Leading off today: Park School dug its way out of a 20-point hole and went on to a 70-64 victory over Williamsville South in a matchup of highly regarded Western New York boys basketball teams Thursday.
Park is ranked first and Williamsville South seventh in Class A by the New York State Sportswriters Association. (Full rankings here)
Daniel Scott scored 12 of his game-high 26 points during the fourth quarter, making a pair of 3-pointers during the decisive run. Park used a 21-10 third quarter to take a one-point lead as Julian Eziukwu (13 points, seven rebounds) scored seven points during the period.
Park took the lead for good on a Noah Hutchins 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Williamsville South pulled within 68-64 with :20 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Greg Dolan (22 points) in a 19-second stretch.
• Austin James led Canisius with 18 points to lead the Crusaders past St. Francis 66-63. Nicolas MacDonald added 17 points, including five three-pointers -- four of them in the first quarter.
St. Francis is ranked 14th in Class A this week.
Small ball: Some Thursday results will have an impact on the next set of rankings in the smaller boys basketball classes.
•Zack Walker scored 24 points to lead Lansing to a 45-33 win vs. Groton, ranked ninth in Class C.
•In Class B, Newark sent No. 10 Mynderse to its first loss as Nathan Beard scored 15 points and Brian Sharp dropped in four 3-pointers to lead the way to a 50-42 win.
•Madison preserved its No. 3 ranking in Class D by fighting off Central Valley Academy 68-67 in overtime. The Blue Devils tied on a Spencer Haviland 3-pointer at the end of regulation and won when Tyler Hummer banked in a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer in overtime.
Boys ice hockey: Ben Hurd scored six goals and assisted on another as Pelham rolled past Scarsdale 8-2. Linemate Stefan Miklakos piled up six assists.
He's always in the right place. And once I give him the puck, I know he's going to finish," Miklakos said of Hurd.
Pelham is ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Scarsdale is No. 12 in Division I. (Full rankings here)
"They 100 percent lived up to the hype," Scarsdale goaltender Sam Seltzer told The Journal News. "I'd say Pelham is by far the No. 1 team in the state. They were impressive."
Webster Thomas, rated seventh in Division II, posted a 6-1 win over Fairport, ranked No. 11 in Division I. Luke Sciarrone assisted on four goals and Ryan Babineau turned aside 22 shots.
Also in Section 5, Brockport downed Victor 5-2 behind an Andrew Harley hat trick. Brockport is ranked 10th in Division II and Victor is 14th in Division I.
Girls basketball: Saniaa Wilson had 22 points and 17 rebounds as Bishop Kearney edged Aquinas 60-58 in a battle between two of Section 5's top teams. Eighth-grader Marianna Freeman (14 points, seven assists) made a free throw with :12 left to close out the victory.
Aquinas got 22 points from Ayanna Sampson and 19 from Kayla Jackson.
Hoss steps down: Rob Hoss, who led Sayville to five Long Island Class III football championships in 15 years, announced his retirement from coaching.
"I thought I'd be buried on the football field and that I'd never leave coaching," Hoss, 43, told Newsday. "I have a burning desire for coaching and it hasn't changed in the past 15 years. The competing, the strategizing, the grind, it was all that defined me. And I don't love it any less now. I am a coach. It's why I got into education, to mold and teach young people."
