Boro Bounce December 16, 2019

Three weeks of high school hoops in the books. Here's an update on the action around the boroughs and beyond.

North Carolina commit RJ Davis put up 41 points to lead Archbishop Stepinac to a 100-93 overtime win over St. Raymond in the nightcap of the PSA showcase in the Bronx on Sunday night. St. Raymond had Stepinac on the ropes in the final minutes, but Davis sank three free throws in the closing seconds of regulation after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to send the game into overtime. Adrian Griffin Jr had 29 points and 17 rebounds for the Crusaders, who are now 3-0 in league play.

Luis Kortright scored 33 points and Malachi Smith had 30 for St. Raymond, whose league record is now 4-1. The Ravens played without front court standout Gary Grant, who is sidelined with an injury.

Stepinac is currently ranked 15th in the USA Today Super 25 and 20th in the Ballislife Fab 50. The Crusaders will travel to Fort Myers, Florida this week to compete in the City of Palms Classic, opening against Briarcrest Christian (TN) on Wednesday.

St. Raymond is now ranked 37th in the Ballislife Fab 50. The Ravens will face Abraham Lincoln of Philadelphia at the City Legenz Invitational in the Bronx on Sunday.

Round 2 between Stepinac and St. Raymond is scheduled for Friday January 10th in White Plains. Mark your calendars.

At 2-0, Iona Prep is the only other team in the CHSAA Archdiocese Division without a league loss. The Gaels earned a quality road victory by edging Xaverian 57-55 in Brooklyn on Friday night. RJ Greene scored 23 points and Isaac Gonzalez had 15 to lead Iona Prep. The Gaels will host Cardinal Hayes on Tuesday.

Xaverian bounced back with a 63-59 home win over Bishop Loughlin on Sunday. Loughlin is 2-1 and currently sits atop the CHSAA B/Q standings. The next league contest for both Xaverian and Loughlin is against Christ the King. The Clippers will travel to Middle Village on Sunday December 29th, while the Lions will host the Royals in Brooklyn on Friday January 3rd.

Christ the King dropped a 104-101 five overtime marathon to St. Francis Prep in Middle Village on Saturday. Chance Morrish scored 29 points and Todd Rochelle had 28 to lead the Terriers, who are now 1-2 in league play. St. Francis Prep will visit St. Anthony's (LI) on Wednesday.

Ryan Myers, who continues to rack-up eye-popping point totals despite a 1-3 record for the Royals, had a game-high 35 points.

Joe Arbitello's squad opened the season with a strong showing at the HoopHall West Invitational, topping Chaparral (AZ) and then taking Rancho Christian (CA), led by top national prospect Evan Mobley, to the wire before falling 77-74 in a game televised by ESPN, but the Royals have now lost their first two league games, both at home (the OT thriller against St. Francis Prep and a 58-56 loss to Holy Cross last Tuesday). Christ the King will visit Cardinal Hayes on Friday.

St. Peter's head coach Charlie Driscoll became the school's all-time winningest basketball coach on Friday night, getting his 322nd career win as the Eagles topped St. Joseph by the Sea 67-46. St. Peter's is one of the oldest schools in the CHSAA, founded in 1917.

Brooklyn Collegiate is emerging as one of the teams to beat in the boroughs. The Lions are 5-0 atop the prestigious PSAL Brooklyn AA Division, with wins over South Shore, Jefferson and Lincoln under their belt. With an overall record of 6-0, the Lions are now listed as a bubble team in the Balliflife Fab 50 national ranking. If the expression "you're as good as your last game" has any meaning, Brooklyn Collegiate's stock is certainly on the rise. The Lions took down two-time defending PSAL champions South Shore by the sizable margin of 92-66 last Thursday, with Kareem Butler scoring 26 points and sinking six triples in the win.

Brooklyn Collegiate's win over South Shore looks even stronger with the benefit of hindsight, as the Vikings topped California Interscholastic Federation contender Mayfair 72-64 at the Battle in the Apple Showcase just two days later. Jefferson transfer Marcus Burnett scored 31 points for South Shore on the big stage at the Barclays Center.

Jefferson handed Boys & Girls their first loss of the season on Thursday, topping the Kangaroos in East New York 97-92. Kevin Tabb led the Orange Wave with 28 points and Jaquan Carlos scored 25. Khalil Brantley, who put up 40 points in a win against South Shore earlier in the season, had 36 points for Boys & Girls. The Kangaroos, now 4-1 in PSAL Brooklyn AA league play, get two home games this week: Tuesday against Eagle II and a pivotal match up against Brooklyn Collegiate on Thursday.

Jefferson dropped a non-league road contest to nationally-ranked Long Island Lutheran on Saturday, falling to the Crusaders 84-60. LuHi's swarming defense held Jaquan Carlos to just 8 points and one field goal, but Jefferson got 18 points from Kevin Tabb and 16 points and 4 triples from Ramsey Saleh. The Orange Wave travel to Las Vegas this week, where they will compete in the Tarkanian Classic, facing Fairfax (CA) in the opening round on Wednesday. 

John Bowne remains unbeaten in the PSAL Queens AA Division, as the Wildcats cruised past Francis Lewis last Thursday 76-53. Both teams entered the game with an unblemished league record of 5-0. Tyshawn Trail put up 29 points for the Wildcats in the win.

Bowne will face another test against an unbeaten opponent tomorrow when they take on perennial PSAL power Cardozo. The Judges are 5-0 in league play after their 85-54 win against Springfield Gardens last Thursday. Ron Naclerio's club had six players score in double figures in that game: Aaron Miller (14), Justin Walters (14), Andre Laing (13), Sharif Nelson (13), Errol White (11) and Alex Maminakis (10).

In girls hoops, South Shore moved into the USA Today Super 25 last week, coming in at number 24 in the December 11th rankings. The Lady Vikings are 4-0 in PSAL league play, with Monsignor Scanlan transferee Kateri Poole scoring in double figures in each league contest. South Shore hits the national stage this week, playing in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas.