By Anthony Bosco
Coming off a 69-63 win over All Hallows Dec. 12, which saw Joe Marino score 25, Chris Fileti add 22 and Ward pour in 18, the Knights were primed for a solid outing in the tournament.
“That was a very good win for us,” Gilvary said. “That was a good early season test for us and it carried over to this weekend. We played very well in this tournament.”
The Knights kicked off the tournament against Longwood High School of Suffolk County. Cross jumped right out in front in the early going, grabbing a 10-point lead after the first quarter and extending that lead to 21 at halftime.
Marino, a 6-foot-4 senior out of Ozone Park, again led the scoring with 25 points. Junior guard Miguel Gonzalez and senior forward Michael Howell added 10 points each in the victory.
The following night the Knights squared off against the host team, the Holy Trinity Titans, and again had little trouble dispatching their opponent. Cross led by just 11 at the half, but blew the game open in the third quarter, again behind Marino's strong play.
Five Knights finished in double digits. Marino was high-man with 16, followed by Fileti with 13, Gonzalez and Adam Frederic with 11 and Ward with 10.
“It's a good start that's for sure,” said Gilvary, whose team finished last season with a 10-17 overall record and a lost in the first-round of the Intersectional playoffs. “We're a good high school team. The kids are playing very hard and very unselfishly. We're getting contributions from a lot of guys.”
The Knights will next play in the Northeast Catholic Classic in Trumbull, Conn. on Dec. 27, where they will see action in three games. Cross will return to Queens to open its Catholic High School Athletic Association league season on Friday, Jan. 6, against crosstown rivals St. Francis Prep.
Cathedral Prep 59, Monsignor Scanlan 48. Tommy Czaplinski had a team-high 20 points for the Crusaders, now 4-1 on the season under coach Jim Dilg.
Xaverian 74, Christ the King 67. The Royals dropped their CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan opener Sunday, despite 21 points from senior center Rob Barrett and 16 from Mitchel Beauford. Sophomore point guard Japhette McNeil added 11 points and five assists. Chris Taft led the Clippers with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The Royals are now 2-2 overall.
St. Francis Prep 67, St. Edmund's 51. Senior forward Rashad Bell had a monster game for the Terriers Sunday, scoring 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking seven shots and holding St. Edmund's Andreas Pope to just four points. Prep improved to 4-3 with the non-league win.
Monsignor McClancy 80, Albert Magnus 51. Tramaine Stevens scored 24 points, hitting five three-pointers, and dished out 10 assists to lead the Crusaders. Kevin Bishop added 17 points and Joe Vargas 15 as McClancy upped its record to 3-2.
Archbishop Molloy 92, Marist (N.J.) 74. Sophomore point guard Marlon Smith had the best game of his short varsity career Friday, scoring 19 points to go along with eight assists. Jamaal Wagner was clutch for the Stanners down the stretch, scoring 16 in the final 12 minutes. Molloy is now 4-2.
St. Francis Prep 60, Long Island Lutheran 57. The Terriers were again led by Bell in this overtime victory Friday night. Bell scored a game-high 32 points with 11 rebounds and five blocks. Kevin White contributed nine points and eight assists.
Cathedral Prep 74, Salesian 52. Czaplinski led the Crusaders with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Keith Gallagher led Salesian with 12.
Bishop Loughlin 72, McClancy 68. The Crusaders dropped their league opener last Tuesday against the defending Diocesan champion Lions. Bishop scored 28 in a losing effort, while Timeke Mitchell and Curtis Sumpter had 23 and 20, respectively, for Loughlin.
St. Francis Prep 94, Bishop Ford 55. Bell scored 28 and White added 16 points and eight assists as the Terriers topped Bishop Ford last Tuesday.
