Ryan realizes dream as GC wins LI A title

Kim Ryan was angry about being held scoreless during the first half of Friday night's Long Island championship, but on-the-court struggles do not begin to compare to the hardship Ryan has dealt with in her life.

When the Garden City junior was a toddler she was hospitalized with encephalitis and meningitis during a six-week period. While she was recovering she began a lifelong passion for basketball.

"I had a little basketball hoop in the hospital," Ryan said. "I was 3 years old and I was shooting. I've always had such emotion about basketball and it's been my favorite sport forever."

Ryan exhibited her emotions, pumping her fists as she scored 13 points, including three three-pointers, in the second half to help energize a Garden City comeback win over Glenn, 51-42, in the L.I. Class A girls basketball final/Southeast Regional final at Hofstra. Garden City (19-3) plays the winner of Saturday's game between Averill Park and Marcy Whitesboro in a state semifinal at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Hudson Valley CC.

"This experience has been insane," Ryan said. "I don't know how you couldn't have so much emotion."

Barbara Sullivan had 17 points and seven rebounds and Christina Mangels added 15 points and 15 rebounds for Garden City, which won its first Long Island championship in 10 years.

Allison McKenna helped Glenn take command in the first half, scoring the Knights' first nine points and 18 at halftime as Glenn led 25-16 at the break. As a result of his team's lack of physicality on defense, Garden City coach Anthony Sparacia did something he said he hasn't done all season: he yelled at his team as halftime.

SEE PHOTOSGarden City 51, Glenn 42

"We weren't physical with [McKenna] in the first half," Sparacia said. "We let her roam around, we didn't body her, we just let her be and [the referees] were letting us play in the first half so there was no reason not to."

The Trojans took Sparacia's halftime rant to heart as they held McKenna to just three points in the second half and Garden City outscored Glenn 14-10 in the third to cut the deficit to 35-30. Sullivan made a basket to put the Trojans ahead 39-38 and Ryan followed up with a three-pointer to cap a 12-3 run in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.

"Kim's that spark," Sullivan said. "When she hits that three-pointer it gets everyone else going."

McKenna fouled out with 3:19 to play and finished with 21 points and Emma Klis had 10 points for Glenn (20-2).

As Ryan celebrated Friday night's victory she thought back to the adversity she faced earlier in life.

"Those experiences made me realize I've got to live while I can," Ryan said. "This is really living."