By Dylan Butler
Hampered by flu-like symptoms, Landesberg was a shell of himself Sunday in a highly anticipated battle with the city's top junior, Lance Stephenson, and PSAL powerhouse Lincoln. The Virginia-bound senior still managed to score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds, but the Holy Cross basketball team was crushed by the Railsplitters, 81-60, in the main event of the Crotty Classic at Hofstra University. Landesberg (21 points, 11 rebounds) missed practice Saturday and sat on the bench with a towel around his neck for the opening 2:22 of the first quarter, watching Lincoln, ranked No. 15 in the country by USA Today, race out to an 8-0 lead.”When I woke up this morning, I didn't really think I was going to play,” Landesberg said. “I was weak. When I got out of bed, I couldn't really stand.”On a bucket inside by Stephenson, Lincoln opened up an 18-4 lead. The 6-foot-6 guard finished with 26 points, although he sat the entire second quarter after picking up his second offensive foul late in the first quarter.Stephenson, who is being recruited by Duke, North Carolina, Georgetown, USC and Kansas, didn't appear interested in the lopsided affair, saying the game was “boring.”He did, though, take a verbal shot at Landesberg, further fueling the rivalry between the former friends and AAU teammates. The last time the two faced off on a basketball court, they got into a scuffle during the Boost Mobile Elite 24 all-star game. “Every time he plays against me, he's sick or something,” the 17-year-old from Coney Island said.While the game was touted as a meeting of the top junior in the city against arguably the best senior, Lincoln (15-2) displayed its depth and formidable size inside to dominate a tired Holy Cross team, which lost an epic double-overtime game at Christ the King Friday night.”We struggled right from the beginning of the game today,” Holy Cross coach Paul Gilvary said. “We didn't defend like we would have liked to and just didn't have the energy that we needed to play against an opponent of that caliber.”For Holy Cross (14-5), it was its eighth game against a nationally ranked opponent this year, and third consecutive loss. The Knights traveled to Springfield, Mass., Jan. 21, incurring a one-point loss to No. 6 Archbishop Mitty (Calif.), lost to Christ the King Friday and Lincoln Sunday. Holy Cross was slated to face No. 11 Rice Tuesday, too.”Coach asked us how tough we wanted our schedule in the beginning of the season and we said we wanted the toughest schedule we can get,” Landesberg said. “We expected this. We didn't expect anything less.”Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
