That Holy Cross has won its first three games is not very surprising. But that they have done it without their dynamic junior Sylven Landesberg, the CHSAA ‘AA' leading scorer last season, certainly is.
Still nursing a sore ankle he hurt in practice Friday, Dec. 1, Landesberg, expected to return shortly, remained sidelined as the Knights rolled past PSAL power Wings, 71-59, in the Big Apple Basketball PSAL-CHSAA Challenge at Baruch College Sunday afternoon.
Senior guard Shameel Carty led the way with 24 points, and juniors Ernest Freeman (16 rebounds) and Blaise French had 14 apiece. Jamie Harris led Wings with 29.
With Landesberg yet to see any game action, Holy Cross has relied on balanced scoring. In their other two victories - over Holy Trinity (Long Island) and Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) - the Knights had four players score in double figures.
“This will help us in the long run,” Holy Cross Coach Paul Gilvary said. “I think it makes us a much better team because we can get scoring from a lot of places.”
Perhaps, but Carty, who has led Holy Cross in scoring twice, has temporarily taken the baton from Landesberg. A reserve a season ago, the 6-foot guard had the most experience of any Knight after four teammates transferred this fall.
“He's done everything we've asked of him,” Gilvary said.
Carty said the team was bothered by the defections, yet has used it as motivation to prove the doubters wrong. So when the team's star went down, Carty helped prove the remaining players could get it done, even without their leading scorer.
“Since I'm a senior, I thought it was my opportunity to make this team stronger,” he said, “and be the leader of the team.”
In other games during the Big Apple Basketball PSAL-CHSAA Challenge, Molloy lost to Boys & Girls, 66-57. Rocco Rubino led the Stanners with 14 points. Clayton Sterling had 20 for Boys & Girls. On Saturday at Hunter College, Campus Magnet dropped a 61-59 decision to Xaverian at Hunter College. Malachi Peay scored 22 points and Keith McAllister added 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Brandon Romain led the Clippers with a game-high 25 points and earned MVP honors.
St. Francis Prep won the Brother Arnold Tournament at Monsignor McClancy, topping Monsignor Scanlon, St. John the Baptist, and Regis in the final, who they topped, 71-65.
– Zachary Braziller
