The CHSAA NY Championship Table Is Set

BRONX, NY - It may have been cold as ice outside but things heated up inside as the CHSAA "AA" Archdiocesan Semifinal rounds took place on Tuesday at Mt. Saint Michael's HS.

St. Ray's finally slays Hayes, 66-53

The third time was a charm for St. Raymond. Unable to topple Cardinal Hayes during their first two regular season meetings, the Ravens took care of business in the CHSAA Archdiocese Semifinals where it counted most.

Isaiah Washington '17 and Clive Allen '16 exchanged baskets early for their respective squads after the tip-off but that's where the similarities between the two point guards and teams ended. Washington would lead St. Ray's, knocking down 22 points to go with 7 assists while Allen was limited to 2 first half points, scoring 10 points overall.

Washington said he wasn't motivated by going up against Allen head-to-head. He said he rose to the occasion fueled by all the negativity he had been hearing about his game. "Everybody was saying that I was all hype and I wasn't ready for varsity basketball but now I just proved them wrong."

The Ravens kept a frenetic pace and executed their plan to perfection. "We tried to really deny their two ballhandlers the ball," said Sid Wilson '17 who stepped up his game scoring 15 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Wilson said that the Cardinals offense runs through Allen and 5'10" Baron Goodridge '15.

The Ravens pulled out in front 10-4 primarily due to good inside play from 6'6" Lydell Geffrard '16 (6 points). The Cardinals didn't go quietly as 6'3" Jeff Hayden '15 (22 points) closed the gap and Goodridge (12 points) tied the game at 10 at the end of the first quarter.

Washington continued to hit big shots for St. Ray's but Hayden countered as lead changes hands. Hayes moved out in front but Sid Wilson knotted the game at 25 with 1:25. Hayes tried to respond but a runner by Washington and buzzer beater by Wilson gave Rays a 31-27 lead at the half.

Washington paced the Ravens with 15 first half points with 13 of them coming in the second quarter where he shot 100%. Hayden kept the Cardinals in the hunt with 14 at the intermission.

St. Raymond's kept the pressure on throughout the game. Up by 9 points with 3:30 left in third quarter, Wilson would go coast-to-coast pushing their advantage to double digits.

Down by nine as the final quarter begin, Hayes would only be able to get to within seven points of the eventual semifinal winner.

St. Ray's have advanced in the playoffs without the services of Cahiem Brown, who was out with a cold, but Washington said St. Raymond is a team and not just a bunch of players. "We played hard and we played as one and that's how we got the 'W'," he said.

Iona Prep Slides By St. Peter's, 64-53

Without the services of their star point guard Ty Jerome '16, who's still nursing a hip injury, Iona Prep was not at full power. The New Rochelle, NY squad still had enough in the tank to send St. Peter's back to Staten Island with a loss.

The Eagles managed to stay virtually tied with Iona Prep at the end of 1st quarter as 6'1" sniper Sean Farley '15 (17 points) hit from the perimeter for St. Peter's. Matt Ryan '15 (17 points) and 6'4" Patrick Flemming '16 (14 points) would eventually explode offensively for the Gaels who moved out in front, 32-25, at halftime and stayed there.

Ryan was weighed down by three first half fouls and was less effective in the second half but Iona Prep still led 45-33 after three quarters as the damage had already been done. St. Peter's kept fighting. After being down 14, they hit back-to-back three-pointers but simply didn't have the firepower to compete.

Iona Prep will face St. Raymond in the Archdiocesan Championship on Saturday February 28th at Mt. Saint Michael. Game time 2:30pm. Both Jerome and Brown are expected to play