H.S. hoops league without venue for title games

While Philadelphia Public League teams vie for a place in the league's upcoming championship games, the games' organizers continue to vie with a much more serious problem -- finding an area arena willing to host the boy's and girl's finals. Penn officials have not yet agreed to host the games in the historic Palestra -- the site of the last two championships -- out of lingering concerns sparked by the shootings after last year's game that left one person dead and three wounded, including a University student. "I have nothing to report," University spokesperson Ken Wildes said. "We'll make [the decision] when we're ready to make it." Meanwhile, Public League officials, preparing for a possible rejection, recently contacted Temple University in Northeast Philadelphia to inquire about using the school's Apollo arena. The games are traditionally played on the first Sunday in March, which falls on March 1 in 1999. Temple officials, though, say that the arena isn't available on that date. "As of right now, the date [the Public League] asked for, we do not have available," said Tom Anderson, Temple's associate vice-president of community relations. Temple is hosting the George Washington Carver Science Fair on March 1, Anderson said. Public League officials could not be reached for comment on the possibility of postponing the games. Penn's deliberations about hosting the event stem from a gunfight outside of the Palestra following last year's men's championship game. Gunshots had also been fired the previous year, although no one was hurt. Philadelphia resident Anthony Davis, who was killed in last year's shootings, and two of the people who were wounded had attended the game. Police have charged two suspects in the shootings. The shootings rocked both Penn and the city. The trials of the two alleged shooters have yet to begin. On March 15, police obtained an arrest warrant for Kyle McLemore, 21, of South Philadelphia's Gray's Ferry section. Two days later, he turned himself in at the Center City office of his lawyer, Charles Peruto, Jr. Nearly two months later, police also arrested Nate Ortiz, 21, of the 1800 block of South 6th Street. Although police officials do not believe the shooting was directly related to the basketball game, University administrators came under criticism for agreeing to host the event at all. If Penn does indeed refuse to host the championship game, it would be the second time in as many years that a Philadelphia university declined to host a Public League event. Drexel University declined to host the league's boy's and girl's all-star games earlier this year, citing concerns stemming from the Palestra shootings. St. Joseph's University -- located along the western outskirts of Philadelphia County -- volunteered to host the game shortly after Drexel made its decision.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.