Dominican Basketball to Charge at Rivals

The 'College Sports Notebook' is published each Friday. Please send items of interest—including local athletes competing at out-of-town colleges—to marcmaturo@aol.com.

--

Fresh off two victories in Pleasantville at the season-opening Pace Tip-Off Classic, the Dominican College men’s basketball team will be home tonight and tomorrow when it hosts its own four-team classic at the Hennessy Center off Western Highway in Orangeburg.

The Chargers, playing without injured 6-foot-7 star sophomore Nick Smith of Middletown, meet Molloy College tonight at 7:30. The doubleheader opens with local rivals Nyack College and St. Thomas Aquinas College squaring off at 5:30 p.m.

The Nyack-STAC game is a non-conference rematch of Tuesday night’s game in Sparkill. The host Spartans won their season opener, 82-66, behind 19 points from Justin Brown of Uniondale, and 18 from Nick Lopez of Jackson, NJ.

Saturday’s double feature pits Molloy against Nyack at 5:30 p.m., followed by Dominican and STAC at 7:30.

Dominican improved to 2-0 by defeating Pace University, 55-52, in the Setters’ Classic finale at the Goldstein Fitness Center.

The Chargers, who had squeezed by Assumption, 78-76, on a buzzer-beater by junior Cory Quimby of Otisville, took control against Pace with an 11-4 run to close the first half with a 26-21 advantage.

The Chargers, whose biggest lead was 31-23, were knotted at 50 with less than two and a half minutes to play before Daniel Woods of Upper Marlboro, MD, and guard Leon Porter of Laurel, MD, hit back-to-back layups.

The Setters hit two foul shots to draw within 54-52, but Porter closed the game going 1 of 2 at the free-throw line for the three-point triumph.

Porter finished with nine points and a team-leading five assists, while Woods and Khaleev Ginyard of Brentwood each added eight points for veteran coach Joe Clinton.

Quimby, a 6-6 center who was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) player of the week, averaged 24 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in the two victories.

Bring on Air Force, maybe?

Senior Pat Kivlehan of West Nyack is making a habit of picking on the service academies.

The Rutgers University senior football standout, who turned in a pivotal interception in a thrilling 21-20 victory over Navy on Oct. 15, played the entire game against the Cadets of West Point at Yankee Stadium last week.

Kivlehan, normally a defensive back and a special-teams specialist, was again at the linebacker position as Army featured a triple-option attack, much like Navy’s.

Kivlehan responded to the added playing time by making a career-best seven tackles, and Rutgers used a late special-teams play and a record-breaking day from Mohamed Sanu to topple Army, 27-12.

A fourth-quarter blocked punt which was returned for touchdown by Jordan Thomas of Endicott extended the Scarlet Knights’ lead, while Sanu, of South Brunswick, NJ, snagged 13 catches for 129 yards to set school and Big East records for receptions in a season (94).

RU improved its record to 7-3 overall, while Army fell to 3-7.

The Scarlet Knights (3-2 BE) return to action Saturday at home in a battle for first place in the Big East against Cincinnati. Senior Day in Piscataway begins at 11:40 a.m. with kickoff set for noon. Tickets are still available by calling 1-866-445-GORU.

Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1 BE) is coming off a 24-21 loss to visiting West Virginia at Paul Brown Stadium. By comparison, Rutgers also lost to West Virginia, 41-31.

Bowl-bound Mustangs maul Castleton

Matt Bonomolo of Pearl River is getting another shot in the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl.

Bonomolo, a veteran junior center on the Mount Ida College football team, sparked another sharp performance from an offensive line that helped senior running back Johrone Bunch of Meriden, CT, rush for 219 yards and four touchdowns in a 54-34 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) victory over Castleton State College at Newton, MA.

The Mustangs finish the regular season with a 6-4 record matching their total from last year, tying the most victories in a season through the 11-year history of the program.  Mount Ida finishes league action with a 5-2 record--good for third in the conference standings.  

