McLaughlin, Flecker put C. Place in final

Dana McLaughlin injured her knee late in the third quarter of the Nassau Class B county championship last season and didn't think it was serious at the time. The Carle Place senior guard attempted to walk it off with her team leading going into the fourth quarter.

However, McLaughlin was unable to return as Carle Place lost and it turned out she had a torn right ACL. McLaughlin made it back for the start of basketball this season and is playing with a bulky brace covering her entire leg. She'll get another chance at winning a county championship after top-seeded Carle Place defeated No. 4 Oyster Bay, 56-41, Saturday in a Nassau Class B semifinal at Port Washington high school. Carle Place will play No. 2 Cold Spring Harbor in the finals 1 p.m. Thursday at C.W. Post.

McLaughlin scored 11 points, Jill Flecker had 14 points and 23 rebounds, Samantha Burden had 11 points and five steals, and Emily Mullin scored 10 points with six rebounds for Carle Place (16-2).

"Basketball has always been my sport," said McLaughlin, who also plays soccer and softball. "My goal was to get back for basketball and win the county final."

McLaughlin experienced some tendinitis in the knee midway through the season and Carle Place coach Mike Bello decided to sit her for one game and because of regents week and one game canceled due to the snow, she was able to rest for two weeks.

"The two weeks really did help me," McLaughlin said. "It gave me some rest and helped get me ready for the playoffs."

McLaughlin scored eight points in the first quarter, including five during a 15-2 run to close the quarter giving Carle Place a 22-9 lead. Mullin scored six points during the spurt. Oyster Bay (6-12) made a run and cut it to 27-22 when Stephanie Mattocks (13 points) scored on a layup with 1:58 left in the second quarter.

Carle Place answered back on a drive by Mullin, a jumper from Jennifer Balestrieri, and Burden got a steal and layup with five seconds left to give the Frogs a 33-22 lead at the half.

"When we played them the last two times, they came back," Mullin said. "We knew we couldn't let them take the lead."

Flecker played a big role in the second half with 10 points and was a force on the boards preventing Oyster Bay from getting closer than 13 points in the final quarter.

"She was unbelievable in the second half controlling the boards," Bello said. "She limited them to one shot down the court and gave us chances to push the ball."

Carle Place beat Cold Spring Harbor twice in three games during the regular season, including a 44-41 win in the last matchup on Jan. 21.

"Our goal was to go to at least to the Long Island championship," Flecker said. "It's been in our heads all season."