By Christine Sampson
Still, Royals sophomore Sky Lindsay is a completely different kind of player than her older sister Candice, who graduated from CK in 2003 as one of seven seniors to earn a Division I college basketball scholarship that year.”Candice was more of a slashing forward, Sky's more of a point guard type of player,” CK coach Bob Mackey said. “But they're both hardworking kids. That's a family trait.”Candice, who just concluded her sophomore season at Fairfield, was in the stands Sunday at St. John's University to watch as her sister Sky came off the bench to score 17 points for Christ the King in the Royals' 67-39 win over St. Peter's in the state CHSAA Class AA championship game.With St. Peter's trailing 27-14 late in the second quarter, Sky Lindsay put up three straight buckets during a 12-0 CK run which helped the Royals put the game away. “I think Sky has a lot of confidence. She's almost fearless, I think,” teammate Carrem Gay (19 points, 10 rebounds) said. “She brings a lot of energy on and off the court.”On a team more known for its front line than its guard play, Lindsay says there is a significant amount of pressure on young guards like herself and teammate Lorin Dixon to play well.”(The coaches) told us we can't just be on the court,” she said. “We have to be on the court making a difference.”Megan Mahoney led St. Peter's (22-5) with 14 points. Tina Charles finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Royals.The win marked CK's 16th straight state championship. The Royals, who at 26-0 are still the nation's top-ranked team, haven't lost a CHSAA state title game since 1989, when St. Peter's prevailed. They have, however, lost a few state Federation games in recent years. Four, to be exact, all to crosstown rival Murry Bergtraum, twice in semifinal games and twice in championship games.It's one thing Lindsay does not want to have in common with her sister.”Everything that she didn't accomplish, I want to accomplish for her,” Lindsay said.CK will play the winner of the Notingham-Bergtraum game on Saturday in the state Federation Class AA final. Though Bergtraum needs to get past Notingham first, the potential Bergtraum-CK matchup has for the past four years been one of the most highly anticipated games of the season for both teams. Not to mention most of the city basketball community.Before her own game on Sunday, Lindsay – along with almost everyone else on her team – watched Bergtraum topple Francis Lewis in the PSAL championship game at Madison Square Garden.”It was their press,” Lindsay observed. “They had three people on the ball at all times. We just have to make sure we get the ball down (the court).”Reach contributing writer Christine Sampson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