The Mustangs visited Springfield College in the North Atlantic Bowl during post-season action last year, losing 26-17. 

Castleton State finishes their third year as a program and as a member of the ECFC with an overall record of 4-6, 3-4 in league play.

The Mustangs make their second straight Bowl Game appearance on Saturday, but face a huge task when they challenge once-beaten Endicott College (9-1) at 1 p.m. in Beverly, MA.

Going out on a high note

Sophomore linebacker John O’Hagan of Pearl River contributed eight stops and a quarterback sack as the College of Brockport football team waylaid Morrisville, 35-20, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium in Brockport.

The winning effort was led by freshman running back Tyrone Nichols of Troy, who ran for a career-high 193 yards, while fellow freshman Dylan Umbra of Sidney had 114 yards and two touchdowns as Brockport concluded a 3-7 campaign.

O’Hagan finished the season with 31 solo tackles, and assisted on 17 others.

Defensive end Dexter Galette of Spring Valley finished a four-year career at Morrisville (1-9). The Ramapo High alum, who had 48 total tackles last season, made 23 solo tackles this season, assisted on 20 others, and added two quarterback sacks.

Shepard in the swim

College of Mount Saint Vincent sophomore Andrew Shepard of West Nyack swept the distance freestyle races as the men’s swimming team sunk Sarah Lawrence, 107-56, in Bronxville.

The Dolphins received a triple-win effort from freshman standout Michael Marte of Yonkers.

Shepard, a graduate of Clarkstown South, maintained his momentum this season in the distance events with two more wins for the Dolphins.

Shepard broke the six-minute mark in the 500-yard event for the first time in his career after posting a time of 5:59.66 against Sarah Lawrence. He also collected first-place points in the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday with a time of 12:22.37.

Lady Spartans break through

The St. Thomas Aquinas College women’s basketball team, which dropped its first two games on the road, took full advantage of the home court on Tuesday, dominating Nyack 86-29.

Shpresa Liharivec of Staten Island scored 16 points to lead five Lady Spartans in double-figures, including Briana Cook of Paterson, NJ, and Sara Oliveira of Portugal, who each had career-highs with 12.

Coach Kim Lusk had the much-needed opportunity to go deep into her bench, as the women’s squad was on the floor for their third game in four days. The reserves didn't disappoint, and joined the starters in expanding on the decisive margin.

The shooting was impressive as Liharevic (6 of 10), Cook (6 of 11) and Oliviera (5 of 8) made the most of their scoring chances, as did freshman Ashley Montrechuk of Staten Island (4 of 6, career-high 10 points). Briana Sloper of Williston Park chipped in with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and Sylvia Davis of St. Albans returned to the Aquinas Hall hardwood after an injury red-shirt last season to post seven assists and four steals.

The Lady Spartans will once again hold court in Sparkill on Saturday, when Southern Connecticut State University pays a call for a 1 p.m. start. STAC will also be at home on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. to meet Goldey Beacom College of Wilmington, DE.

Mortarboard musings

• Rockland Community College (RCC) was upended by unbeaten Westchester CC, 59-55, in the opening round of the North Country women’s basketball classic at North Country CC in Saranac Lake. WCC won the title, beating the host, 72-58.  RCC, led by Melissa Loughhane of Pearl River, who leads the team in scoring with 13 points a game, hosts Bergen CC on Tuesday. Samantha Gabriel of Spring Valley is averaging seven points for RCC, while Christine Brezovsky of Nanuet is averaging four points. Tuxedo’s Katie Sovak has a 10-point norm.

• Justin Daniels of Suffern continues to share the team lead in scoring for the Northeastern University hockey team. The junior forward has a team-high five goals, and two assists for seven points, which is matched by Vinny Saponari of Power Springs, GA. Justin’s twin brother Drew, also a junior forward, has an assist for the Huskies (1-7-2), who will be at Providence, RI, tonight, and then return to Matthews Arena on Saturday for a game at 8 p.m. against Vermont.

