The Long Island Lutheran Crusaders, led by four-star Syracuse signee Kiyan Anthony, have been on a hot streak since his return in early January. On Friday, they faced off against the No.1-ranked team in Virginia, the John Marshall Justices, and the son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony impressed once again in a non-league game.
Carmelo himself was present in that showdown, watching his only son perform really well in that game. However, it was a close one as LuHi only won by three points in overtime, with the final score 66-63. Both teams are nationally ranked, with Kiyan Anthony leading the team to victory with 15 points. See the highlights below:
The game was part of the "Above the Rim Classic," which featured a sold-out crowd at the Virginia Union to see the hometown John Marshall defend home court against the visiting Crusaders. There were 22 games in total, with the showdown between the two nationally ranked teams being one of four highlight matches.
It was a highly partisan home crowd, which was loudly cheering for John Marshall. However. Kiyan stepped up and helped extend his team's winning streak to 13 in a row.
After that road win, LuHi now climbs to a 16-5 record, while John Marshall falls to 16-2. Long Island Lutheran is part of the Nike Elite League and is in sixth place with a 5-4 record. The Crusaders struggled early in the season after Kiyan Anthony was injured after the team's season opener against St. Joseph's where the four-star had a nasty fall after a dunk, though he is finally back.
In the other highlight games, Freeman fell to JR Tucker 52-61, while Glen Allen defeated Hermitage 72-58. St. Christopher's, meanwhile, defeated Woodberry Forest with the final score of 62-57.
Kiyan Anthony and LuHi to face Carmelo Anthony's old high school team, Oak Hill Academy, next
Up next for the Long Island Lutheran Crusaders will be another tough matchup, as it will be against Oak Hill Academy. This would be a special one for Kiyan Anthony too, as Oak Hill Academy was the school his father used to go to when he was still a high school star. The showdown is scheduled for Valentine's Day.
Oak Hill Academy fields several four and three-star prospects, the highest-ranked being No. 85-ranked Ethan Mgbako, a small forward from the Class of 2026.
No. 100-ranked shooting guard and Washington signee Courtland Muldrew and No. 111-ranked power forward from the Class of 2025 Deondrea Lindsey are considered the core of the team, along with four-star Class of 2027 prospect Howard Williams, which On3 ranks No. 39 overall.
Both teams previously competed in Carmelo's "A Very Melo Classic" last weekend.