Despite beating St. Raymond by 15 points a month earlier behind a career-day from Josh James, Stepinac and its senior star were considered an underdog by many entering Sunday’s CHSAA quarterfinals. The young Ravens appeared to have outgrown their inconsistent ways in winning a second straight New York Archdiocesan championship.
St. Ray’s led 20-10 after one quarter, but Stepinac regained its form behind 11 straight points from James – including the 1,000th of his career – in the second. The Crusaders kept it up throughout, running away from the Ravens to advance to their first CHSAA semifinal at the AA level.
Below is a look at Sunday’s results and Thursday’s upcoming schedule. Dan and I will both be at the game Thursday night as Stepinac meets Bishop Loughlin, which ended Iona Prep’s season Sunday in another quarterfinal at Fordham.
CHSAA AA intersectional tournament
Quarterfinals
Sunday, at Fordham University, Rose Hill Gym:
Stepinac 68, St. Raymond 51
Bishop Loughlin 72, Iona Prep 59
Cardinal Hayes 67, Archbishop Molloy 66
Christ the King 82, St. Peter’s 66
Game recaps
Stepinac 68, St. Raymond 51: In the CHSAA AA quarterfinals at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gym, Josh James led the Crusaders with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The senior also scored his 1,000th point on a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.
The Monmouth-bound guard currently sits at 1,013 total points.
“It’s a great feeling,” said James of reaching 1,000 points. “But I knew I had to finish out the game before I could celebrate.”
Naim Thomas added 18 points and five rebounds. Walter King had nine points. Their team outscored St. Ray’s 58-31 in the final three quarters after trailing 20-10 after one.
Stepinac (20-7) advanced to the CHSAA AA semifinals for the first time in program history. The Crusaders will play Bishop Loughlin in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym. They lost to Loughlin 83-70 at home on Jan. 27.
Bishop Loughlin 72, Iona Prep 59: In the CHSAA AA quarterfinals at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gym, Matt Ryan had 26 points. Brandon Williams had 10 points. The Gaels led 29-28 before Loughlin closed the first half on a 9-0 run. The Brooklyn school then outscored Iona 18-6 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 20. Iona Prep finished its first season in the AA division 14-13.
Upcoming schedule
Thursday, March 7
CHSAA AA intersectional semifinals
At Fordham University, Rose Hill Gym:
Bishop Loughlin vs. Stepinac, 6 p.m.
Christ the King vs. Cardinal Hayes, 8 p.m.
30 Comments
solid season for the gaels.
Excellent day of basketball at Fordham yesterday. Josh is correct, St Rays had improved a lot from earlier in the year, they just beat Hayes in the Archdiocesan championship game. St Rays guards are very strong – Ferguson a Jr and McKennon a soph are both very, very tough, so is Williams also a Jr. St Rays soph big man Santos is a beast and is a big-time scholarship player. Stepinac played extremely well the last three qtrs. Josh James had another superstar game. Naim Thomas had another outstanding game. Walter King and Demarcus Miller both hit some big shots and played excellent D. James Decker and Andrew Murray both played outstanding D, rebounded very well and hit some big shots. Danny Hoffer came off the bench and hit two huge shots in the 3rd qtr – a foul line jumper and a three pointer – they were huge momentum builders for Step coming out of halftime. Santos from St Rays is 6’9” 245lbs and can move so the play of Decker, Murray and Hoffer was particular important. Omess and Bernstein handled the ball well for Stepinac off the bench as well. Excellent team effort.
Iona looked pretty good vs Loughlin for awhile. Iona was actually leading late in the second qtr. Ryan can really play. Iona’s guards couldn’t run with Loughlin’s guards, but I like Iona’s guards in general – they handled Loughlin’s pressure pretty well and hit some shots. Williams is a nice player. Ice, Capuano and Jerome are also solid.
Iona should be an even better team next year. I think Iona will miss Williams more than some suspect – he is their best athlete and adds a component of a slasher to their team. Ryan, Capuano, Ice and Jerome are a nice perimeter group and Grogan returns as their starting forward.
Hayes/Molloy was an excellent game, best game of the day – incredible matchup of guards with Shavar Newkirk going against CJ Davis from Molloy – both are juniors and have Big East offers already. Newkirk must’ve had 30, Davis (who is more of a pure PG) had to have had close to 25. Just an incredible matchup of talented young guards. The rest of Hayes is pretty darn good as well – their other two guards are very good Tyler Wilson is signed with Manhattan College, Chris Robinson is a Jr and already has a MAAC offer. Hayes’ big men are both about 6’7” and very solid. I liked Molloy’s team a lot – Watler and Kozul are very solid along with Davis – I could see Watler and Kozul playing in the Ivy or Patriot league.