• Providence College junior Shelby Greany of Suffern was 58^th in a field of 243 women harriers at the Northeast Cross Country Regional Championships in Amherst. Greany clocked 22:12-flat for the Friars, who placed fifth as a team in their bid to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, IN.

• Clarkstown North graduate Paul Fields, a freshman at Cortland State, lost an exhibition match to Frank Cabbibo of Oneonta State at the John Reese Wrestling Duals at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Oneonta State freshman standout Nick Oliveto, a Suffern High alum, lost at 125 pounds to Janik Santana-Quintana of NYU, but posted victories against Centenary and Plymouth, decisively beating Alex Reeves of Irvington and Josh Huber of Hampton, NH, respectively.

• Senior Kristen Lange of Pearl River anchored the fourth-place 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams, and finished eighth in the 50-yard freestyle as the Siena College swimming team got back on the right track, going 2-0 in a tri meet at the Siena Swim Center in Loudonville. The Saints snuck by Bryant 118-109 and defeated MAAC rival Niagara 144-97, running their record to 8-3 overall and a perfect 2-0 against conference opponents. Lange & Co. take a break before hosting Sacred Heart University of Fairfield, CT, at 1 p.m. on Dec. 10.

• Candace Young, a Tappan Zee alum, is a sophomore diver at Northeastern University. Young, coming off a season in which she earned Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rookie diver of the year accolades, was eighth in the Huskies’ last outing, a loss to William & Mary. Northeastern (4-3) is competing today (Nov. 18) at the Terrier Invitational in Boston, MA.

• Junior Aliana Walker, an alum of Albertus Magnus, often guards the opposing team’s best player for the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team, but still finds a way to help the attack. Walker, a guard, started 32 of 33 games as a sophomore, and her .421 field goal percentage was second-best on the team. Walker was also second in rebounds with 5.1 per game, and her 59 assists tied for second. The Bonnies, who have opened the season with wins against St. John’s and Canisius, visit West Virginia tonight, and then are home on Sunday to meet Morgan State at 1 p.m. Walker had eight points and four rebounds against St. John’s, and picked up eight rebounds and six points against Canisius.

• Another alum of Albertus Magnus, Felicia DaCruz, is already making an impact as a freshman guard at Fairfield University, which is 2-0 in the early going after wins against Stony Brook (42-34) and then Pacific (56-47). DaCruz, a two-time team captain with the Falcons, and a second-team all-state pick, is showing an uncanny consistency with five points, two assists and three rebounds in each of Fairfield’s victories. The Stags visit Quinnipiac in Hamden, CT, on Sunday at 1 p.m.

• Taylor Wilson of Pearl River, a sophomore guard, and Jennifer McSharar of Garnerville, a sophomore forward, are expected to receive much playing time on the Manhattanville College women’s basketball team. The Valiants are in Arlington, VA, this weekend to compete in the Marymount/Marine Corps Tip-Off Tournament. Manhattanville is taking on Gettysburg today at 2 p.m., and then meets Marymount on Saturday at 7 p.m.

• Junior Jessica Biggs of Nanuet is playing a key reserve role on the Mercy College women’s basketball team, after transferring from Westchester Community College. Biggs, who plays at the guard/forward positions, scored 10 points to share team-high honors in a 79-52 loss to St. Anselm, and also pulled down four rebounds. In a 72-53 setback to Southern New Hampshire, Biggs had nine points and two rebounds.

• Sophomore Amy Delva of Nanuet, and Albertus Magnus alum Brittany Griffin, a senior, are members of the College of Mount Saint Vincent women’s basketball team. The Dolphins, who lost their season opener to visiting Vassar, 74-54, are at Oswego State this weekend to compete in the Max Ziel Tournament.