Miami-bound guard Durand Scott scored 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead Rice to a 67-58 victory over Christ the King in the CHSAA Class AA intersectional championship Sunday at Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym.
Jermaine Sanders added 11 points, James Stukes scored eight and Scott Arias had seven.
Ihsaan Davis led Christ the King with 16 points and Sean Johnson tallied 15.
It is the sixth city crown for Rice coach Moe Hicks.
Rice (22-3) advances to play the PSAL winner on March 28 in the New York State Federation finals in Glens Falls, N.Y.
In the PSAL Class AA semifinals at St. John’s, No. 2 John F. Kennedy downed No. 3 Thomas Jefferson 61-58 in the first semifinal. Jefferson had to play without leading scorer Keith Spellman, out with a back injury.
With game tied at 58, Naquan Pierce hit an elbow jumper to put Kennedy up 60-58. Jeffrey Arzu made 1-of-2 foul shots with five seconds left to push the lead to 61-58 and Jefferson missed a shot off the backboard as time expired.
In the second game, Kansas assistant Danny Manning and St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts watched Lance Stephenson and No. 1 Lincoln handle No. 4 Brooklyn Boys & Girls 76-64.
Stephenson tallied 33 points and 13 rebounds, Maryland-bound forward James Padgett added 18 points and 12 rebounds and Darwin “Buddha” Ellis added 11 points and eight assists.
Lincoln is seeking its unprecedented fourth straight PSAL championship. Kennedy and Lincoln will square off in Saturday’s noon championship game at Madison Square Garden.
“It means a lot,” Stephenson told FiveBoroSports.com of the fourth title. “It means history. I don’t think anybody will ever get that record again.”
Stephenson is also supposed to make his college announcement after this game.
Stay tuned…
(Photo courtesy Kelly Kline; Stats courtesy FiveBoroSports.com)