I didn’t stay for the CTK/St Peters game.
When Marty Conlon was a senior I recall the team losing to Kenny Anderson and Molloy in the semis by 3. Anderson was a freshman so the 85-86 season. Good luck to Stepinac-much like an NCAA team going down early in their own tournament only to go far in the big tourney. Sometimes it turns out to be the best thing to happen to a team.
Hoops Fan
Congrats to Stepinac- Great win – Making the Semifinals in the CHSAA AA is a great step-
Good summary on Iona- Loughlin has so much depth and athletic skill- They simply wore down Iona who needed a big game from each one of their starters to have a chance of pulling the upset.
Iona making the Quarterfinals and playing a great Loughlin team tough was a good start in their first year in the CHSAA AA. Next year Iona should have more depth since they realistically could have 3 sophomores on the varsity next year which would include Ty Jerome- Jerome and 2 other frosh played big roles on the JV this year. Iona should be competitive but as you know this league reloads – Hayes evidently has 3-4 big time Frosh- CTK has loads of talent coming back- Loughlin has their entire team back—St. Raymonds will be better next year.
Like the Big East, many times the winner of the CHSAA has a let down game after playing one tough game after the other. At least 15 D1 players of the 4 teams left.
Good luck to Step!
The CHSAA mountain is a tough one to climb. Step is getting better and better. Very impressive stretch of play, let’s see how far they can go.
IP,
I think Stepinac fans everywhere are very happy making the semis.
Next year the CHSAA will be even better. Christ the King loses the most (Severe, Fuchs and Harmon), but they return the 6’10” kid De la Rosa, the best freshman in the city Rawle Atkins, a very good PG Andre Walker and they had a decent 6’5” soph off the bench this year Atson. St Rays will be loaded because literally everyone comes back for them and their frosh team won the city title. Hayes loses Wilson going to Manhattan and one of their 6’7” kids, but they return Newkirk, Robinson and Jones. Molloy returns Davis and two of their wings Kilpatrick and Cethoute. I also heard Molloy won the JV title. Loughlin is loaded next year returning Carrington, Williams, Delacruz and their big guy. The top 6 in the CHSAA will be very, very tough next year.
States,
Naim Thomas has been playing excellent basketball. His stock must be climbing doing it again all these other big name guards. You’re right that the CHSAA is a tough mountain to climb. If your schedule allows, you should go to the semis on Thursday at Fordham University. You’ll get to see Naim going up against two big-time guards from Loughlin – Carrington and Williams – they are very, very good.
Hoops,
It seems like it, he was cheering his boys on last night. It would be nice to return the favor. I’ll be in Newburgh for the Burke game Wednesday most likely so I don’t want to ball myself out for the week. Hectic schedule. One day maybe, I’ll be able to breeze around to all the hot games, just not now.
States,
If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll enjoy the CHSAA semis! There will be somewhere around 8 or 9 future big time college basketball players playing, as ‘chsaa’ said above there could easily be 15 future D1 players among the four teams, could be more.
Hoops,
I love Hoops and have been dying to get to some of their games. With my commute and caring for my dad, these days I can only follow where my heart leads. As a Pioneer alum, you know what that entails.
States,
I hear you. But just as an fyi, there is a Metro North stop at Fordham University. 6pm tip. It would be worth your while if you like good basketball!
Hoops,
I hear that. Get back home at 10, see dad until 11, get home at 11:30, shower-
bed by 12:15-wake up at 4:45 to commute back to work. Not conducive to a productive work week! If Step can win this tough one, might be able to slide to the next one. If they pull it off, you are right [if not already] about a change of the guard at the #1 spot!States,
Productive work weeks go out the window during the playoffs! I’d just suggest sleeping on the train. Stepinac game should be over by 7:30.
As far as the #1 spot conversation, that is waaaay over. There is no question about that anymore. I’m wrong plenty of times about things, I’m correct occasionally. This was the latter.
I also remember a few people telling me earlier this week that Joe Clarke and Brendan Hynes were a “wash”. I disagreed, I thought Clarke was considerably better. I’m feeling good about that comment.
This wasn’t a knock on MV, but I said earlier in the year to Haywood and Space that I thought this MV team lacked a true pg – they’ve had a great run of excellent lead guards for years and years. They had a lot of good, athletic wings this year, but they didn’t really have a true PG. That certainly came back to bite them looking at the 30 TOs yesterday and all the TOs late in the game when it mattered most.
Hoops,
Very true. A throwback PG makes all the difference. Note PK finally got over the hump with a PG equally adept at scoring and facilitating.
I just may have to make that trip.
