By Dylan Butler
But the junior forward nicknamed “Sticks” missed a potential game-tying shot when his 3-pointer from the corner rimmed out and McClancy fell to Cardinal Hayes, 59-56, in the CHSAA Class A quarterfinals at Mount St. Michael in the Bronx Saturday.”We got it to him, we set it up and put it in his hands,” said Kent, whose team was 9-17 last year in the 'AA' division. “In our hearts we were all hoping that shot was going to go.”Wood, a 6-foot-3 sharpshooter who was one of the most talked about players in the city this year, finished with a team-high 20 points. He scored 9 points during an 11-0 third quarter run that sent the Crusaders into the fourth quarter with a 44-43 lead.Wood did a little bit of everything for McClancy (17-9), including crashing into the Crusaders bench to chase after a loose ball with three seconds left in the third quarter.But big, athletic Cardinal Hayes (18-8) answered by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter and led 51-44 with 5:13 left. McClancy struggled with the Cardinals' size as 6-foot-6 sophomore Andy Garcia (20 points) scored at will inside the paint.”That took a lot out of us. After that third quarter we were real tired, I was especially real tired after that run,” said Wood, who was 9-of-27 from the field. “I thought we had the game but we just came out in the fourth quarter lackadaisical.”Chris Davis and James Feldeine added 17 points apiece for Hayes, which was scheduled to take on St. John's Prep in the 'A' semifinals Wednesday at Mount St. Michael.McClancy did get within two twice in the final 3:15 of the fourth quarter on layups by Wood and Terrance Howard, who had 17 points. But Hayes answered both times. First Davis slashed to the basket and then Lionel Ellis buried a pair of free throws with 39 seconds left.Wood went for the win, but his 3-pointer with 22 seconds left rimmed out. Evans Pyrriton was fouled on the rebound with 14 seconds left but made just the first foul shot. Following a jump ball on the rebound, Pyrriton went back to the line and knocked down two free throws and McClancy trailed by one, 56-55 with 11 seconds left.McClancy fouled immediately and after Lateef Willis buried both foul shots, it was all set up for Wood's potential game-tying 3-pointer. But this time the shot didn't fall.”It looked good but it just came up short,” Wood said. “I thought it was going to drop.”St. John's Prep 74, Cardinal Spellman 60. Jelani Winfield scored 27 points, Chris Williams had 20 and Richard Jean Baptist added 12 for St. John's Prep (23-1) in the final 'A' quarterfinal Saturday at Mount St. Michael.The Red Storm led 23-9 at the end of the first quarter and 35-25 at the half. Led by Benjamin Bowman, who scored a game-high 24 points, and Greg Barnes and Emanuel Garcia (14 points apiece), Spellman (12-11) got within 41-37 in the third quarter. But St. John's Prep went on a 10-0 run and cruised in the fourth quarter to advance to the semifinals.Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
