flying all over the place. Whoever East Hampton plays, they'll likely be outsized, though perhaps not out-maneuvered. I'll update the score as time runs down.

The third quarter is winding down. There's 23.1 left on the clock and a clearly pumped Jamesville has quickly opened up a 17 point lead, 52-35. So far, Alshwan Hymes is lighting it up. He just scored again on a driving layup for Jamesville. End of the third: 54-35, Jamesville.

The arena is packed, by the way. It seats about 5,000 but this is the fullest I've seen it in two days.

6:17 - The game is getting out of hand, now. Jamesville leads by 19, 57-38. Also, they've got the most coordinated cheerleaders so far.

One of the Jamesville fans has a large sign: "Nick Pascale. He's 6'10." That's...informative? They don't quite beat out the Maple Grove fans, 13 of whom painted themselves (letter-by-letter, naturally), to say "Go Red Dragons!" Yup. Someone got stuck being the clearly unnecessary exclamation point.

3:45 - Jamesville (22-2) leads the undefeated Red Devils by 20, 65-45. Tomorrow's final is going to be pretty ridiculous, I think.

3:07 - Nick Pascale, he of the 6'10, just dunked the ball to make it 67-48. Though I'm not sure if it counts as a dunk if you barely have to extend your arms to reach the rim.

Oooo, that was rough. FINAL: 74-55, JAMESVILLE-DEWITT

Make no mistake about it: East Hampton has their hands full.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Mike Russell's 23 points, including five three-pointers, led East Hampton in the squeaker finish against Buffalo East, 55-52, in the Class A Semifinal in Glens Falls.

Jerome Russell added 12 while Hayden Ward had 17 rebounds and nine points.

The Bonackers led early and, though relinquishing the lead once in the middle of the first and allowing Buffalo East to tie at the start of the fourth, held on to advance to the finals tomorrow at 1 p.m. against the winner of Peekskill/Jamesville Dewitt.

For Buffalo East, Jamal Webb had 21 points and seven rebounds while Brandon Hall chipped in with a double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

* For someone who asked: Michael Mack has no points and one rebound in limited play.

Also, a question to anyone reading: Mikey Russell certainly has some baggage, but, considering how he's helped East Hampton, could he be the best player in Section XI (if not Long Island)?

For the full recap, see below.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Hello all – it’s early Saturday morning in Day 2 of the NYSPHSAA Championships. Today we've got the Class A Semifinal in dreary Glens Falls (which, in case anyone is interested, is very wet and very cold). It's a great matchup between East Hampton (22-1) and Buffalo East (19-6).

7:20 – Mike Russell kicks off the scoring early with a soaring three from the left to give the Bonackers the early lead. So far, the two teams look evenly matched and both are having trouble converting.

6:05 – Damien Goodwin just opened up the scoring for Buffalo East with a layup over the heads of about three EH defenders.

4:10 – Jerome Russell scored five straight points, two foul shots and an open three from the right to make it 13-4, East Hampton

3:10 – Mike Russell looks nearly unstoppable from three-point range and just sunk another jumper from the right – this time while being laid out by a Panthers defender. It’s 16-7 after a three from Buffalo East.

2:10 – Buffalo is not having a good time so far from three-point range. Goodwin has missed two attempts from the same spot – wide open from the left.

East Hampton comes with an entourage, by the way. For the first time in two days, a Long Island team has shown up with a considerable (and vocal) cheering section. They easily overmatch the considerably smaller Buffalo contingent.

Marcus Henry informs me that M. Russell, who is 3-for-4 from three-point range, has about five rebounds already in the game. There’s still 43 seconds left in the first. Especially impressive since Russell is “5’9” – as opposed to 5’9.

Time Expires – Jamal Webb closes off the scoring with a looooong-range three to close it out for Buffalo.

End of first: 19-10, East Hampton.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

Dashiem Cherry's three-pointer with 1:04 left in the game gave Malverne the 73-71 lead and proved the be the deciding factor in the Class B Semifinal against Ogdensburg.

The Mules sunk three foul shots in the final seconds to provide the final margin.

Malverne had trailed by as much as 15 towards the end of the first before unloading for 26 in the third. Cherry led all scorers with 28 points and seven rebounds. Justin Williams added 14. Ogdensburg's Gene Bouyer carried his team with 22 points and six rebounds.

Malverne will play Olean tomorrow at 9 p.m.

BY LAURA ALBANESE

And we're off!

First thing's first - Ogdensburg is, for lack of a better word, ginormous. Their center, Tom Kelso, is 6'8'' and the rest of the team easily dwarfs most everyone on the Mules. This is not a fantastic sign.

The Blue Devils aren't wasting any time, either. They scored their first basket five seconds into the quarter and have opened up an 8-3 lead with 5:30 to go. Kelso's two free throws with 2:26 puts them up 15, 19-4.

