Holy Cross zeroes in on elusive title

As the only senior who sees major minutes on junior-laden Holy Cross, Shameel Carty is asked to do the grunt work - guard the opposition’s best player, draw charges, set screens. It’s not a glamorous job but somebody has to do it.
There are also times when he gets to fill up the score sheet. It happened to start the season, when Sylven Landesberg, the CHSAA Player of the Year and league’s leading scorer the last two years, missed the season’s first few weeks with an ankle injury.
With starters Kayvon Roberts and Blaise Ffrench seeing their first extended varsity basketball action, Carty stepped up, leading Holy Cross to a strong start. When Landesberg returned, Carty went to the bench, serving as the invaluable sixth man.
Just prior to the playoffs, however, center Tim Beinert wrenched his back, and Carty was once again moved into the starting lineup.
He’s continued to flourish, never more so than last Friday night when he scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in helping Holy Cross (21-7) to a dominating 86-53 rout over Monsignor Farrell at Christ the King in the CHSAA Class AA quarterfinals.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said of his new role, “but since I’m starting now I feel I have to contribute more.”
According to Coach Paul Gilvary and Landesberg, though, he’s been contributing all season long. “He’s had a tremendous season for us, right from the first day,” the coach said, pointing to Carty’s team-high 29 points in the season opener. “He’s done everything we asked him to do and he’s done it to a very high level.”
Although it was Landesberg who again led the Knights in scoring with 24 points, Carty shut down Farrell’s talented lead guard, James Hett, a Monmouth recruit. Hett, who ripped Molloy for 23 points in their first round upset, managed just 11 this time around. “He’s basically what won the game for us,” Landesberg said.
“I think that’s my biggest strength,” Carty said, “guarding the best player on the other team.”
Thanks to their first Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan title since 1978, Holy Cross got an easier match-up than most teams in the quarterfinals. Now, just two wins away from their first city championship in nearly 40 years (1968), the result is within their grasp. “They have a one in four chance,” Gilvary said. “Now that’s pretty good.”
Landesberg added, “We have a great opportunity to win a championship.”