Cardinal Hayes, Msgr. Farrell Win Boys Basketball Championships

The Cardinal Hayes and Msgr. Farrell high school boys basketball teams captured the CHSAA Spring Basketball Tournaments at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains on Thursday.

Cardinal Hayes beat Xaverian, 70-66, for the Ray Nash/Kevin Pigott title. Cardinal Hayes junior Tobe Awaka was named tournament most valuable player.

Msgr. Farrell defeated St. Joseph by-the-Sea, 50-42, for the Tom Murray/Rich Tricario title. Pat Gardner finished with 22 points and six rebounds, and Rob Frolic and Matt Hanley combined for 11 points and 11 rebounds for Msgr. Farrell.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN PIGOTT

Griffin Entering NBA Draft

Alan Griffin announced he will forego his senior season at Syracuse University and enter the 2021 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-5 junior played two seasons at the University of Illinois before transferring to Syracuse where he averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The Archbishop Stepinac High School graduate, who was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, had a team-high 46 blocks.

Griffin is the son of Adrian Griffin, who played at Seton Hall University and later in the NBA. He’s now an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors.

Griffin’s brother A.J. is a senior at Archbishop Stepinac and is signed to play at Duke University next season. His sister Aubrey averaged 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes per game during her sophomore season for the University of Connecticut in 2020-2021.

Basketball Season Opens for CHSAA

The CHSAA boys basketball season kicked off on Monday night with two games at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains.

All games this season will be played at Stepinac as games played in the five boroughs of New York City must be played outdoors. Games in Westchester County may be played indoors. All games will be streamed on LocalLive.

Monday’s results

Msgr. Scanlan 69, Fordham Prep 57

Bishop Loughlin 65, Archbishop Molloy 60

Today

Ray Nash Division

Christ the King vs. Holy Cross, at Stepinac, 5 p.m.

Kevin Pigott Division

Cardinal Hayes at Stepinac, 7:15 p.m.

CHSAA Boys Basketball Starts Next Week; All Games at Stepinac

The Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn will be having a shortened spring boys basketball season with games beginning next week.

All games will be played at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains.

Teams will broken up into four divisions — Ray Nash Division, Kevin Pigott Division, Rich Tricario Division and Tom Murray Division. The Catholic schools competing are from New York City and one–Stepinac–from Westchester County.

Only essential game personnel, athletic trainers, school officials and accredited members of the media will be admitted into the gym.Spectators will not be permitted, All games will be streamed on LocalLive.

Basketball was listed as one of the high-risk sports in New York State during the Covid-19 pandemic. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced high-risk sports may begin Feb. 1 with final approval from local officials. Long Island and Hudson Valley officials gave their schools the OK to start competing. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Department of Health waited till March to make any announcement.

When an announcement was made, the mayor and the department of health said all high-risk sports competitions held in New York City must be played outdoors.

Click here for the complete basketball schedule.

Sacred Heart Captures Tournament

Sacred Heart High School rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat John F. Kennedy Catholic Prep, 45-44, and capture the Conquering Covid boys basketball tournament championship.

Sacred Heart’s Josendy Nova was named tournament most valuable player.

Iona Prep B tipped Archbishop Stepinac B, 33-32, in the consolation game.

All tournament team: Jayden Watkins and Lou Hoonkis, Kennedy; Jalen Lewis and Dwayne Pennicooke, Sacred Heart; John Iscaro, Iona; and Elijah McKelvin, Stepinac.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SACRED HEART

Stepinac Sweeps Iona Prep

Archbishop Stepinac swept rival Iona Prep in the Brother Stoldt Best-of-Seven Series behind the play of tournament most valuable player Malcolm Chimezie.

Here are the finals of the four high school boys basketball games: Feb. 26 — Stepinac 56, Iona Prep 47; March 2 — Stepinac 61, Iona Prep 54; March 5 — Stepinac 73, Iona Prep 52; March 12 — Stepinac 59, Iona Prep 58.

“The series was great for both schools and all the players who played in the four games,” said Stepinac coach Patrick Massaroni. “It allowed both Iona and Stepinac to showcase our respective programs and we are excited we came out on top 4-0.”

Chimezie, who is signed to play at Boston University in 2021-2022, averaged 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for Stepinac. Isaiah Alexander contributed 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

Rivals Iona Prep, Stepinac Playing Best of 7 Boys Baskeball Series

Iona Preparatory School and Archbishop Stepinac High School will be playing in the Brother Stoldt Best of 7 Series, beginning with the first game of the boys basketball series on Friday night in New Rochelle at 7 p.m.

The two teams will be playing in front of no fans at the gymnasiums, but will be competing in front of a livestream audience.

The two CHSAA boys basketball programs, who began practicing earlier this month, will be playing the best-of seven series because CHSAA programs from their league in New York City have not received a final OK to begin practicing from Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city health department.

A decision from the mayor is expected soon and practices for public and Catholic schools in New York City may begin as soon as this week or Monday, March 1.

Davis Leads UNC

Archbishop Stepinac High School graduate RJ Davis scored a team-high and career-high 16 points and grabbed four rebounds for the University of North Carolina in an 82-75 Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball loss to Florida State.

Davis came off the bench to play 20 minutes. The freshman guard is averaging 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

North Carolina hosts Wake Forest on Wednesday and North Carolina State on Saturday. ESPN or ESPN2 will be televising the game with North Carolina State.

Round 1 Goes to Davis, UNC

Archbishop Stepinac High School graduate RJ Davis finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench as the University of North Carolina defeated visiting Syracuse University, 81-75, in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball battle on Tuesday night.

The Tar Heels won a third consecutive game in the first meeting between former Stepinac teammates Davis and Alan Griffin of Syracuse University. Griffin, a transfer from the University of Illinois, had 16 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Davis and Griffin helped Stepinac win the 2018 New York State Federation championship.

Syracuse will host North Carolina on March 1.

Davis vs. Griffin

Former Archbishop Stepinac High School teammates RJ Davis and Alan Griffin will meet for the first time on opposite collegiate benches when Davis and the University of North Carolina host Griffin and Syracuse University at 9 p.m. Tuesday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference game being televised by the ACC Network.

North Carolina (7-4 overall) has won its last two games and is 3-0 at home this season. Davis, a freshman guard, is averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Syracuse (7-2 overall) beat Georgetown on Saturday. Griffin, a transfer from the University of Illinois, is averaging 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The two teams will meet in Syracuse on March 1.