By Dylan Butler
The Holy Cross basketball team had beaten Christ the King, 56-48, to win the CHSAA Class AA intersectional title Sunday, the school's first title since 1968.It was Holy Cross' first appearance in the title game since 1978, when the Knights fell to Mater Christi in overtime. Gilvary was a Holy Cross student at the time and watched the game from the stands at St. John's University.”It's been such a winding road that got us here,” Gilvary said. “That's why we're enjoying it so much. There's been a lot of great players and some great teams. But this is the first time we're able to say we're the best.”When the final seconds ticked off the clock of the first all-Queens final in 30 years, Landesberg turned and hugged Gilvary at the Knights bench as most of the pro-Holy Cross crowd at Rose Hill Gym spilled onto the court.”We're not a team that wins a lot of these,” Blaise Ffrench said. “So I think it means even more for us.”Before scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, Landesberg glanced at the trophy and looked at the names of the teams that have won in previous years.”Rice, Christ the King, St. Raymond's,” Landesberg said, reciting the recent winners. “I realized that Holy Cross hasn't been on it for 40 years. Now we're on the (trophy). It's a great feeling. We made history.”Landesberg arrived at the Flushing school four years ago, along with close friends Ffrench and Ernest Freeman to form the core of the championship team. A year ago, the Knights lost in the Class AA semifinals, blowing a 19-point halftime lead in a one-point loss to St. Raymond's.Knowing it was win or bust this year, Gilvary said he purposely put together the toughest non-league schedule possible to be prepared for any situation on the court. The Knights finished third behind Bishop Loughlin and Christ the King in the division and lost to Loughlin in the Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan final. That loss, Landesberg said, turned things around for Holy Cross, which beat St. Peter's and Rice to get to the city championship game. “We didn't want to hand in our jerseys,” Landesberg said.Landesberg, a McDonald's All-American and the all-time leading scorer at Holy Cross, scored 14 points in the first half and was 12-of-13 from the foul line for the game. In four games against Christ the King, the Virginia-bound guard was 37-for-39 from the line.”It's safe to say we wouldn't be here without him,” Gilvary said of Landesberg. “He's a special, special player. He's so talented. He's all about winning, not about flash and style. He's about winning games and in this day and age, it's what sets him apart from others.”Things were going so well for Landesberg, he even hit a shot from nearly halfcourt at the end of the third quarter, but it came after the buzzer sounded.”He was as good as he always is,” Christ the King coach Bob Oliva said. “He's tremendous.”Ffrench had 12 points, but he was lauded, along with Tyshawn Russell, for his defensive work on Royals star guard Erving Walker. The Florida-bound Walker was held to just 11 points.”My shot just wasn't falling,” said the teary-eyed Walker. “I got good looks. I have nothing to complain about.”Roberts scored all nine of his points in the second half, including a critical three-pointer with 3:48 left in the fourth quarter to put Holy Cross (22-8) in front, 46-41.”It didn't hit me until like five minutes ago,” Roberts said of winning the title. “It's too good to be true.”Christ the King (22-6), which won the CHSAA Class AA title last year and fell to Rice in the '06 final, was led by Ryan Pearson. The George Mason-bound senior forward had 20 points in his last high-school game.”I just want to break down,” Pearson said. “It was a tough loss. To do it in the city championship game is even worse.”Holy Cross will now play for the Class AA state Federation title in Glens Falls March 30 against the winner of the semifinal game between the PSAL champion and the state public school winner.Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
