Carly Bolivar, Flo Hunte drive Sewanhaka over Wantagh for Nassau Class A title
Carly Bolivar #33 of Sewanhaka drives past Megan Lucey #13 of Wantagh during the second half of the Nassau Class A final at Farmingdale State College in Farmingdale on March 3, 2019. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Carly Bolivar and Flo Hunte knew the first quarter was not indicative of how the Sewanhaka girls basketball team can play, so both seniors elevated the intensity in the second half of Sunday’s Nassau Class A championship at Farmingdale State.
Hunte’s three-pointer from the right wing gave Sewanhaka the lead for good and jump-started a 19-point run with 2:09 left in the third quarter. Bolivar scored 13 of her 26 points the rest of the way, and Hunte scored 11 of her 19 in the same time, leading No. 4 Sewanhaka over No 3 Wantagh, 62-46.
It is the first county championship in program history for Sewanhaka (18-5).
“I knew we were going to come with a different intensity because the first quarter was not us,” said Hunte, who had seven assists and six rebounds. “We weren’t ready for that first quarter.”
Wantagh’s sharpshooters blitzed Sewanhaka, as Caitlin Albanese, Julia Wilkinson and Megan Lucey helped the Warriors (17-6) take a 14-4 lead.
A 17-10 second quarter for Sewanhaka sent the game into halftime tied at 24. The sides traded leads in the third quarter before Hunte’s three-pointer put Sewanhaka in the driver’s seat at 38-36.
Bolivar sliced through the defense on the next possession, then Hunte drained another triple from the right wing for a 43-36 lead. The Indians led 54-36 with 5:23 left in the game before Albanese ended the run with a layup.
Bolivar, who missed the semifinal win over undefeated Island Trees and the previous five days of practice with what she called severe stomach pains, struggled to find words to describe the accomplishment.
“It honestly feels unreal,” she said. “Coming back from this sickness and being able to play here and get the win, it feels unbelievable.”
Ashley Cattle had eight points and was a force in the low post, adding nine rebounds and three blocks. She swatted a shot with 25.3 seconds left in the third quarter that kept momentum in the Indians’ favor.
“If I see the ball, I’m jumping for it and I don’t want anybody else to get it,” she said. “That’s mine when I see it go up.”
Sewanhaka will play Mount Sinai in the Long Island Class A championship on Saturday at Farmingdale State.
“You can’t win something like this if you don’t have the kids,” Sewanhaka coach Alex Soupios said. “It’s a tribute to these kids and their resiliency and skill.”
