COLLEGE SPORTS NOTEBOOK 3/7/13

The College Sports Notebook is compiled by veteran sports writer and columnist Marc Maturo, a lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). The notebook will be published every Thursday. Please send items of interest to[email protected].

Chargers, men and women, surge into CACC basketball semifinals    

          Keeping pace with one another as in follow the leader, the Dominican College men’s and women’s basketball teams have advanced to the semifinals in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament.

The men, top-seeded in the north division and coached by longtime mentor Joe Clinton of Pearl River, defeated No. 4 seed Chestnut Hill College, 91-85, in a quarterfinal game at the Hennessy Center in Orangeburg. The Chargers, now 22-5 overall, will play in a semifinal game on March 8 against Philadelphia University (18-9) at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pa., where the championship game will also be contested.

Coach Clinton, whose Chargers finished the regular season ranked 23^rd, was voted Coach of the Year by his peers for the fourth time. His career record stands at 329-316.

In conjunction with Clinton’s honor, senior guard Leon Porter II of Laurel, Md., and senior center Cory Quimby of Otisville received all-CACC recognition.

Philadelphia University gained its spot in the semifinals following a 68-62 victory over Post.

(The women’s semifinals and final are also hosted by University of the Sciences.)

The women, directed by fifth-year head coach Bill Diener of Nanuet, lifted their record to 18-9 following a 61-49 victory in the quarterfinals over University of the Sciences, 61-49. The Lady Chargers’ semifinal game is set for March 8 at 2 p.m. against top-seeded Holy Family University. The Tigers, seemingly unbeatable at 25-2, advanced with a 60-44 victory over Bloomfield College.

Nick Smith of Middletown was the leading scorer in the men’s victory, with 18 points, while Porter netted 16 points and a team-high seven assists.

The Griffins cut the lead to four points at 89-85 with five seconds left but Joe Clinton closed out the game with two free throws.

Guard Khaleev Ginyard of Brentwood scored 14 points.

KC Jentzen of Pearl River sparked the women with the game’s only double-double, scoring 13 points with a game-high 16 rebounds. The junior forward, an alumna of Nanuet HS, also had three steals.

Dominican never trailed in the second stanza as senior guard Lindsey Lopez of Elmwood Park, N.J., led all scorers with 21 points.

Freshman Deja Gabbidon of Teaneck, N.J., came off the bench to score 11 points and added four rebounds.

END OF THE LINE: One of the most successful seasons in Rockland CC men’s basketball history came to an end when Bronx CC dealt the Hawks a 91-82 loss in the Region XV semifinals at the Monroe Athletic Complex in New Rochelle. Bronx CC had advanced in the quarterfinals with an upset of third-seeded Hostos. RCC, coached by Bill Kurisko of Nanuet, finished with a 24-8 overall record, which surpassed the 22-13 record from the 2008-09 Region XV Championship squad. Region XV Player of the Year Tommie Starkes of the Bronx led the Hawks with 26 points. Suffern High graduate Justin Guzman poured in 24 points and collected 10 rebounds in the loss, while teammate and Warwick Valley graduate Dijon Wilson had 17 points and 10 rebounds. On the season, Starkes averaged 24.8 points, with 111 assists, while Jason Quijada of Spring Valley averaged 24.3 points and easily led the team in assists with 241.

WALKER BOWS OUT WITH WIN: In a fitting close to an outstanding career, Alaina Walker of Pomona led the St. Bonaventure University women’s basketball team to a 71-58 victory over visiting La Salle at the Reilly Center on Senior Day. Walker, an alumna of Albertus Magnus HS, scored 18 points and shared team-high honors with Doris Ortega of Harlem. Walker also pulled down the 600^th rebound of her collegiate career as the Bonnies finished their season at 10-19.

KAHN ON A ROLL: The University of Connecticut women’s lacrosse team went unbeaten through its first three games, with junior midfielder Lauren Kahn of Nanuet setting the pace with a team-leading 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists. The Lady Huskies visit Fairfield on March 9 at noon, and then entertain Binghamton on March 16 at 1 p.m. at the George Sherman Family Sports Complex in Storrs, Conn.

RED DRAGONS PREVAIL: The SUNY Cortland men’s team won the two-day Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at the New Balance Track and Field Center in upper Manhattan. Freshman Julio Melendez of Valley Cottage placed sixth in the 1,000 meters in 2:31.84, and also ran on the victorious distance medley relay. The Nyack HS graduate was joined on the relay by junior Cody Amengual  of West Babylon, sophomore Neil Yodice of East Northport, and senior Pat Fannon of West Islip. The foursome crossed the finish line in 10:04.82. The women’s team tied for 26^th, with senior Amber Stephens of Stony Point finishing fourth in the long jump. Stephens, an alumna of North Rockland HS, leaped 17-feet 8.25-inches. On tap are the NCAA Division III championships March 8-9 at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.

SPARTANS HEAD SOUTH: The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team, which swept Nyack College, 12-9 and 4-3, at Diamond Nation in Flemington, N.J., will be in Lake Worth, Fla., for games against Adelphi and St. Anselm. The Spartans’ six-day trip opens against Adelphi on March 9-10, and ends with games against St. Anselm on March 16-17.

