Effort was not an issue for the Bishop Ludden boys basketball team as it squared off with Rochester-area power Bishop Kearney in Wednesday night’s final of the Rosemary Corcoran Holiday Tournament.
However, the Kings’ talent was a big issue, as it simply had too much of it, which eventually boiled to the surface as Kearney beat the Gaelic Knights 64-51 for top honors.
Thanks to the presence of highly-touted 6-9 junior Chinoso Obokoh, Kearney has risen to the no. 2 spot in the state Class A rankings, trailing only Jamesville-DeWitt.
The Kings beat Syracuse Academy of Science 61-43 in Tuesday’s opening round here, mainly by going on a 26-9 tear through the second quarter as Obokoh had 11 blocks to go with 14 points and Alvin English added 17 points and eight rebounds.
Ludden reached the final without any trouble, routing Onondaga 81-38. Since the Gaelic Knights built a 60-20 lead on the overmatched Tigers by the end of the third quarter, Donnelly could get his entire roster some significant playing time.
And by game’s end, all 12 Ludden players had at least one point. Kyle Hawk had the most fun, hitting four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 19 points, while Ben Hackett had 12 points. Zach Harding got nine points, with Matt Rogers (eight points) and Alex Trufino (seven points) right behind them.
Dan Kaigler only had six points as the starters mostly rested and awaited Kearney, but even that tactic would not fully work against the Kings.
A fast-paced, well-balanced attack helped Kearney gain a 29-16 lead early in the second quarter. When the game slowed down, Ludden crept closer, and in the third period the Gaelic Knights were within five, 36-31.
However, Kearney used a 14-2 run to extend the margin to 50-33 late in that period, and Ludden never got closer than 10 points again. Rogers (15 points) and Zach Walser (11 points) had season-best offensive totals, but Kearney mostly contained Kaigler and Hackett, who each had 10 points.
Obokoh, despite fouling out late, had 16 points and nine rebounds, earning tournament MVP honors, with English and Redell Freeman both gaining 13 points. SAS beat Onondaga 60-34 in the consolation game.
Just before the tournament, Bishop Ludden’s girls team pushed hard against Class AA power Fayetteville-Manlius before taking a 59-48 loss to the Hornets.
All through the early stages, the Gaelic Knights kept it close, rallying from a 24-20 halftime deficit to seize a 38-36 lead by the end of the third quarter.
Ultimately, though, Ludden paid for the lack of bench production. F-M moved in front in the fourth quarter behind the work of reserves Erica Assimon (10 points) and Madison Beck (six points), something the Gaelic Knights could not counter.
In defeat, Lauren Roy led both sides with 17 points. Kayla Kibling got all of her nine points from a trio of 3-pointers, while Natalie Barletta managed eight points. Kelly Granteed and Nicole Granteed got seven points apiece. Charlotte Beers led F-M with 16 points.
But Ludden bounced back in a big way in Thursday’s opening round of the Watkins Glen Tournament, knocking off OHSL Liberty division rival Jordan-Elbridge 58-55.
It appeared that the Eagles were gaining control when it outscored the Gaelic Knights 19-11 in the second quarter and seized a 28-23 lead. But Kibling’s hot 3-point shooting pushed Ludden back ahead in the third period, and it held on at the end.
Overall, Kibling had 28 points, with six 3-pointers, with Roy (eight points), Barletta (seven points) and both Granteed sisters (six points each) offering ample support.
J-E had Molly Hourigan and Grace Dungey each post 14 points, while Ashley Foote picked up 11 points. Alexis Rouse gained eight points and Kelsey Sorderberg contributed six points.