The Mules' Justin WIlliams is trying to force a reversal of fortunes, though. He's scrambling every which way and just injected some much-needed confidence by converting an Ogdensburg turnover to make it 19-6. He added another two to draw them to within 11.

Dashiem Cherry sure can shoot, huh? His baseline jumper is good for three to close out the quarter, 21-13.

End of the first: Ogdensburg 21, Malverne 13.

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

We are officially 12:42 away from the start of the Class B semifinal. Both teams look focused going through lay-up drills -- but the Mules seem just a little bit more fired up.

Malverne's sporting their usual New York Knicks inspired orange and blue warm-up jumpers. Let's hope they play a little more inspired than those bums.

OK, i just checked the clock....8:37 to go.

We'll be back in a moment, folks.

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

Guard Jon Williams had a chance to extend the Quakers' season a little longer, but missed a three-pointer with 7.3 to go as the Red Raiders survived a late scare.

In just two and a half minutes, Mechanicville went on a 9-2 run to take a 48-38 lead with 5:30 left. But Friends responded with a 11-2 run to cut the lead to 1 (50-49) with :58 on the clock.

Paul Marra and Williams knocked down two free-throws, respectively for their teams, to make the score 52-51 with eight seconds to go. But Marra missed the first of a one-and-one with 7.3 on the clock, leaving the door open for the Quakers.

The speedy Williams ran down court after receiving the inbounds pass, but missed the three-pointer over the outstretched hand of a Mechanicville defender.

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN

We're 1:15 away from the end of the first quarter and things don't look all that good for Friends Academy. Though the Quakers trail by just seven (19-12), they look out of sync on offense and slightly winded on transition. Credit Mechanicville's defensive intensity and quick double-team coverage in the interior.

Friends' Billy Reggio just missed a baseline jumper from the corner, which resulted in a a layup on the other end Sean Stewart. Point guard Jon WIlliams knocked down a floater from the top of the key for the final basket of the quarter.

End of First Quarter: Mechanicville 21, Friends 14.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Ryan Creighton scored nine of his game-high 28 points during a 14-2 fourth-quarter run, but he missed a potential game-tying three at the buzzer as Greenport fell, 61-58, to Chateaugay in a Class D semifinal at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Trailing 56-44 with 3:33 left, Creighton (9) and Wally Sorenson (3) combined for 12 of Greenport's 14 points during the run. But Zack Peck and hit a layup and Jordan Rankin connected on a free throw to give the Bulldogs (23-1) a 61-58 advantage with 8.2 seconds left. Creighton had one last chance to tie the score, but missed on a three from the right wing as time expired. Greenport falls to 20-3.

BY MARCUS HENRY

The first two minutes featured several turnovers as both teams seemed to be getting the pre-game jitters out. Chateaugay took a 2-0 lead, but Ryan Creighton answered with a layup off his own miss to tie it and Hezikah Mangham followed with a layup to give the Porters a 4-2 lead.

The next few minutes was a back-and-forth affair, with Creighton tying the score at seven with a layup.

But Chateaugay began to flex its muscle outscoring the Porters 7-2 the rest of the way for a 14-9 lead after one quarter. It was a rough quarter for Creighton who connected on just two of his first nine shots.

End of first quarter:
Chateaugay 14, Greenport 9

BY MARCUS HENRY

Jaanai Beckford had 24 points and 19 rebounds as North Star Christian Academy (Section V) topped Sackets Harbor (Section III), 45-29, in a state Class D semfinal. North Star Christian will face the winner of Greenport vs. Chateaugay on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. North Star Christian, which trailed 12-11 at the half, was buoyed by a big second half as it outscored Sackets Harbor, 34-17.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Malverne vs. Ogdensburg 8 p.m.
at Glens Falls Civic Center

Here we go again. Last year Malverne (12-10) took home the Class B state title with a thrilling 44-42 win over Ogdensburgh (23-2). Although several of the faces have changed for Malverne, its trademark style of pressing and getting out on the break hasn't. Leading the way for Malverne this season has been junior Justin Williams. Williams is averaging 19 points per game. He's been aided by Dashiem Cherry, who is pouring in 13 points per game. The numbers may not show it, but the Mules have received solid production from its bench and role players all season. Shamel White epitomized that last week as he tipped in the winning basket with four seconds left for Malverne in its 57-56 win over North Salem in the Southeast Regional Final. In addition to getting solid bench production, Malverne will need to be at its best on defense to slow down Ogdensburg's high-scoring duo of Gene Bouyer and Tom Kelso. Bouyer (17.4 ppg), a sophomore, is Section X's leading scorer. Kelso is averaging 13.2 points per game. Ogdensburg has the experience necessary to succeed, but the Mules' defense coupled with the hot play of Williams, will prevail.

