Monday, Jan. 14, 2019: LuHi rolls past South Shore in boys basketball

   Leading off today: Top-ranked Long Island Lutheran looked as dangerous as ever Sunday in riding 22 points apiece from three players to beat No. 6 South Shore in a clash of state-ranked Class AA boys basketball teams in the Tip of the Hat Hoops Classic.

   Juniors Andre Curbelo and Jalen Celestine and senior Tyler Stephenson scored 22 apiece. Celestine and Stephenson combined to shoot 9-for-14 on first-half 3-point attempts in building a 40-26 lead for the Crusaders.

   "We are a good shooting team and Jalen and I are our best shooters so when our shots are falling the way they were early on its helps everyone else on the team a lot," Stephenson said.

   South Shore cut the deficit to nine in the third quarter but the Crusaders shut down the threat with a 9-0 run.

    • Chaminade, ranked ninth in Class A, posted a 72-64 victory over Lawrence Woodmere Academy, the No. 11 Class B squad.

   LWA big man Aidan Igiehon, a Louisville recruit, scored 19 first-quarter points to help build a 21-12 advantage, but the Flyers clawed their way back into the game and limited Igiehon to 17 more points the rest of the way.

   Junior Michael O'Connell scored 24 points and senior Tyler St. Furcy chipped in with 7.

   Hockey shocker: Frontier came into the game 0-9 in league action but stunned Canisius 4-3. Canisius entered the game ranked seventh in Division I by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

   Matt Holland scored the tie-breaking goal with 1:34 left, and sophomore goalie Jeffrey Pienta made 41 saves.

    • St. Joe's and Lancaster St. Mary's played to a 2-2 tie, with Jared Mangan of St. Mary's connecting on the power play with 4:42 to go.

   St. Joe's is ranked No. 1 in Division I and St. Mary's No. 8 in Division II.

   Milestones: A pair of Section 6 wrestling standouts earned their 200th career victories during the Eastern States Classic over the weekend.

   East Aurora 145-pounder Johnny Putney had already become his school's career leader in wins on the opening weekend of the season.

   Niagara-Wheatfield senior Warren McDougald also earned his 200th during action in the 145-pound bracket. The three-time sectional champ placed eighth at Eastern States.

   Well, that was disgusting: The National Lacrosse League is he home of much of the greatest indoor talent in the world, but it has a rather long history of acting barely one step better than the beer league that operates at your neighborhood hockey rink each summer.

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   The way a former New York high school great was treated over the weekend hit a new low over the weekend and drew nearly universal condemnation.

   Philadelphia Wings public address announcer Shawny Hill had to apologize Sunday after making racist remarks about Georgia Swarm forward Lyle Thompson during a game at the Wells Fargo Center the previous night.

   "Let's snip the pony tail," Hill blared over the public address system during the game, leading the crowd to start a similar chant.

   Thompson, who is of Native American heritage, said on social media that he hadn't heard such behavior since his days as a star at LaFayette in Section 3 and his senior year for Salmon River in Section 10.

   The NLL was forced to issue a statement reiterating that its teams have a "zero tolerance policy for any derogatory or discriminatory statements. The league office also said disciplinary action will be taken, though the initial reaction from the Wings only referenced having Hill undergo sensitivity training.

   Hill did apologize on social media after getting roasted on social media.

   "My words do not reflect my personal beliefs, but represent a lack of knowledge on heritage and history," he said.

   To his credit, Hill added that hopes to directly apologize to Thompson and his brother, Miles, who also plays for the Swarm.

   CHSAA school mourns: Tributes were pouring in this weekend following news of the death of Christ the King athletic trainer Anton Turkovic, who also worked with numerous NBA players by incorporating martial arts into their rehabilitation and strength training.

   Various reports said Turkovic was 60 or 61 years old.

   Following up: Texas has joined New York on the list of states that won't run NCAA-approved boys basketball camps in June.

   Officials in both states have expressed concerns that criteria developed by the National Federation of State High School Associations would preclude large numbers of prospective scholarship players from participating.

   The rule passed last year specified that only organizations belonging to the NFHS could have their players participate. In New York, that precludes PSAL, CHSAA and NYSAIS athletes from competing in the showcases.

   Rick Sherley, the executive director of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, said private schools constitute about 20 percent of Texas' roster of teams.

   The absence of camps in a state mean that all but the most elite players will only get to play in front of college coaches about 10 days this spring and summer compared to about 21 days in the past.