Beatdowns @ Empire Invitational

GARDEN CITY, NY- One of the biggest high school basketball days of the season was on Sunday as the Empire Invitational took over Adelphi University. The event brought together many of the best from the New York/New Jersey area with a pair of contests standing out as Long Island Lutheran squared off with a much-improved South Shore, while Iona Prep took on Albany Academy.

It looked on paper to be a phenomenal pair of games that could go either way, but that's why they play the games. Both ended up being fairly one sided with the cream clearly rising to the top. Each had their moments though, and with NYCHoops.net in attendance, let's look at what's transpired with a recap of the afternoons play from Long Island.

The definition of a good team is a team that is selfless and willing to put the team over themselves as individuals and that is what the players of Long Island Lutheran have done. Personal statistics are nice, but the desire to win a NYS Class AA Federation Championship has taken priority for everyone on the Crusaders team.

That has become obvious in the past weeks here as LuHi has gone done to South Carolina and made a run to the Beach Ball Classic title game. They have recently taken down Providence Day (NC) by 25 and it's been all about what everyone can do for one another.

Another tough challenge awaited in South Shore on Sunday at the Empire Invitational at Adelphi University and it was all about the team as all 13 Crusaders scored in what was a statement making 87-37 victory over on the favorites in the PSAL this season.

Coming into Sunday the Vikings were looking as if they were a contender to give Long Island Lutheran trouble having beaten Thomas Jefferson 85-73 on Tuesday, but Crusaders head coach John Buck said it was important to make sure South Shore didn't get to play the style of offense they thrive in and make sure they put their defensive stamp on the game.

"We like to fast break but at the same time we know we can't get into a helter skelter game with an athletic team like South Shore," Buck admitted. "It was important to try to control tempo, break when we can, but not let them break and really make them play in the halfcourt against our big guys."

With a set game plan coming in Long Island Lutheran stuck to it early as they forced South Shore to play in the halfcourt which in turn created turnovers that Tykei Greene '18 took advantage of as the guard had 8 quick points in the first quarter to push the Crusaders to 16-6 lead after one.

If the first quarter was all about Greene, it was all about Tyson Etienne '19 is the second quarter as the relentless defensive pressure continued, and with the duo combining for 29 first half points Long Island Lutheran just continued to roll. South Shore had 14 turnovers without an assist in the first half as LuHi stymied them completely to take a 40-14 advantage at the break.

It was as complete a performance as Long Island Lutheran had had all year long with just last Monday's game against Providence Day (NC) rivaling this effort to Buck and the Crusaders coaching staff as the lead kept growing and growing in the second half.

The lead for Long Island Lutheran was 66-24 after three, and even with the bench in for the Crusaders they still continued to keep the great play on both ends going, and when Caudy Desmornes '19 connected from the FT line in the closing seconds the entire LuHi team rose to their feet and cheering in joy as he scored his first points of the season in what was a thoroughly dominant effort, with the Crusaders downing South Shore 87-37.

Greene and Etienne both finished with 21 points, though Etienne was given the Game MVP. That didn't sit well with Etienne though who when the team got back to the locker room stood up in front of his team and quickly corrected a mistake according to Buck.

"Tyson gave Tykei the MVP award when we got to the locker room," Buck said. "He came in and said Tykei deserved it and said without his play in the first quarter we don't get off to that start which set the tempo for the game and gave him the MVP."

That speaks volumes about the selflessness that Buck speaks about, with this being a team that is all about the team, proving time and time again they will do anything for their teammates over themselves as individuals.

For South Shore they didn't get anyone in double digits offensively though it was Kadary Richmond '19 who paced the way with 7 points.

It was another great win for Long Island Lutheran, but Buck doesn't want to get too excited about a win in January as he knows tougher times are ahead. He is proud though of what his team is this season and hopes that better things are still to come in the weeks and months ahead.

"We are on the right track, but we know that when we wake up tomorrow what we did today doesn't mean anything. We are really selfless though and that is something I am proud of."

In the other matchup that looked to be appealing on paper between two of the top ten teams in the NYCHoops.net Upstate/Westchester Rankings, the Gaels took control early going up 16-3 after one to roll past the Cadets by 29.

From the start Albany Academy struggled to connect from deep as August Mahoney '19 is playing through a back injury and clearly didn't have his normal lift on his perimeter shot. Combined that with the size on the inside of Iona Prep, along with their intense defensive play and it was all Gaels all the time.

Josh Alexander '18 would have a nice moment when late in the 4th quarter he scored his 1,000th career point for Iona Prep, but as he and Souleymane Koureissi '18 dominated the glass, Bryce Wills '18 had his way in the backcourt in what ended up being a game the Gaels took control of early.

Iona Prep went up 29-12 at the half, and they maintained their strong perimeter defensively from start to finish, showing they are without question about the best in New York State in what was an impressive 52-23 victory.

Both Alexander and Kouriessi had double-doubles as they had 16 points and 10 rebounds and 14 points and 11 rebounds respectively, while Wills added 12 points and 7 assists in what was just over three quarters of action for each.

Marcus Filien '18 was the leader for Albany Academy as the senior had 9 points and 8 rebounds for the Cadets, but overall as a team they were no match for what was a strong and talented Iona Prep team on both ends of the floor.