CK’s string of Catholic state titles ends at 17

Bob Mackey knew Christ the King’s run of 17 consecutive Catholic state titles would eventually end. He just preferred it to be later rather than sooner. Unfortunately, that day came a lot quicker than the eighth-year coach hoped.
The Middle Village school’s unprecedented run of dominance ended Sunday afternoon, 54-51, to Long Island power St. John the Baptist, who won their first state title, (23-4) in the CHSAA Class AA girls final at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx.
The absence of leading scorer Sky Lindsay, a St. John’s recruit, proved to be too much to overcome. She missed all four of the team’s playoff games after an apparent rift with the coaching staff, although the school has said she was out with a back injury. After being absent for the team’s first two postseason appearances, Lindsay was on the bench for the two state playoff games.
Without Lindsay, McDonald’s All-American Lorin Dixon had to carry the burden, and she didn’t get much help in the final. She scored 24 points and sophomore Gelissa George added 10, but starters Jael Pena, Aimee Levine and Nicole Caldera combined for just eight points.
“We didn’t get a lot of good shots that I thought we would get,” Mackey said. “Lorin got into forcing the ball a little bit. A couple of girls didn’t step up to shoot as well as we expected.”
The opponent wasn’t too shabby, either. Although CK (23-4) held the Cougar’s talented sophomore center, Christine Huber, to 12 points, junior point guard Daniella Iervolino scored 17, including 11-of-13 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
CK, ranked 10th in the nation by USA Today, trailed throughout the entire second half, but not by any more than three points in the final quarter. They, however, could not get over the hump. Dixon’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer clanged off the back rim, eliminating the two-time state Federation Class AA champion Royals.
“It’s strange,” Mackey said. “It was strange not having practice and not getting ready to go up to Glens Falls [where the New York state tournament is held]. It’s the first time in my 17 years here I’m not going up.”
Well, not for a game, at least. Mackey said he will travel to upstate New York Saturday with several of the players, specifically Dixon, who will be named Miss New York State Basketball, an award given to the top senior.
The Royals took the loss hard, but Mackey put the devastating defeat in proper perspective afterwards. “I told them that if losing a state championship game on March 18th was the worst thing in their lives then they’ve got a pretty good life. They lost a game. They lost a high school basketball game.”
Life, indeed, goes on.