Nets Holding CYO Basketball Clinics

CYO New York and the Brooklyn Nets are teaming up to bring the Brooklyn Nets Basketball Academy’s Sunday CYO Clinics this spring to La Salle Academy and the Kennedy Center, both in Manhattan.

The Kennedy Center sessions will be held April 22 and 29, May 6 and 13, and June 3. The La Salle Academy sessions are April 22 and 29, and May 6, 13 and 20. The academy is open to boys and girls in grades 3-8.

The cost is $70 for all five sessions and includes clinic instruction by Brooklyn Nets Basketball Academy staff, a Brooklyn Nets Basketball Academy jersey and a ticket to a Brooklyn Nets game in the 2018-2019 season.

Click here to learn more and register.

 

Rusty Staub Passes Away, Known For Being A Mets Legend, Charity Work

Rusty Staub died earlier today in a Florida hospital.

In New York, he was a hero on the field for his play with the New York Mets and off the field for his charity work. The Rusty Staub Foundation raised nearly $20 million and his work with the foundation and Catholic Charities served one million meals annually to those starving people in New York.

Staub was twice honored at CYO New York dinners for his work, becoming the first winner of the two separate CYO awards at the dinner.

Click here to read what he said at the 2016 CYO Dinner about his faith, which came months after he suffered a heart attack on a flight from Ireland to New York.

 

CYO Champions Crowned

The CYO New York Championships for basketball and cheerleading were decided over the past two weekends.

Click here to read a recap of the basketball championships.

Click here to read a recap of the cheerleading championships.

 

Stepinac Preparing for Next Season

Archbishop Stepinac High School boys basketball coach Patrick Massaroni guided the Crusaders to a historic season — one concluding with the program’s first state Federation championship with an 88-76 victory over South Shore in Glens Falls on March 24.

With the season now completed, Massaroni is turning his focus to next season when he returns two of his key players — RJ Davis and Adrian Griffin Jr. — from the 2017-2018 championship season. Both players earned all-tournament honors at the state Federation tournament.

“We will enjoy this for a little but will start preparing for next season in the coming weeks. The bar has been raised for Stepinac basketball. In three years the program went from 10 wins to 18 wins to 27 wins and a Federation title. We look forward to embracing the success, understand that we are one of the top programs in the CHSAA and build on that,” Massaroni told Catholic New York and Catholic Sports Scene.

Stepinac won its first CHSAA AA championship since 1960 with a victory over Christ the King, earning a berth at the state Federation tournament.

 

Stepinac Captures Championship

Archbishop Stepinac High School won the New York State Federation Class AA boys basketball championship with an 88-76 victory over South Shore in Glens Falls on Saturday night.

The Crusaders finished a historic season with a 27-5 record, winning the program’s first federation title and first CHSAA AA championship since 1960.

South Shore, the PSAL champion, ended its season at 21-9.

In a Class B semifinal, CHSAA champ Regis (19-9) suffered a 76-50 loss to NYSPHSAA champion Mekeel Christian (25-3).

Stepinac boys, Aquinas Girls Playing for Federation Championships

The Archbishop Stepinac boys and the Aquinas girls advanced to their respective New York State Federation high school basketball championship games in Glens Falls with wins on Friday.

Stepinac (CHSAA champ) tipped Long Island Lutheran (NYSAIS champ), 76-72. Long Island Lutheran was ranked ninth in the USA Today national poll. Stepinac will meet PSAL champ South Shore, an 80-48 semifinal winner over NYSPHSAA champ Liverpool, at 8 p.m. Saturday for the championship.

Aquinas (CHSAA champs) defeated John Jay Campus (PSAL champs), 68-37, and will play Susquehanna Valley (NYSPHSAA champs) at noon Sunday.

 

Stepinac Preparing for LI Lutheran

Coming off its first CHSAA AA championship since 1960, the Archbishop Stepinac High School boys basketball team is gearing up for its biggest challenge of the season.