1.) Stepinac
2.) PK
3a). New Ro
3b)MV
5.) No Rock (?)
6.) Pac
7.) SV
8.) Byram
9.) Arlington
10.) Eastchester
Iona could be tossed in between 6-10 if you want to include those boys.
States,
Your list looks pretty reasonable. But if we’re ranking teams as they are playing right now, Iona needs to be much higher. I think it is pretty fair to say that not much separates Pk, Iona, New Ro and MV this year. No Rock and Mahopac aren’t too far behind them either. You can’t forget Iona beat New Ro. Iona also had two big wins against Hayes and St Rays that no other local team pulled off the caliber of those wins (besides Stepinac). Iona had a rough stretch in January – as most young teams will do – unfortunately for them they had to play teams like Christ the King, Loughlin, Holy Cross, etc, in that stretch. I watched Iona yesterday and they handled Loughlin’s pressure very well – Loughlin’s press is just a tough as MV’s or New Ro, except that Loughlin has better athletes and is longer.
States,
Now that I think about it. Its great Pok won A this year, but looking at how things played out, Pok would’ve had as good a chance as they’ve had in a long time beating MV in AA this season.
Hoops,
After reviewing your notes. I’ll put Iona at 3c with a chance to beat any of the 3’s and PK. A lot of parity this season for sure.
Hoops,
True, I just think we would have had a difficult time keeping MV off the glass and that would have made the difference in a tight matchup.
States,
Thats a fair point about having trouble keeping MV off the glass – they do crash always the boards well. But in an ugly game, anything can happen – just ask New Ro!
ALWAYS ALIVE AND KICKING;;
I JUST HOPE ALL TEAMS LEFT REFOCUS AND KEEP GRINDING
Hoops Fan
If Iona is not a top 10 team in Westchester then someone needs to have their head examined because at the end of the day they beat New Rochelle by double digits and have wins over Hayes and St. Raymonds on the road. They also gave Loughlin two tough games- Now being objective I do think Mount Vernon would probably beat Iona but it would be a good game. But as we saw yesterday anything can happen because if MV play New Rochelle 10 times this year they beat them 8-9 of those games.
Hoops,
Amen to that. I hope we take their grittiness representing A the rest of the way! If any team can do well in the State Playoffs after such a long lay off, it’s PK. Time to work!
I agree MV would likely beat Iona this year and I also agree it would probably be a good game. But I also don’t think MV would beat Hayes this year and probably not St Rays either (both of which Iona managed to do…somehow!)
I agree with the above posters about Iona Prep being rated higher. They play a much tougher schedule in the CHSAA ‘AA’ League. In addition to playing the powerhouses in Brooklyn/Queens, they also have to play 2 of the best teams in the Bronx, and even Stepinac twice.
I have to give props to Stepinac this year. A 20-7 record in that League is ridiculous!. They have one Division 1 player and a lot of young talented guards. They will always lack size, but their guard play is traditionally good, and should continue next year, as they have most of them back, plus a heady kid from JV that can definitely score the ball.
This is hard for me, but I wish you luck. Keep representing Westchester, and get to the CHSAA Finals.
Stepinac will have its hands full against LOUGHLIN…hope they learned from their last meeting.. They play bishop LOUGHLIN tough for 3 1/2 quarters..now they need to go 4 strong..
Has anyone heard fom The BOWLER fom Mahopac.?
Hoops,
Molloy won the jv championship? Wow! I saw CTK JV and they looked unstoppable! Good for Molloy! Where was this played? Remember when they played fresh and jv finals at Fordham! Hayes vs CTK should / could be a classic!!
ionapower
New Ro also lost to scarsdale, are they top 10 also?
StepFan,
I’m not sure where they played the JV championship. Probably not Fordham. Maybe Mount or St Rays, possibly CTK.
I agree Hayes/CTK should be a good one. Hayes/Molloy in the QFs was an excellent game! Stepinac will need to play very well to hang with Loughlin, but they did it before, they can do it again.
Hoops,
Left after Step win..wish I stayed for that molloy Hayes game.. Just heard St Rays frosh upset Hayes frosh in the final. All these teams are ready to reload! Hope this final 4 appearance helps us get some prime time student athletes! We need to start reloading!
StepFan,
The Hayes/Molloy game was excellent. Cj Davis and shavar newkirk were going at it. Loughlin/Iona was even a pretty good game. loughlin is very talented.
It is a lot harder for Stepinac to “reload” like the other prime time AA teams. Being in the five boroughs there are just so many more athletes that can choose your school. stepinacs Jv this year had some players that will contribute next year on the varsity and the freshman team also had some talented players. With Thomas, King and Miller coming back next year, they should be very competitive again.