By Dylan Butler
Both players are tall and sinewy and both were among the leaders in the CHSAA in scoring their senior seasons at Cathedral Prep. And now, like Wierzbicki, Liander will be playing his college basketball at Queens College as the 6-foot-5 senior from Elmhurst committed to Knights coach Kyrk Peponakis last week.”This is two in three years,” Cathedral Prep coach Ivan Cohill said. “I guess they like the skinny kids who can score a little bit.”Two years ago Wierzbicki led the entire CHSAA in scoring, averaging 27 points en route to leading Cathedral Prep to the CHSAA Class B State Championship. Liander, who barely saw any minutes last season, is averaging 22.6 points per game and scored a season-high 37 points in the Crusaders' 90-76 win over Columbia Prep Monday. He is second in the entire CHSAA in scoring, behind Moore's Notre Dame-bound senior Kyle McAlarney.”He can play with guys around his size and shorter and he can do things against them,” Cohill said. “What he could do more than Bradd could do is go inside more, although we didn't need (Bradd) to go inside because we had other players. Michael could play inside although I think he can be a better outside player.”Peponakis first saw Liander play in the Bro. Arnold Memorial Tournament, when the lanky forward scored 27 points against host McClancy last month. After inviting Liander to watch a game – it was Queens' convincing 79-70 win over Philadelphia University Jan. 5 – Liander made up his mind.”At first I was very interested because of the coach. He talked to me and let me know, not just about the basketball program but also about the academics,” Liander said. “I was very interested and he brought me out to a game, I saw how they were playing and I thought it was a good fit for me.”While he is being forced to play more in the paint because of injuries, Liander will be used more as a small forward at Queens College. He should be in a good position because the Knights have a very young team and will only lose John Sikiric. Like Wiezbicki, Liander will have the chance to get acclimated as a freshman. And Liander hopes he can contribute as much as Wiezbicki does his sophomore year.”I want to go there and help right away,” he said. “I'll do whatever coach asks me to do.”Holder earns NYCAC honorsQueens College women's basketball player Shonda Holder has been named New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the second time in the 2004-05 season. The senior forward averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds a game in helping Queens (4-4, 4-3 NYCAC) to a 2-0 week.Holder scored a season-high 31 points and grabbed 12 boards in posting her fourth double-double of the season in the Lady Knights' 88-83 win over Philadelphia. The Uniondale, L.I. native followed up that performance with 21 points and eight boards in QC's fourth straight win, a 81-70 decision over Mercy College. Holder has averaged 26.8 points per game during that winning streak.Women's BasketballQueens College 81, Mercy College 70. Erin White scored 32 points on 7-of-16 shooting from 3-point range and had six assists and Holder added 21 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Knights Saturday night. Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
