STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Borough President Vito Fossella SISHL Tournament is still one of the biggest draws in Staten Island sports history, and Tuesday night’s JV title game between top-seeded Curtis HS and No. 2 Monsignor Farrell showed why.
The Lions exploded out of the gates behind a hard-nosed defensive effort, and built their lead up to 28-9 early in the second-quarter. Farrell led 36-20 at the intermission against the high-scoring Warriors.
However, the St. George school caught fourth-quarter fire and sliced the Lions’ lead all the way to two points, 58-56, at the two-minute mark.
It doesn’t matter the level, the SIHSL tourney is known to catapult young cagers into household names on the Island with unforgettable games in the popular event.
And a legend is growing at the Oakwood school.
Vincent Kraker, who buried an NBA-range three-pointer in the closing seconds of the Lions’ semifinal win over St. Peter’s was at it again with the Jack McGinley Trophy on the line.
The sophomore guard, who scored 18 first-half points to lead the Lions, nailed a step-back three from the top of the arc to stymie the Curtis run and spark an 8-3 game-closing spurt to lift the Lions to the title via a 66-59 thriller at Michael J. Petrides School, Sunnyside.
FULL STORY AND PHOTO GALLERY TO COME…