Sullivan leads Garden City past Division

As Garden City clung to a three-point lead in the final minutes of yesterday's Nassau Class A title game against Division, Barbara Sullivan couldn't help but think of the past.

She had watched the Blue Dragons come back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Trojans on Feb. 3 and didn't want it to happen again, not when she was so close to a county title.

"I just didn't want to let it slip away," Sullivan said. "I've seen so many leads, they're there and then you lose them and then the game's over and you go home empty-handed. I didn't want that happening again."

It didn't.

Sullivan went home with championship hardware after she had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists and Christina Mangels added 13 points, 16 rebounds and five assists to lead No. 2 Garden City over top-seeded Division, 46-40, in the Nassau Class A girls basketball final at C.W. Post. It is Garden City's first county title in 10 years and fourth in school history.

"It's been my goal since the beginning," Sullivan said. "Since eighth grade, we've come up short when we were supposed to win but to pull it together in my senior year is awesome."

Sullivan was named tournament MVP. The Notre Dame-bound lacrosse player also was a member of the Trojans' state championship soccer team this year and of several state lacrosse championship teams.

SEE PHOTOSGarden City 46, Division 40

"It's three totally different feelings, three totally different teams," she said. "Soccer was an unbelievable ride that I'll never forget and hopefully, this will be, too. Basketball has been my favorite sport for a while now and to finally get it is great."

The Trojans led 10-4 with 3:52 to go in the first quarter but did not make a field goal for the next 9:39. The Blue Dragons capitalized, going on a 12-3 run over that span and took a 19-17 lead into halftime.

Garden City opened the second half on a 9-2 run and held a 32-30 lead after three quarters. Mangels and Sullivan each converted three-point plays in the opening 1:05 of the fourth quarter to build Garden City's lead to eight. Division cut the deficit to three points twice in the final two minutes but the Trojans held on. Sullivan made a pair of free throws with 9.5 seconds left to ensure the win.

"It's definitely a game of spurts. You just hope that you have that last one and I think we did," Garden City coach Anthony Sparacia said. "The last six minutes of that fourth quarter, I think we maintained, I think we were consistent and I think that was the big difference."

Kristen Stuart had 11 points for Division (19-2), the defending champion.

Garden City plays Glenn (20-1) in the Long Island Class A championship at 6 p.m. Friday at Hofstra.