By Dylan Butler
Former Hillcrest High School star Sherm Whittenburg had a great week for the Marist Red Foxes, being named Rookie of the Week in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The former Hawks point guard has moved to the two guard position and thrived in an 80-60 win over league rival Loyola-Maryland Friday night. Whittenburg scored a career-high 17 points in 32 minutes, including 6-6 from the free throw line. He also added six rebounds in the victory.
Whittenburg, who hit six of eight shots, including four of six from three-point range last week, is averaging 4.6 points in 14 games for Marist this year. He is also shooting 43.5 percent from the field, including 40.6 from beyond the arc. Whittenburg is tops on the team in free throw shooting, connecting on 93.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Former St. Francis Prep standout Drew Samuels had seven points and four rebounds in 22 minutes for Marist in the win Friday.
Jamaica native Karim Shabazz scored the first six points for the Providence Friars and finished with 14 and 11 rebounds for the Friars in a 70-60 loss at West Virginia Sunday afternoon.
Boston College freshman Uka Agbai continues to have a solid freshman campaign as the former Molloy star had eight points, five rebounds and four blocks for the Eagles in a 73-65 loss to No. 4 Syracuse Saturday. Agbai and former Christ the King player Willie Poole return to Queens Saturday as BC takes on St. John's at Alumni Hall at noon.
Jamaica native Shaheen Holloway was outdueled by Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin in Seton Hall's 66-56 loss to the Huskies Sunday. Holloway, a senior point guard, had eight points, four assists and four rebounds in 33 minutes for the Hall, while sophomore floor general El-Amin had 16 points and five assists for UConn.
Former Molloy sharp-shooter Reggie Brown had 21 points in 28 minutes but his Richmond Spiders fell to James Madison 65-64 Saturday. The freshman guard was 6-for-11 from three point range.
Brown's former Stanner teammate Justin Wilson had 10 points and two assists in 18 minutes in the University of Maryland-Baltimore County's 58-54 win over Robert Morris Monday night.
Former Christ the King standout Craig “Speedy” Claxton had 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists as Hofstra downed America East rival Boston University 64-49 Sunday. Cardozo grad Abdou Sylla had one point and six rebounds in 19 minutes and seldom-used Mike Feeley from St. Francis Prep even saw one minute of action for the Flying Dutchmen.
Holy Cross grad Yves Kabore had two points and six assists in 27 minutes for Wagner in a 93-90 loss to St. Francis (NY) Monday night.
Okantey heats up at Broward Community College
Queens native Dwayne Okantey, who starred in the 1998 Summer League, is playing well for Broward Community College in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The 6-foot-4 wing guard, who picked up All-Southern Conference honors as a freshman, averaged 17.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for BCC.
Okantey headed south through a connection with Cardozo coaches Ron Naclerio and Billy Medley. Bob Starkman, the Broward Community women's coach who played at Cardozo and York in the 1970s, is friends with Naclerio and arranged for Okantey to meet with BCC men's coach Wade Edmond.
Men's Basketball
Queensborough Community College 74, Bronx CC 72. The Tigers won its first CUNY game of the year last Thursday. Sean Van Dorn hit a baseline jumper with eight seconds left to give Queensborough (4-13, 1-4) the dramatic win. The Tigers were led by Ronald Souffrant, who had 30 points, including six three-pointers. Jermaine James led Bronx CC (5-13, 1-4) with 28 points.
Women's Basketball
York College 63, NYC Tech 38. Tamara Taylor led the Lady Cardinals with 20 points Monday night.