The Crusaders meet Long Island Lutheran (NYSAIS) at 6 p.m. Friday in Glens Falls in a state federation boys basketball tournament AA semifinal.

The winner competes against either Liverpool (NYSPHSAA) or South Shore (PSAL) for the state title at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Long Island Lutheran (22-2) is ranked first in the state Class AA poll by the New York State Sportswriters Association and ninth in the nation by USA Today.

Stepinac (25-5) ranks third in the state poll and 96th in the USA Today poll.

“We played them back in January and lost a close game. They are No. 1 in the state and No. 9 in the country for a reason — because they are really good but we will be prepared for the challenge,” Stepinac coach Patrick Massaroni told Catholic Sports Scene.

 

Federation Matchups

Below are brackets including archdiocese schools for the New York State Federation boys and girls basketball tournaments being held in Glens Falls on March 23-25.

BOYS

Class AA

Semifinals

Friday

Archbishop Stepinac, CHSAA champion (25-5) vs. Long Island Lutheran, NYSAIS champion, (22-2), 6 p.m.

Liverpool, NYSPHSAA champion (26-0) vs. South Shore, PSAL champion (20-8), 7:45 p.m.

Final

Saturday

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

Class B

Saturday

Semifinals

Fannine Lou Hamer, PSAL champion (27-4) PSAL vs. Lawrence Woodmere, NYSAIS champion (20-5), 9 a.m.

Regis, CHSAA champion (19-8) vs. Mekeel Christian, NYSPHSAA (24-3), 10:45 p.m.

Final

Sunday

Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.

GIRLS

Class B

Semifinal

Friday

Aquinas, CHSAA champion (22-2) vs. John Jay Campus, PSAL champion (22-2), 12:30 p.m.

Final

Sunday

Aquinas-John Jay Campus winner vs. Susquehanna Valley, NYSPHSAA champion (26-0), noon

CYO Basketball Championships

Here are the CYO New York basketball championship game results:

Third Grade Girls 

St. Mary-Katonah (Westchester-Putnam) 14, St. Gregory Red (Rockland) 11

Fourth Grade Girls

St. John-Mahopac (WP) 30, St. Paul Gold (R) 27

Fifth Grade Girls

St. Columbanus (WP) 19, St. Gregory Red (R) 15

Sixth Grade Girls

Sacred Heart G 6A (Staten Island) 44, St. Martin de Porres (Dutchess) 20

Seventh Grade Girls

St. Teresa G 7A (SI) 42, St. Stephen (Orange) 36

Eighth Grade Girls

St. Gregory Red (R) 34, OLPH and St. Matthew (WP) 16

Third Grade Boys

Our Lady Star of the Sea (SI) 18, St. Gregory Red (R) 13

Fourth Grade Boys

Sacred Heart (SI) 34, St. Catherine Red (R) 13

Fifth Grade Boys

St. Gregory Red (R) 41, Sacred Heart SA (SI) 36

Sixth Grade Boys

St. Teresa SA (SI) 42, St. Paul Gold (R) 35

Seventh Grade Boys

OLSH Blue (R) 50, St. Clare (SI) 38

Eighth Grade Boys

Santa Maria (Bronx) 48, St. Catherine Red (R) 35

 

 

 

 

Iona Looks to 2018-2019

Tim Cluess is now looking ahead to the 2018-2019 season after his 15th-seeded Iona College men’s basketball team suffered an 89-67 opening-round loss to second seed Duke at the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The Gaels had nine underclassman on the 2017-2018 roster, including three starters from Thursday’s loss.

“I do think our core is good and I think we have some players that are in our program sitting out this year that are really going to help us as well,” said Cluess, who coached Iona to a third consecutive NCAA Tournament, in the postgame press conference. “We have to do a good job recruiting right now to finish off our team for next year, but I think we have a shot to be very good again.”

Iona and Duke were tied at 19 before Duke pulled away in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Roland Griffin led Iona (20-14 overall) with 21 points and five rebounds, and TK Edogi added 11 points. Zach Lewis and Rickey McGill each scored 10 points.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IONA COLLEGE