Leading off today: Playing from behind virtually the entire game, Aquinas rallied to beat visiting Bishop Kearney 76-71 in a double-OT boys basketball game between two state-ranked Section 5 squads.
Aquinas is ranked fourth this week in Class AA and Kearney second in 'A' by the New York State Sportswriters Association. The rematch is scheduled for Feb. 1 at Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester.
Aquinas surrendered the first seven points of the game, trailed 34-22 in the second half and fell behind by five with :25 left in the first overtime against the Kings, who were without injured 6-foot-9 star Chinonso Obokoh.
"I don't know how we're going to beat (Kearney) with Chinonso,'' Aquinas coach Mike Grosodonia admitted to the Democrat and Chronicle. "We'll worry about that later.
Canisius College recruit Phil Valenti paced Aquinas with 26 points (14 after the end of the third quarter) and 11 rebounds. Point guard Christian White scored all 18 of his points after halftime, making two free throws with less than a second to go in the first OT.
Kearney freshman Thomas Bryant finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 blocked shots before he fouled out during the second overtime. Stanley Foster, starting in place of Obokoh, added 14 points.
Incident ends game: Kingston's girls basketball game at Newburgh was stopped with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter Wednesday after fans rushed the court during a fight between two players. Kingston was awarded a 49-34 victory. (See video from The Daily Freeman here.)
On Jan. 5, 2011, the Tigers-Goldbacks boys game was stopped with :14.2 left after a fight broke out at Kingston's Kate Walton Field House. The boys teams played later in the year at Newburgh and again on Tuesday night at Kingston without incident.
Newburgh coach Rich Desiderio told The Times Herald-Record a Kingston player threw a punch at NFA’s Tashalee Lawrence, who retaliated. Officials stepped in, but fans and parents raced onto the court.
Kingston coach Steve Garner said officials were adamant that a Kingston player did not start the fight. He said Lawrence was the only played ejected; she will serve an automatic one-game suspension Friday vs. Middletown.
“I’m embarrassed,” Desiderio said. “I’m disappointed in our adults. Kids are kids, but I’m disappointed in our adults not setting a better example. I think both communities are embarrassed.”
Said Garner: “This was about adults behaving like children and setting a horrific example. It’s poor role modeling that you consistently see all over. It ends up being the parents and the adults who want to be part of the game. They can’t just sit there and watch.”
Nazareth returns to the court: Playing for the first time since the Jan. 3 death of coach Apache Paschall, the
