Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018: How's this for a tie-breaker?

   Leading off today: Given that it's a pair of Catholic High School Athletic Association schools, I'd have expected the tie to be broken by a mano a mano bingo game.

   Instead, a tie in the standings between the Iona Prep and Cardinal Hayes basketball teams will be decided by the final score of a college basketball game.

   With an outright league championship at stake, Iona Prep surrendered the final eight points and lost 60-58 at home to defending city champ Cardinal Hayes on Tuesday. Joe Toussaint and Tyrese Williams each scored 19 points for the Cardinals.

   It left the pair co-champs in the CHSAA's New York division heading into the Archdiocesan tournament.

   Enter the oddball tie-breaker: League officials informed the respective coaches after the game that the top seed will be determined by the combined score of Wednesday night's St. John's-DePaul game. If the total score is an even number, Iona Prep will be seeded No. 1. If it's odd, Hayes will be awarded the top seed.

   The winner gets No. 8 Monsignor Scanlan in Sunday's Archdiocesan quarterfinals. The other will be seeded No. 2 and draw No. 7 All Hallows.

   The tiebreaker isn't unprecedented. A tie in the standings between Xaverian and Archbishop Molloy in 2001 was decided by the score of a game between Duke and St. John's.

   "I guess it really doesn't matter at this point," Iona Prep coach Steve Alvarado said. "There are no gimmes in our league. Our first-round game will probably be tough no matter who it is."

   More boys basketball: In a result that really was an upset in name only, Paul Robeson downed Abraham Lincoln 59-57 in the Brooklyn Borough Tournament quarterfinals. Rijkaard Jean Baptiste scored 17 points and Aquarn Butler 16.

   Lincoln is ranked 19th and Robeson 30th this week by the New York State Sportswriters Association, but the Railsplitters have been spinning their wheels since the mid-season suspension of three players while the PSAL conducts an investigation into possible violations of transfer rules.

    • After scoring 44 points Monday, Kingston's Brian Moore went off for 46 on Tuesday. Moore made 11 3-pointers in the Tigers' 91-41 win over Minisink Valley.

    • Northstar, ranked third in Class C, dominated No. 11 C.G. Finney 95-59 as senior Trey Roberts scored 21 of his season-high 31 points in the first half. Miles Brown added 25 points.

    • Homer outlasted host Cazenovia 68-64 in triple overtime to complete their Section 3 regular-season schedules. A Stephen Walter basket broke a 64-64 tie and Justin Wainwright added two free throws.

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   Girls volleyball: Watertown snapped Carthage's 78-match winning streak by rallying for a 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-22 victory in the Section 3 Class A semifinals.

   Carthage had not lost since Feb. 11, 2014.

   Gatewood honored: Mason Gatewood of Saint Anthony's has been selected New York's boys cross country runner of the year by Gatorade.

   The University of Pennsylvania-bound senior won the Fed- eration championship last fall and was 10th at the Foot Locker Northeast regional and 36th at the National Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

   Progress report: Different sports move at different speeds. Maybe that explains why there will be as many states with sanctioned girls wrestling competition next season as there are states utilizing a shot clock in basketball.

   Oregon and Georgia moved ahead this week with plans for girls wrestling, bring to eight the number of states recognizing it as a championship sport.

   The Oregon School Activities Association's Executive Board voted unanimously to create a separate state championship for girls starting in the 2018-19 school year. Currently, girls there can compete against boys in district and state tournaments or they can compete against other girls in a separate exhibition state tournament.

   Girls will continue to have the option to compete against the boys in the state meet, but they'll now have tournament of their own available if they prefer that route.

   "We're excited about making the change for next year with girls wrestling," OSAA Executive Director Peter Weber said. "We think it's an area that's continuing to grow."

   The Georgia High School Association also joined the list of sanction states that currently consists of Hawaii, Texas, California, Washington, Tennessee and Alaska.

   Georgia will hold its girls meet alongside the state duals championships next year.