Scholastic Roundup: Bushwick High takes a big hit, courtesy of Brooklyn Tech

January 19, 2024 Andy Furman

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Bushwick High suffered its biggest defeat this season earlier this month.

It was the victim of a tough 58-36 defeat at the hands of Brooklyn Tech. The result shouldn’t come as a shock, considering that’s the fewest points Bushwick has scored all season.

It was another big night for Tech’s Troy Hornbeck, who scored 19 points along with six rebounds. The Engineers also got some help courtesy of Baseer Mirza, who scored eight points along with two steals.

Tech upped its record to 7-5

W.J. Gaynor School posted its biggest victory yet this season last week. It topped Sunset Park, 68-46. The win put an end to Gaynor’s five-game losing streak. Sunset Park falls to 2-7 with the loss, which was its sixth-straight at home dating back to last season.

As for Bushwick, it was its third-straight loss on the road and bumped its record down to 1-8. And Gaynor is now now 4-6.

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This from Glenn Thomas, FDR High boys’ basketball coach: “In all my years of coaching basketball on various levels,” he writes, “This was a first.

“A girls’ basketball game at our school (FDR) was temporarily interrupted due to a cockroach running around just underneath the visiting team’s bench. Needless to say, all bedlam had broken loose. Luckily, I was sitting in the corner of the gym and was able to go over and rid the little friend from our gym.”

By the way, Fort Hamilton topped FDR, 44-20.

Thomas has a dining tip as well: “For my Brooklyn friends, I had dinner at Barbalu on Bergen Street between Smith and Court streets in Cobble Hill. The owners are from Italy, they and their staff are super-friendly and the food is absolutely delicious.

“I highly recommend it. If you’re like me and love pizza, this is the place for you.”

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Frank Marinello, who built a perennial high school softball power at Fontbonne Hall Academy, has been named the new women’s softball coach at Brooklyn College, replacing Glenn Moore, who is the new head coach at Wagner College.

Marinello led the 2013 Fontbonne Hall team to a Catholic High School Athletic Association title and finished the season as one of the top teams in the state. He was named CHSAA Coach of the Year eight times. In 2022, Marinello was inducted into the Girls Catholic High School Athletics Association Hall of Fame.

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The Brooklyn College men’s swimming and diving team remained undefeated in 2024 after non-conference victories over host Bard, 144-33, and York, 151-23, last Saturday. BC improves to 6-1 overall. Reigning CUNYAC Swimmer of the Week Nikolai Krylyuk took first in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Reigning CUNYAC Rookie of the Week Michael Kravets won the 1,000 freestyle and 200 butterfly; Max Bratkovsky won the 100 backstroke and finished second in the 200 breaststroke.

And remaining undefeated in the new year, the Brooklyn College women’s swim and dive team cruised to non-conference wins over host Bard, 114-83, and York, 160-13, last Saturday. BC improves to 5-3 overall.

Anastasia Kutuzov finished first in the 200 breaststroke (2:50.09) and was just edged to take second place in the 50 freestyle (28.29). Erin Forrest won the 1,000 freestyle (13:40.74) and took second in the 200 butterfly. Gurveen Dhallu took second in the 200 freestle (2:45.72).

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Rolling to their second-straight win at home, the Brooklyn College women’s basketball team picked-up a key 75-56 CUNYAC win over Hunter College last week. Ericka James finished with a game-high 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and came up with five steals. Sister and captain Sarah James added 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists. Sophomore guard Anna Kitch chipped in with nine points and eight rebounds.

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Behind three players in double figures, the St. Joseph’s University, Brooklyn men’s basketball team topped SUNY College of Old Westbury, 79-71, last week. Jonathan Reno, Justion Nazon and Adam Jasaraj combined to score 52 points — 30, 12 and 10 points respectively.

Reno, and Evan Sirakis knocked down a combined 49 points as the Bears rolled sibling school St. Joseph’s, Long Island, 83-76 last Saturday.

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Sheily Quezada posted another double-double, but it wasn’t enough as Medgar Evers women’s basketball team dropped an 84-50 contest to Baruch last week in Brooklyn.

Quezada scored 13 points and had a game-high 18 rebounds and four blocks. The Cougars dip to 4-6 on the season and 1-3 in CUNYAC play.

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First-year Cameron Windt drained a spinning 22-foot jumper with no time remaining to lift the Pratt Institute men’s basketball team to a 54-53 triumph over the United States Merchant Marine Academy at the Pratt ARC last week. The win was Pratt’s first in the New Year. Senior Patrick O’Gorman had a points-assist double-double with 16 and 11 to lead all scorers and added eight rebounds.

In the first meet of 2024 for the Pratt Institute men’s and women’s track and field teams, Christina Sancho-Spore and Dominic Paolini both improved on their personal bests in the mile and 3,000-meter, respectively, competing in the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartan Invitational last Friday.

Sancho-Spore bettered her time in the mile to 5:23.67 and was the top Division III runner in the race, finishing in 22nd place overall. Paolini lowered his 3,000-meter time to 10:06.84, finishing in 42nd overall, the seventh among DIII runners.
Sarah Cawley posted a time of 2:51.92 in the women’s 800-meter, good for 30th overall and seventh among DIII racers. Giovanna Lisa finished 28th in the 3,000-meter with a time of 12:46.35. Ian Chen clocked in at 59.52 in the men’s 400-meter, taking 59th overall. Asa Brandyberry tossed 11.26 meters in the shot put and 11.14 meters in the weight throw.

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The LIU women’s basketball games vs. Central Connecticut (Jan. 21 at 1 p.m.) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.) will be shown on ESPN+. The men’s contest with St. Francis (Pa.) University (Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.) will also be on ESPN+.

The LIU cheerleading and dance teams returned home from Florida, as national champion for a second-straight year. LIU topped St. John’s, the University of Puerto Rico and Northwest Missouri State in the finals last Friday, at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.

Chase Licata, former deputy director of Athletics at St. Francis College (Brooklyn) is the new director of athletics at the College of Staten Island.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR