Holy Cross finishes second out west

Winning the Above the Rim Classic in sunny San Diego would have been quite an accomplishment for Holy Cross, but a second place finish wasn't too bad, either.
The Knights (8-1) fell short in the final, dropping a 74-61 decision to national powerhouse, St. Anthony of Jersey City, Saturday night. Even so, they won three games prior, and had two players - Sylven Landesberg and Blaise Ffrench - named to the all-tournament team.
It hasn't taken long for Landesberg, the prolific guard who led the Catholic League in scoring last year, to find his form after missing the team’s first three games due to an ankle injury. He scored 145 points in the four games, and dropped in 35 points in the loss to St. Anthony (5-0), ranked sixth by USA Today.
Leading the Knights in Landesberg's absence in early December, Ffrench also enjoyed a successful week, averaging just over 15 points per game.
Holy Cross now has time off until their league season gets underway against Christ the King January 9th. After dominating South Shore and St. John the Baptist to improve to 5-0, the 15th-ranked Royals will make their own tournament stop this week in Houston, TX.
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The girls program at Christ the King had a seesaw week at the Nike Tournament of Champions (TOC) in Phoenix, AZ. After winning two straight to reach the semifinals, the Royals finished fourth, falling to The First Academy (Orlando, FL) and Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, CA), ranked sixth and 24th, respectively, by USA Today.
Following back-to-back undefeated seasons and national championships - including two TOC titles - No. 12 CK (6-3) has already lost three times. But the talent-heavy competition they faced out west should only help come March when the Royals look to add another state title to their trophy case.
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Bayside had surprised many thus far, opening eyes by winning their first five league games and nearly shocking Campus Magnet last week. Until further notice, however, the Commodores still have a ways to go until they can hang with Cardozo, once again the class of public school competition in the borough.
The new-look Judges thrashed their fierce local rivals, 86-66, last Thursday afternoon behind 21 points from James Southerland and 20 more from Trinity Fields. Justin Garvin, a former Bayside guard who went to prep school last season and then transferred into Cardozo, added 15.
&#8220They came out ready,” Bayside center Darryl Brown. &#8220We didn't come to play. I don't know what it was.”
For starters, the Commodores could handle neither the Judges' size nor explosiveness in transition.
They hung tough for a half, trailing by just nine after two quarters, but a 17-5 Cardozo run in the third quarter widened the differential. In fact, if Southerland, the silky-smooth 6-foot-7 wing, hadn't forgotten about his foul situation - he fouled out late in the third - the game may have gotten out of hand.
&#8220He opened the lead out where it was more comfortable to take it home,” Fields said.
Unlike the last few seasons, the Judges (7-0, Queens AA) have a myriad of options from which to choose. They can go nine to ten deep, and bludgeon opponents inside and out, whether it’s with big men Chris Abney and Edy Toussaint in the paint or talented freshman Chris Hampton, Fields, Southerland or Garvin on the perimeter.
Just as impressive, they held the Commodores (6-2, Queens AA) in check after halftime, clamping down on the defensive end. &#8220Everyone kept their heads and we calmed down a little bit,” Southerland said. &#8220We rotated good [on defense].”