Long Island Lutheran had an impressive opening game against St. Joseph on Nov. 30 with a 74-25 win, but its star player Kiyan Anthony may be missing their next game because of an injury.
Anthony scored 16 points in the game, but during the fourth quarter, he was contested by St. Joseph’s Nate Blenmanas mid-air on a dunk attempt, leading to a nasty fall with Anthony landing on his back. The four-star Syracuse commit admitted that he was in pain but assured fans he was fine.
“Being in the air and realizing you don’t have your feet under you is always a scary feeling,” he said after the game. “I’m in a little bit of pain right now, but I should be all good.”
However, he raised concerns after admitting that he had some soreness in his tailbone, hamstring, and lower back. He may miss the game against Chaminade Tuesday.
Long Island Lutheran coach John Buck revealed that the injury is only a minor one but admitted that the shooting guard's treatment may take some time.
LuHi has several options with Anthony possibly sitting out the next game. This includes brothers Kayden and Dylan Mingo, with Dylan being considered a five-star recruit from the Class of 2026 while Kayden is a four-star recruit.
As for the collision itself, both St. Joseph and Long Island Lutheran officials agreed Anthony's fall was unintentional. Saint Joseph's coach Cooper Calzonetti released a statement regarding the incident after the game.
“When you’re in the air like that, it’s crazy. I know Nate didn’t mean to do anything.”