By Anthony Bosco
Ivan Marnika scored 27 points in 25 minutes, shooting 10-for-15 from the field and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the Archbishop Molloy varsity boys’ basketball team to a 104-72 win over Wadleigh in non-league action Friday.
“If he gets 10 to 15 shots per game, he’s going to score,” Molloy head coach Jack Curran said of Marnika, a 6-foot-6 senior forward out of Astoria. “When we spread out our scoring we’re a better team.”
Six Stanners scored in double figures, including Joseph Mackey, a senior guard from Flushing who finished with 17 points in just over 15 minutes, hitting 3-of-3 from three-point range. The much-lauded Sundiata Gaines, a 6-foot junior guard from Jamaica, was 5-for-8 from the field for 15 points in 20 minutes.
Senior point guard Marlon Smith was 4-for-11 from the field for 14 points, with five assists and two steals. St. Albans swingman Willis Kittrell and senior forward Otoja Abit, out of Woodside, scored 11 apiece in the high-scoring affair.
“They force you to keep running up the court,” Curran said of Wadleigh. “They were actually pretty good. I think they will beat a few teams this year.”
Molloy improved to 5-4 on the year with the win. After a date with All Hallows Tuesday, the Stanners will host St. Raymond’s Friday at 7:30 p.m. St. Ray’s handed Molloy its lone league loss this year.
Christ the King 71, All Hallows 66 (OT). Against All Hallows, senior guard Japhet McNeil led the way for CK with a 26-point effort, including 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Mitchell Beauford and Justin Marshall both contributed 15 points in the win. All Hallows had the ball with 25 seconds to play and the game tied but could not score the deciding bucket, giving the Royals the opportunity to close out the game in overtime and improve their record to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in league play.
Cathedral Prep 66, St. Agnes 48. Bradd Wierzbicki paced the Crusaders with 20 points, while John Guerrero added eight points and seven rebounds. Cathedral Prep improved to 7-3 overall and 6-0 in CHSAA C action.
St. Francis Prep 82, Buckingham, Browne & Nichols (Cambridge, Mass.) 57. Senior guard Bryan Geffen, a Bayside resident, led the Terriers with 29 points, while Joe Carkucci contributed 12 and Andrew Cashin added 10 points in non-league action Friday. St. Francis Prep improved to 10-1 overall with the win.
Christ the King 81, Monsignor McClancy 55. The Royals kicked off their league season with an easy 26-point win, propelled by Beauford with 16 and Marshall with 14.
St. John’s Prep falls in finals of tournament
The St. John’s Prep Red Storm made it to the finals of the Northeast Catholic basketball Classic in Trumball, Conn. last week, only to fall to Malverne Prep of Malverne. Pa., 61-60. Jack Fulcher, who was named to the all-tournament team, led the way with 13, along with Serge Clement, while Gary Graham added 11. Jamel Ferguson’s shot at the buzzer missed the mark.
In the first round the Red Storm bested Bishop Sheverus of Portland, Maine, 50-43, as Fulcher led with 15, followed by 11 from Clement and 10 from Jamel Bedford.
In the semifinals, St. John’s bested fellow Queens participant Monsignor McClancy, 66-52. Brian Dunston led with 18, followed by 12 from Clement, 11 from Sean Armantrading and 10 from Bedford.
St. John’s Prep is now 6-4 overall in the year.
Cross takes second at Christmas Classic
The Holy Cross Knights lost to Washington, D.C.’s Archbishop Carroll in the finals of the St. John’s College High School Christmas Classic in Washington, D.C., 55-41, despite 11 points from Ramosa Modesto and 10 from Anthony Clarke.
In the semifinals, the Knights defeated the host school, 51-48, behind Gordon McKenzie’s 16 points. Sophomore guard Michael Johnson, out of Jamaica, added 10 in the win.
In the tournament opener, Cross edged out Philadelphia’s LaSalle High School, 52-49. McKenzie and Modesto led the way with 14 points apiece.
Cross is now 7-3 overall and will host Molloy Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