JASPERS HIT THE ROAD: The Manhattan College men’s lacrosse team plays its second in a string of four road games on March 9 when the Jaspers travel to Emmitsburg, Md., to take on former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival St. Mary’s University. The contest, set for a 1 p.m. start, is the first meeting between the schools since the MAAC Tournament semifinals on May 7, 2010 when the Mount prevailed, 10-6. Senior attack Paul Moreau of Pearl River has two goals on five shots for the Jaspers (1-3), who are coming off a 12-9 loss at unbeaten (3-0) Providence (R.I.) College.

SLEDGE QUICK TO ASSIST:

QUICK HITTERS: Rockland Community College women’s basketball standouts Nikki Saponaro of Nanuet and Melissa Loughnane of Pearl River received all-Region XV Conference recognition. Saponaro was named to the first team, while Loughnane was named to the second team. … St. Thomas Aquinas College standouts Mike Abelard of Spring Valley and George Erazo of North Babylon were named all-Region by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Abelard, a senior and Ramapo HS alum, made the team in the 60 meters while Erazo, a junior, was named in the 400 meters. … Michael Scarinci of Nanuet tossed 1.1 innings of perfect relief but the Manhattan College baseball team bowed to 23rd-ranked Florida Gulf Coast, 6-2, in Fort Myers, Fla. The host Eagles followed with a 1-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, raising their record to 7-2 while dropping the Jaspers to 0-4. The Jaspers rebounded in the second game, winning 6-5 on the strength of a three-run rally in the ninth inning. Manhattan meets Youngstown State at noon on March 8 as part of a four- game set at the Panther Classic in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 8-10. On March 13, the Jaspers take on New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury at 3 p.m. … Nanuet HS graduate Greg Mooney of Pearl River is a junior midfielder on the Union College men’s lacrosse team, which hosts Babson (Mass.) College at Frank Bailey Field in Schenectady on March 9 at 1 p.m. … The Dominican College baseball team plays the College of St. Rose in Lantana, Fla., on March 8, and then returns north on March 12 to visit the University of New Haven at 3 p.m. … The Army hockey team will open the Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs on March 8 in Erie, Pa., in a best-of-three series against

Mercyhurst. Army (7-20-5) is the 11th-seed and will be on the road against the sixth-seeded Lakers at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. In the other first-round series, RIT will host American International, Bentley travels to Canisius and Sacred Heart is at Robert Morris. … Volleyball standout Meghan King, a Clarkstown North HS alumna, will be playing first base for the College of New Rochelle softball team, which opens it season with a twinbill on March 17 at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Mass. The Blue Angels, hoping to turn around last season’s 1-19 record, visit the College of Staten Island on March 19 for a doubleheader at 5 p.m., and open their home schedule on March 21 with two games against York College at 4 p.m. … Sophomore southpaw Frank Fatino of Nanuet is working out of the bullpen for the baseball team at unbeaten Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen (5-0) of Manchester, N.H., meet University of the Sciences on March 8 in Lantana, Fla., and on March 9 play two games against Concordia College and American International. … Junior Kelsey Rehain of Suffern scored her second goal of the season as the Manhattan College women’s lacrosse team fell to Brown University, 10-4, in Providence, R.I. The Lady Jaspers (0-3) visit Saint Joseph’s University (3-1) in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 9 for a noon-time start, and then travel to the University of Albany (2-1) on March 11 in another noon start. … Eighth-seeded sophomore Paul Fields of Clarkstown went 2-2, falling in the consolation quarterfinals, 10-7, to fifth-seeded Joe Pronk of Johnson & Wales at the NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Wrestling Championships at Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute. … The Manhattan College softball team, coming off a doubleheader loss at Elon (N.C.) College, returns to action on March 13 when the Jaspers (0-3) host St. John’s (3-12-1) in their home opener at Gaelic Park in Riverdale. First pitch is set at 2:30 p.m.

THIS & THAT

Coaching legend steps aside: Hall of Fame girls basketball coach Lorraine Moylan, who became the first coach in the county to go over 500 career victories last season as Pearl River won a Section 1 title, has stepped down. Moylan had coached the Pirates since 1993, after leading Albertus Magnus to four straight sectional championships and two state titles. No replacement has been named yet.

The New York Red Bulls are seeking a highly motivated individual to assist with the club’s overall communications and community relations efforts. Prior work in a team media relations office is strongly desired.

Ideal candidate is bi-lingual (English and Spanish/French/Portuguese), Email [email protected].

SNY, the TV home of the Mets, The Big East and other sports programming, seeks a Senior Marketing Manager to reinforce and solidify the station’s positioning as the TV Home for NY sports. To apply go to http://www.nbcunicareers.com/ and enter job code No. 8990.

Backyard Sports Cares, a non-profit that provides team-oriented sports programs for underserved and special-needs children, has partnered with the Knicks organization to host the inaugural Adult Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament. The event will be held at the MSG Training Center in Greenburgh on March 17 from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Teams will be divided into three divisions: Open (most competitive), 35 years and older, and Recreation (all ages). Former Knicks players and on-air talent will be on hand. For more information visit: www.byardsportscares.org/event-registration.