CK Rolls Over Interstate Foe

The Christ the King girls basketball program is different this year, just as many predicted when last season's consensus Player of the Year, 6-foot-4 center Tina Charles, departed the Middle Village school for the University of Connecticut.
They don't dominate the paint. Their winning streak - ended at 57 by the Academy of the Holy Cross (Maryland) to start the season - is no more.
But the Royals, ranked third by USA Today to start the year, are still a national force, a power index cemented by their dominant, 76-55, win over No. 17 North Canton Hoover (OH) at CK Saturday afternoon.
The defeat, their first since March of 2004, the Royals maintain, has actually helped already. After the loss, a game where they missed 18 free throws and turned the ball over 24 times, many of the seniors - notably point guard Lorin Dixon - were heartbroken.
&#8220I'm not going to lie, I cried,” she said.
The next day, however, after the team met, a huge burden was lifted. &#8220It woke us up and made us realize we can start our own streak,” Dixon said. &#8220We realized it wasn't the end of the world. It took a lot of pressure off.”
&#8220It was a shock to some of the older girls,” CK Coach Bob Mackey said, &#8220but it was something that was going to happen sooner rather than later - and it was necessary.”
Two days later, they throttled Bishop Ford in their league opener, won again Friday over Westfield (Va), and then faced North Canton Hoover who featured the kind of size that used to be a CK staple - three players six-foot-2 or taller. But the Royals never let that even come into the equation despite missing their biggest player, 6-foot-3 sophomore center Bianca Martinez.
At times playing a five-guard lineup, the Royals (3-1, 1-0 CHSAA I) raced around - and at times through - North Canton Hoover, sprinting to a 47-31 halftime lead, a commanding advantage that remained above 15 the rest of the way.
&#8220We don't have the height,” said senior guard Sky Lindsay, Dixon's running mate, &#8220but we have the speed. We have to take advantage of what we have.”
&#8220I thought our transition (game) was really clicking,” Mackey added.
As expected, the 5-foot-4 Dixon and Lindsay spurred the Royals to victory. The duo combined for 48 points, 26 from Lindsay, the St. John's University recruit, who hammered the visiting Lightning with a bevy of feathery jumpers and forays to the hoop.
&#8220Sky and Lindsay controlled the game,” marveled Mackey. &#8220They made some great decisions.”
With only 6-foot-1 sophomore Tahira Johnson seeing minutes in the frontcourt, the two also aggressively hit the boards, bringing down 13 caroms. &#8220Everybody has to rebound now,” Dixon said.
Particularly with the Royals' annual holiday trip to Phoenix, AZ for the Nike Tournament of Champions, where they will meet four other ranked opponents, on the horizon.
&#8220We're going into Arizona thinking we can play with anybody,” Dixon said of the tournament that begins this weekend. &#8220This gives us a lot of confidence.”