By Dylan Butler
Curran quietly walked into the gym at Holy Cross early in the second quarter. His team, though, didn't show up until late in the third quarter when the Stanners erased a 19-point deficit to take a two-point lead with 1:23 left in the fourth quarter.All Hallows survived a near collapse and some questionable officiating to beat Molloy, 82-79, to advance to the quarterfinals where the Gaels will play Bishop Loughlin Thursday at St. Francis Prep.”We played with more energy (in the second half),” said Russ Smith, who had 24 points for Molloy, including a desperation three-pointer with two seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. “When we started off, the gym was dead and All Hallows played harder and had more energy.”Matt Grogan added 21 points in his final high-school game, including eight straight points in a key 14-0 third-quarter run that saw the Stanners rally from a 44-25 deficit.But Molloy (13-13), which led 66-64 on a Smith layup with 1:23 left, had no answer for Devon Collier. The 6-foot-7 sophomore center dominated Molloy sophomore Ashton Pankey to the tune of 32 points and 20 rebounds. Pankey, a 6-foot-8 center, had 11 points.Rashawn Stores added 22 points and Tevin Williams had 20 for the Gaels, which had just seven available players because several players were suspended following an in-game fight last month while star Shane Southwell left for rival Rice.”At first it looked like they didn't have enough guys to warm up,” Grogan said. “I thought we had an advantage.”While John Carey, who played for Curran and graduated from Molloy in 1966, advances to the quarterfinals, Curran's 50th year of coaching at Molloy ends with 898 career wins. So will Curran, who attended All Hallows, be back for a 51st year?”As far as I know,” Curran said. “Unless they plan on firing me after this game.”St. Peter's 74, St. Francis Prep 57. Led by OD Anosike (26 points), Lafayette Curtis, (16 points) and Pace-bound Ryan Woods (12 points), St. Peter's cruised past St. Francis Prep in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional first round game Sunday at Holy Cross.Robert Blazicevic had 17 points and Bobby Nacer added 13 for St. Francis Prep, which finished the season with a 2-21 record. St. Peter's (21-6) advances to face Holy Cross in a quarterfinal Friday at Christ the King.Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
