Leading off today: Rice moved out to a 20-point halftime lead and routed two-time defending champion Abraham Lincoln, 77-50, yesterday in the boys Federation Class AA semifinals at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Sophomore James Stukes scored 22 points and Miami-bound guard Durand Scott added 16 for Rice, which moved into today's final against NYSPHSAA champion Newburgh Free Academy. Scott scored six in an opening 12-2 burst that was extended into a 42-22 halftime lead.
“There was no way they were going to get this win,” Scott told FiveBoroSports.com. “They were going to have to make me sweat until I was bleeding.”
Scott limited Lance Stephenson to 14 points, about half his average. With the score 19-14, Scott stood his ground aand drew a charge on Stephenson, and Rice went on a 23-7 run over the remainder of the second quarter.
Stephenson, who is expected to announce his college choice this week, finishes his career with 2,946 points and four consecutive PSAL championships. Stephenson and Jamesville-DeWitt guard Brandon Triche shared the Mr. Basketball Award selected by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.
More boys action: Junior Tobias Harris scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to carry Long Island Lutheran past Jamesville-DeWitt, 68-51, for the Class A championship. Achraf Yacoubou added 16 points and helped limit Brandon Triche to eight points.
It was the fifth Federation title for Lutheran but the first since 1997.
LIL was in command, 42-23 before Jamesville-DeWitt reeled off 11 consecutive points, but Harris counted with a steal to set up a bucket, a spin move inside for another basket and a three-point play as part of a 10-0 run.
In Class B, Collegiate fended off NYSPHSAA champion Bishop Kearney, 57-55, despite giving back almost all of a 17-point lead. Down 54-47 with 40 seconds to go, Kearney got a three-pointer from Roderick Gray (25 points) and a layup by Chuwuka Ikpeze. A Collegiate free throw and then James Taylor's three-pointer made it a one point game before Harrison Green made a free throw with :07.8 left to close out the scoring.
Girls results: St. Michael's Academy held Copiague scoreless for a 4:18 stretch of the fourth quarter en route to a 50-46 victory in the Class AA semifinals, setting up a championship game today against Murry Bergtraum.
After Ieasia Walker made one of two free throws with 5:12 left, St. Michael began a 7-0 wun to take the lead, 42-40, on a three-pointer by Janine Davis. Allysa Rohlehr hit another three with 1:15 left and Jennifer O'Neill added a free throw for a 46-40 lead with 1:01 to go.
Kellenberg took home the Class A hardware by downing Baruch College Campus, 59-47. The Firebirds scored the final 15 points of the third quarter and the first bucket of the fourth to build a 24-point lead and coast home.
Center Emma O'Connor helped lead the way with 14 points, six rebounds and four steals in support of Katie Cunningham's 18 points and five steals.
In the Class B final, Nanuet topped Long Island Lutheran, 60-45. K.C. Jentzen scored 11 of her 21 points in the first