The Pick: Malverne.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Greenport vs. Chateaugay 11:45 a.m.
at the Glens Falls Civic Center

Greenport - Junior forward Ryan Creighton has been the be all, end all for Greenport (20-2) this season. He had a triple double (16 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists) in the Porters' 55-52 win over John Coleman (Section IX) in the Class D Regional Final. Although there's no doubt that Creighton, who has 2,079 career points, must have an impact for the Porters to emerge victorious, it's not all about him. Wally Sorenson and Dantre' Langhorne, who each played a big role against John Coleman, have to contribute, particularly Sorenson, who is averaging 14 points on the season and had 27 points in Greenport's 77-72 win over Clark Academy (Section I) in the Class D Regional Semifinal.

Chateaugay (22-1) is led by three double-digit scorers, including junior guard Drew Boyea, who is averaging 12.3 points per game. Brad Dumont (10.8 ppg) and Jordan Rankin (10 ppg), both holdovers from last season's team which fell to Charles G. Finley High School in the final, figure to give Greenport a run for its money. Chateaugay's experience notwithstanding, Creighton has been on fire this season.

The Pick: Greenport.

Malverne squeaked by North Salem, 57-56, to advance to Friday's State Class B semifinal in Glen Falls at 8:30 p.m.

Friends Academy will also make the trip upstate after defeating Tuckahoe, 61-59. The Quakers will play Mechanicville on Friday at 5 p.m., while Greenport -- who defeated John A. Coleman, 55-52 -- will play Chateaugay in the Class D semifinal on Friday at 11:45 a.m.

Behind Jerome Russell's 22 points, East Hampton defeated Jericho, 63-48, in the Long Island Class A final.

After falling behind 9-2 to start the first quarter, the Bonackers responded to take a 30-18 halftime lead. Jericho center Matt Cajuste was limited to just four points in the game (zero in the first half), thanks to early foul trouble and guard Justin Resnick and forward Russell Taff scored just 3 and 0 points, respectively.

Marcus Edwards chipped in 16 for East Hampton and Hayden Ward added 15. Mikey Russell finished with eight.

It's official: Baldwin has defeated Hills West, 50-46, in the Long Island Class AA final at SUNY Old Westbury.

It was a seesaw battle throughout, but guard Chris Mauldin's three-pointer in the final minutes put the Bruins up 48-46. Then the Baldwin guard hit two-of-four free-throws over the last 27.6 seconds of the game to seal the victory.

Mauldin finished with 11 points, while Chris Manning scored 12. Tobias Harris led Hills West with 25 points.

Check out the full story in tomorrow's Newsday.

-- Kimberley A. Martin

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Chaminade (16-5) vs. Holy Trinity (10-14)
4 p.m., Sunday at C. W. Post

The game is a classic match up between contrasting styles. Chaminade executes superbly in the half court with multiple sets and Holy Trinity has an array of accurate three-point shooters who want to get out and run. Holy Trinity is averaging 10 three-pointers made its last five games. The Titans came back from a 14 point fourth quarter deficit, but fell short in a 58-56 loss on Chaminade on Feb. 24. Chaminade, which has started just one senior for most of the season, has the size advance over Holy Trinity with 6-5 juniors Sean and Pat Wildes. They hurt Holy Trinity in two wins this season.

Junior Dan DiVierti leads Chaminade, which won its first CHSAA regular season title since 2003. DiVierti is a pure scorer, who can beat you to the basket and shoot the jumper. Senior Matt Johnson is the team’s floor leader who has great court vision. The majority of Holy Trinity’s offense goes through Tom Hurley, Pat Fanning and Mike Lavelle. Hurley and Lavelle are both excellent shooters who can work their way into the lane. Fanning is an energy guy who is tough around the basket. Holy Trinity can pull off the upset if it shoots a high percentage and can get Chaminade out of its half court comfort zone. The young Flyers have showed great pose in numerous close wins this season an attribute that should help them deal with anything Holy Trinity can throw out them.

The pick: Chaminade

St. Dominic (16-7) vs. St. Anthony’s (14-9)
5:45 p.m., Sunday at C. W. Post

Behind 25 points from Brian Katz, St. Dominic, the two-time defending league champions, only beat the Friars, 63-60, on Feb. 23. Paul Bilbo’s three-point play with four seconds left provided the final margin. Dan Kenny, Bilbo and Katz lead a versatile St. Dominic offense. Kenny connected on a school record 48 consecutive free throws, before missing one of 10 in the fourth quarter of a 69-60 quarterfinal win over St. Mary’s. Kevin Kerr (16 points) and Oliver Laurent combined for 31 points in the Friars 65-52 quarterfinal win over St. John the Baptist. The Friars are a tough defensive team that has three legitimate scorers in Shahab Syed, Kerr and Laurent. St. Dominic’s championship pedigree should put it over the top in what should be tight and high scoring game.

The pick: St. Dominic