By Dylan Butler
Bird, a resident of Syosset, had 15 points and six assists for undefeated UConn in the nationally televised win. Backcourt-mate Shea Ralph also netted 15 for the defending national champions.
Bird has started all nine games for UConn and leads the team in minutes per game (26.6 per game) and assists with 49 and averages 8.7 points per game.
Another former Royal standout, sophomore guard Toni Roker, had 10 points, including 3-for-4 from three-point range, but it wasn't enough as Wagner fell to Boston University, 61-55, Friday. Roker leads the Seahawks in scoring, averaging 11.9 points and has started eight of Wagner's first 10 games.
Queens native Allison Thorne, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored a season-high 10 points off the bench as Fairfield University defeated its second straight Big East foe in Boston College, 89-8,5 in overtime Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The August Martin grad also grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes for the Stags, who improve to 9-2.
Former Francis Lewis standout Eliana Armijos came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points in Adelphi's 55-52 loss to Assumption Friday. The sophomore guard hit a three-pointer to narrow the Panthers deficit to one point with two minutes remaining, but her attempt for a game-tying trey bounced off the front rim at the buzzer.
In men's Division I action, LeFrak City resident Taliek Brown scored 11 points, including 3-for-4 from the free throw line, to help No. 11 Connecticut fend off Stony Brook, 67-58, at the Hartford Civic Center last Thursday night.
Queens Village native Uka Agbai, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field to score 16 points to help Boston College to a 97-74 win over Vanderbilt Saturday. The former Molloy star also grabbed five rebounds before fouling out.
Cardozo grad Charles Cranford had 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Northeastern in a 63-52 loss to Colorado State in the consolation game of the Hoosier Classic at Canseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Friday.
The 6-foot-4 junior guard had 11 points and five boards for the Huskies in a 103-65 loss to host Indiana last Thursday.
Former St. Francis Prep standout Drew Samuels had yet another monster game for Marist College in an 81-64 win over Hudson Valley foe Army Sunday. The 6-foot-4 senior co-captain scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to record his sixth double-double of the year.
Hillcrest graduate Sherm Whittenberg, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, started at point guard for the Red Foxes and had six points and four rebounds in 24 minutes.
SJU Women Split at Dartmouth Classic
After falling to the University of Rhode Island, 67-61, in the opener last Thursday night, the Red Storm answered back with a 63-53 victory over host Dartmouth in the consolation game of the Blue Sky Restaurant Group Women's Basketball Classic Friday night in Hanover, N.H.
In the win over the Big Green, St. John's (5-5) set a tournament record with nine three-pointers, eclipsing the previous mark of eight set by William and Mary in 1992.
Junior Rasheedah Brown led the way, going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc to score a team-high 15 points. Brown has now scored in double figures in each of the Red Storm's 10 games.
Senior guard Latasha Thompson was also impressive, knocking down 3-for-4 from downtown, netting 13 points to go along with five rebounds. Freshman Sherri Brown was 2-for-4 from long range and scored 10 points while grabbing a team-high six boards.
In the opener of the tournament, St. John's led 31-23 at halftime, but gave up 44 points in the second half to fall to the Rams, 67-61. Brown scored a team-high 18 points, including 13 in the second half. Sherri Brown came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points. Senior Tynisha Myles added 11 points, before fouling out and senior Eukeisha Iton added four points and a team-high seven rebounds.
After opening its Big East slate against Boston College in a game scheduled for Tuesday night at Alumni Hall, the Red Storm take to the road to face another conference foe in West Virginia Saturday. Tip-off in Morgantown is 2 p.m.
Two former Christ the King standouts to red-shirt
Hofstra basketball players Osei Millar and Mike Radziejewski are expected to red-shirt for the Pride. Millar, a 6-foot-7 junior forward transferred from Boston College to Hofstra last December, but will miss the remainder of this season and be available for two full years in November.
Radziejewski, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Jackson Heights, also has not seen any action this year and is also expected to red-shirt.
York women drop first game of the season
Despite 26 points from Garianne Brown, the Lady Cardinals fell to Cumberland, 78-59, Friday. Cumberland (11-1) was led by Nicole LeVan's 22 points and eight rebounds. Lacey Takacs added 17 points. Tamara Taylor also netted 23 points for York (9-1).
