Greater Rockville Centre coverage is funded in part by Toast Coffee + Kitchen, now open in Long Beach. Click here to visit the website.
Long Island was the home for this year’s Gotham Classic.
The men’s college basketball event, which is usually held at Madison Square Garden, was held Friday, with a matchup of St. Bonaventure and Notre Dame at the New York Islanders’ new home, UBS Arena in Elmont.
St. Bonaventure’s Kyrell Luc scored 16 points, Chad Venning and Yann Farell posted double-doubles as the Bonnies led throughout in handing Notre Dame its first loss, 63-51.
Luc, who had six assists, shot only four of 13, but all of his field goals were three-pointers, including a pair in the final five minutes that helped keep the Fighting Irish at bay. Venning had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Farell contributed 11 points and 14 boards for the Bonnies (4-2), who won their third straight.
Nate Laszewski had 11 points and eight rebounds and Ven-Allen Lubin pulled down 13 boards to go with 10 points for the Irish. Notre Dame (5-1) came in with its five starters all averaging double figures, but only Laszewski reached that level Friday as the Irish finished at 35 percent shooting, far below the 52 percent they had coming in. They were two of 17 from three-point range.
Notre Dame, which trailed by as many 13 points in the second half, cut the deficit to seven with two minutes to go after Lubin deflected a Bonnies inbounds pass and the ball swished through the net. Daryl Banks responded with a three-pointer to put the Bonnies back up by 10 with a minute-and-a-half left.
St. Bonaventure scored the first five points and led the entire first half after the Fighting Irish made only one of its first 12 shots and shot just 31 percent in the opening 20 minutes. The Bonnies came in hitting 36 percent of their three-point tries, but made five of 10 attempts in the first half in taking a 31-20 lead. They finished 10 of 24 from behind the arc with 13 assists on 22 field goals.
This was St. Bonaventure’s first appearance in the Gotham Classic. Venning earned the game’s MVP award.
Reporting with the AP.
Top: St. Bonaventure guard Daryl Banks III (#5) driving the basketball up the court against Notre Dame in the Gotham Classic, held on Friday, Nov. 25, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Credit: Twitter/Gotham Classic)
