Daily Sports Digest: Albertus Magnus Boys Look to Return to Basketball Finals

Albertus Magnus will look to continue its defense of its Class B boys basketball championship 3 p.m. today against Croton-Harmon at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

The No. 2 seeded Falcons (18-2) cruised past Putnam Valley (71-33) and beat Briarcliff (69-51) to return to the County Center. No. 6 Croton-Harmon (16-4) faced a tougher road, upsetting No. 3 Woodlands, 56-55, in the quarterfinals.

Albertus Magnus continues to ride the strong play of the school's all-time leading scorer, forward Tyler Sayer, with solid guard play by seniors Pat McGuinness, Jack Sullivan and ARnell Dandridge.

Croton-Harmon features a dangerous scorer in junior guard Ian Thom, who is complimented by versatile senior Wes Turner. 

The winner will advance to the Class B championship 5 p.m. Saturday at the County Center. The other Class B semifinal pits No. 1 Dobbs Ferrry against No. 5 Blind Brook 4:45 p.m. today. 

The Albertus Magnus girls baseketball team will play in the semfinals 6:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 1 Pearl River. Check back with Pearl River Patch later today for more on that game. 

Today’s Schedule

In boys basketball, (2) Albertus Magnus will take on (6) Croton-Harmon in the Class B Semifinals at the Westchester County Center at 3 p.m.

In boys basketball, (1) Dobbs Ferry will face off against (5) Blind Brook in the Class B Semifinals at the Westchester County Center at 4:45 p.m.

In boys basketball, (2) Peekskill will go up against (11) Poughkeepsie in the Class A Semifinals at 6:30 p.m. at the Westchester County Center. 

In boys basketball, (1) Tappan Zee and (5) Byram Hills will square off in the Class A Semifinals at 8:15 p.m. at the Westchester County Center.

Yesterday’s Results:

Sport: Girls Basketball Class C Semifinals

Game: (3) Keio vs. (2) Solomon Schechter

Score: Keio Won 31-16

Highlights: Sae Toyomura led Keio in their third win over Solomon Schechter this season as she led the Unicorns with 13 points and eight rebounds. Misao Ishii had eight points in the win.

Hannie Everett led Solomon Schechter with six points in the loss.

Sport: Girls Basketball Class C Semifinals

Game: (4) Haldane vs. (1) Hamilton

Score: Hamilton Won 57-40

Highlights: Haldane couldn’t keep control of the ball as the swarming Hamilton defense controlled the games and forced a plethora of turnovers. Hamilton’s Maia Hood led the team with 20 points and 19 rebounds in the win and Ayanna Behagen scored 20 and stole 11 for the team.

Allie Monteleona led Haldane with 16 points in the loss.

Hamilton and Keio will face off in the Class C Championship game at the Westchester County Center this Saturday at noon. Hamilton beat Keio twice already this season by a combined score of 107-27.

Sport: Girls Basketball Class B Semifinals

Game: (3) Dobbs Ferry vs. (2) Blind Brook

Score: Blind Brook Won 69-66 (OT)

Highlights: Blind Brook’s Ali Silfen owned the extra period as she scored six of her team’s 10 points giving her 25 for the day to go along with her 12 rebounds. Leah Saliba added 24 points in the win and Jacqueline Lavitt tacked on 12 in the win for the Trojans and led the team with 15 rebounds.

Sophomore Alyssa Chipelo led Dobbs Ferry with 26 points in the loss and Midori Kihara added 11 while Kristy Degener scored 10 for the team.

Sport: Girls Basketball Class B Semifinals

Game: (4) Kennedy vs. (1) Irvington

Score: Irvington Won 56-35

Highlights: Lexi Martin led Irvington with 17 points and 10 rebounds as Brittni Lai picked 15 points and senior Marley Giddins added 11 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

Kennedy’s Sara Dowd led the team with 12 points in the loss.

Irvington and Blind Brook will square off in the Class B Championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at the Westchester County Center.

College Sports Notebook

Blevins joins Dominican College baseball staff

Former Briarcliff High standout Bobby Blevins, who spent four years in the Dodgers organization and later led the Can-Am League in complete games for the Rockland Bounders, has been added to the staff of Head Coach Rich Giannetti at Dominican College in Orangeburg.

The Chargers’ new pitching coach was a right-handed pitcher for the Boulders last season, and besides leading the Can-Am League in complete games finished second in the league in innings pitched.  He also spent time conducting private pitching lessons and baseball clinics.

“The pitchers should benefit greatly with having him join our staff,” Giannetti stated on the Dominican website.

Blevins, who spent his collegiate career with Division I LeMoyne College, was selected by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and made his professional debut with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League where he was named Pitcher of the Year.  In his time with the Dodgers, he was ranked as one of the Top 50 Prospects and in 2010 he made appearances in Single A, AA and AAA.

Blevins was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2004 and was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman all-American Team.  In 2006, was a first-team all-MAAC selection and had a program-best 95 strikeouts in 98 innings.  In four years as a Dolphin, he compiled a career record of 32-13 and finished with a 3.17 ERA.

Mortarboard musings

• The Manhattan College women’s lacrosse team (1-1) travels to Staten Island today to meet Wagner College at 3 p.m., and then visits Long Island University on Saturday at noon. The Lady Jaspers host Brown University at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Jaspers are led by senior attack Chrissy Gutenberger and senior midfielder Elizabeth Dugan, both of Stony Point; first-year attacks Kaleigh Howe of Pearl River and Carly Cappello of New City; sophomore midfielder Kelsey Rehain of Suffern, and freshman midfielder Caitlin Hynes of Mahopac.
• The Pace University men’s lacrosse team is prepping for its season opener on March 10 at Ohio Valley University in Vienna, W.VA. The Setters are led by senior midfielder Tom Murphy of Yonkers, who is a graduate of Hastings HS. Newcomers include Freddie Wright of Mahopac at midfield, and attack Adam Mirkin of Mount Kisco.
• The Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill stopped a three-game slide in baseball with a 6-5 win over Bloomfield (NJ) College. The Spartans entertain Post at Provident Bank Park in Pomona on Friday at 3 p.m., and then visit Adelphi for a noon twin-bill on Saturday.
• Freshman infielder Meghan Richards of Nanuet is expected to make her collegiate debut with the Nyack College softball team during a six-day trip to Clermont, FL. The Warriors are set to meet Assumption College of Worcester, MA; Cedarville (OH) University; Bridgeport (CN) University, West Chester (PA) University; American International College (AIC) in Springfield, MA; Winona State University in Minnesota, and Stonehill College in Easton, MA.

Weekly Sports Poll

Major League Baseball lost a great earlier this month, former Met and Expo Gary Carter.

Two decades years after he retired, Carter was elected into the baseball Hall of Fame and many consider him one of the best catchers of all time.

But where do you think “Kid” ranks among the best New York back stops of all time?

Let us know your thoughts below in this week's sports poll.