By Marc Raimondi
“At first, a lot of people weren't up for it,” Pena said. “At first, I wasn't even up for it. It's not the same, ya know? We're used to winning. But I talked to them and said, 'We have a second chance. Let's take it. We have a chance to win a state title. Let's not let that go to waste.'”On Saturday, Pena came through again, this time on the court. The 5-foot-5 point guard scored seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter in Christ the King's 51-46 win against Holy Trinity in the CHSAA Class A state championship game Saturday at Hofstra University. Pena stopped Holy Trinity's 9-0, lead-taking run with 3:47 left in the game with a fast-break layup and made two free throws with 18.3 seconds left to seal the victory.CK (15-12) will now play the PSAL Class A champion in the state Federation 'A' semifinals March 28 in Glens Falls.”I thought Jael put the team on her shoulders,” Royals coach Bob Mackey said. “She refused to give it up. I saw her little body in there getting rebounds with the trees.”Geleisa George led Christ the King with 17 points, six steals and four assists. Holy Trinity senior Julia Finlay, who will play at UNC-Wilmington next year, had 20 points, including a pair of three-pointers in the 9-0 run that gave Trinity a 44-43 lead with 4:08 left.Reach Associate Sports Editor Marc Raimondi by e-mail at mraimondi@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
