We Are The Champions-CTK’s point guard explodes for 34 points, leading Royals’ Rout

Glens Falls, N.Y. — For three years, from 2002 through 2004, Murry Bergtraum had Christ the King’s number, beating them in the state tournament at the end of each season. Then a short, skinny sophomore point guard named Lorin Dixon joined the Royals, and the balance of power in this budding rivalry suddenly shifted, from the Lower East Side in Manhattan to Western Queens.
This time, the 5-foot-4 speed demon, so instrumental in last year’s title game because of the way she handled the Lady Blazers’ press, was more than just a difference maker. The Springfield Gardens native turned the latest saga of this budding rivalry into a rout, scoring 20 of her game-high 34 points in the second half to earn MVP honors.
“That’s crazy,” she said after guiding CTK to their 57th consecutive victory and a State Federation Girls Class AA Tournament of Champions title, 79-66, their second straight, over Bergtraum Saturday evening at the Glens Falls Civic Center. “I never would’ve expected to be MVP.”
On the same court as the two All-Americans, CTK’s Tina Charles and Bergtraum’s Epiphanny Prince, the Rutgers’ bound-guard who gained nationwide notoriety for scoring 113 points in a blowout victory in February, Dixon was by far the most impressive. “I think she was the catalyst, and she’s been the catalyst for us all year,” Royals Coach Bob Mackey said. “She speeds the game up without affecting anybody else.”
Dixon had help. Fellow junior guard Sky Lindsay scored 15 of her 16 points in the first half, helping the Royals build a 40-32 halftime lead. Although Charles managed just 16 points, she showed why she’s “a coach’s dream,” as Mackey said afterward, dominating the paint with 18 rebounds and three blocked shots. Prince, widely praised as the best guard in the country, had a rare off night, shooting just 8-of-25 from the field for 24 points. Erica Morrow led Bergtraum with 28.
The Lady Blazers (27-2) are known for their relentless full-court press that tears opponents apart at the seams. In the teams’ prior two meetings - last year’s state title game and another match-up January 20th at Madison Square Garden - Dixon handled the pressure with ease. Because of that, Bergtraum didn’t even utilize their defensive strength until late in the fourth quarter, with CTK up by 16 with six minutes remaining. At that point, Dixon simply reminded the Lady Blazers of why they stayed away from trapping her, blazing past Morrow, Prince and the other Bergtraum guards like they were standing still. “I love when teams press me,” said Dixon, a former track star. “You can’t press Christ the King. I love to run and I run faster than everybody. I pass them and I don’t look back.”
Still, the final moments belonged to Charles, awarded Miss New York State Basketball, an honor given to the most accomplished senior, after the Royals semifinal win here Friday night. The 6-foot-4 UConn-bound dynamo now presides over a pair of Christ the King (30-0) girls basketball firsts - back-to-back undefeated seasons and top rankings and a “dunk,” or at least half of one.
As the final seconds ticked away to the Royals’ 12th Federation title, Charles retrieved a loose ball near midcourt. She gracefully strode to the hoop and rose up for the monumental flush. The ball slightly came lose as her hands gripped the rim, the ball bouncing in and out and in again, an exclamation point to another flawless campaign.
“I just kind of happened when I got in the air,” she said. “You could call it what you want. We won, that’s the best thing about it.”