By Stephen Zitolo
Christ the King and Mary Louis faced off on a fairy tale of a court.
Playing at Nike’s Zoom City Arena was a privilege that both girls’ basketball programs described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
As part of Nike’s “The City of Zoom” campaign for the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, it built a state-of-the-art arena on Canal Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. The arena featured a full-sized basketball court illuminated by LED lights that brought all kinds of visual concepts to life under the athlete’s feet.
“This was like a different world and a totally different level,” Christ the King head coach Bob Mackey said. “It was just amazing. It was like playing on a Ferrari. It was really a great opportunity for the kids and they had a great experience.”
Through the use of advanced scanning technology, Nike was able to recreate the home courts of both TMLA and Christ the King with the LED lights under the court. The first half featured the illumination of the Mary Louis court and the second half featured the Christ the King court.
“It was an experience that I will never forget,” Christ the King junior guard Sydney Zambrotta said. “From the time we got there from the time we left they treated us amazingly and they put this event together very well. The court was amazing, never seen anything like it.”
Zambrotta, who recently went over the 1,000-point mark of her career, scored a game-high 29 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists to lead the Royals to a decisive 64-51 victory over the Hilltoppers in a CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens League game. The win over Molloy and Mary Louis last week moved CK into a first-place tie with Bishop Loughlin.
The contest was part of a triple-header that saw two boys’ hoops games played before it. Rosedale Catholic (N.J.) took on Our Savior New American and South Shore faced off against the Patrick School (N.J.). The girls had to wait a little longer to play than first anticipated when the game time was shifted from noon to 6 p.m. because of the extreme cold and wind.
When it came time to suit up, all of the teams received the All-Star treatment. Nike customized a pair of sneakers especially for the players in each teams’ colors. Nike also gave both teams City of Zoom warm-ups and the official socks worn by the NBA All-Stars in Sunday night’s game.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said TMLA sophomore guard Courtney McCool, who scored 18 points. “It was great to participate in All-Star weekend and to help our team.”
Zambrotta came out and showed everyone at the Zoom Arena what she could. She scored the games first 11 points and the end of the first quarter Christ the King led 19-4 and by halftime Zambrotta had 20 points and the Royals had a 39-21 lead
Mary Louis kept trying to claw its way back into the contest and was able to limit Zambrotta to only nine points in the second half. Christ the King junior guard Kaela Kinder had 10 points and 17 rebounds and freshman forward Emily Engstler added 14 points and eight rebounds.
No matter what the outcome the girls left with a chance to showcase their game on a big stage and create memories to last a lifetime.
“It was an excellent opportunity, especially for the young ladies and the CHSAA,” TMLA head coach JoAnn Arbitello said. “I think it shows the girls that they are part of All-Star Weekend as well because a lot of times women’s sports are pushed to the side.”
