Mangels, Sullivan spark Garden City

Christina Mangels had bruises all over, but she couldn't care less. The Garden City junior just smiled. "I don't mind,'' she said. "I like when it's a physical game.''

It sure was, and Mangels fit in perfectly. She had 14 rebounds and seven points, and Barbara Sullivan scored 14 as No. 2 Garden City hung on for a 31-28 win over No. 3 South Side Tuesday night in a Nassau Class A semifinal at Freeport. Garden City (17-3) will play top-seeded Division in the final at 2 p.m. Saturday at C.W. Post.

Getting to the championship game has been the goal for senior Barbara Sullivan for five years. Garden City was the top seed two years ago and lost in the quarterfinals, and it lost in the semifinals last season.

The Trojans led 25-20 after three quarters before Caitlin Wallace scored to give South Side (15-5) a 26-25 lead with 6:24 left.

"It was definitely running through my mind,'' Mangels said of the past few postseasons. "We couldn't let it happen again.''

Mangels was a big reason it didn't. She hit two free throws with 4:26 left to make it 27-26. After Christina Merrifield scored to put South Side back up, Mangels went 1-for-2 from the line to tie it at 28 with 3:51 left.

Katie Trimmer scored with 2:20 left to give Garden City a 30-28 lead, and Liz Stutzmann hit a free throw with 10 seconds left. South Side missed a three-pointer with 3 seconds left and Mangels grabbed the rebound as time ran out.

SEE PHOTOSGarden City 31, South Side 28

Mangels had six rebounds in the fourth quarter, including three offensive in the final two minutes. "She grabs every rebound,'' Sullivan said. "She made the key free throws in the end.''

Sullivan and Mangels are hoping to add a county basketball championship to the titles they have earned in soccer and lacrosse.

"Every year we're ranked one or two and we lose in this round or the one before,'' Sullivan said. "To finally get there is huge. All I have thought about is winning this game.''