By Joseph Staszewski
Kollyns Scarbrough had blood running over her right eye and looked like she had gotten out of a boxing ring or the UFC octagon instead of the basketball court.
The Christ the King senior forward suffered a cut on her eyelid after taking an elbow late in the first quarter of a first-place showdown with rival Nazareth. Scarbrough’s ability to return to the game was in question as she entered trainer Anton Turkovic’s office. CK Coach Bob Mackey though she might need stitches when he first saw the gash and the early prognosis didn’t sit well with Scarbrough.
“Anton told me I might not be able to [play], but after looking closer he said [the cut] isn’t that deep and he could help,” she said.
Scarbrough was patched up in 15 minutes and back in the game early in the second quarter. It was then that she and the Royals delivered a knockout punch to Nazareth.
Scarbrough scored 18 points and was instrumental in a strong beginning of the fourth quarter that allowed host CK to secure a 64-59 win over the Lady Kingsmen in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens girls’ basketball Feb. 6.
“That was big,” Mackey said of his Siena-bound forward’s return to the court after the eyelid cut. “I was really surprised she was ready to go.”
The victory clinches the Royals’ first regular season championship since 2010, when they went on to win the state Federation Class AA crown. Nazareth had won two of the last three regular season titles and would have forced a tiebreaker with a win.
“We haven’t had first place in a while,” Scarbrough said. “It’s kind of us putting Christ the King back out there.”
CK (18-3, 9-0) got back in the game after trailing 35-31 at the half. Sophomore guard Sydney Zambrotta (12 points) scored eight straight points, including two three-pointers, to spark a 13-2 run that put her team up 46-42 with 1:44 left in the third.
“That turned the game around,” Nazareth Coach Ron Kelley said.
Christ the King’s strong play continued in the fourth quarter. Scarborough and McDonald’s All-American Sierra Calhoun (18 points) combined to score nine of CK’s first 11 points in the final frame to take a 57-51 lead with 2:10 remaining in the game. Seniors Kristen Drogsler and Alyssa Gatti also provided key minutes defensively.
“I thought Sierra played a hell of a game,” Mackey said. “She was rebounding. She was going after every loose ball.”
Nazareth’s All-American guard, Bianca Cuevas, scored 18 of her 25 points in the first half. Four fouls and a strong CK defense limited her after the break. None of her teammates scored in double figures, but she still led the Lady Kingsmen (18-5, 7-2) to within two points of the Royals.
Cuevas hit two three-pointers and fed Sofia Roma for a hoop. She made just one of four free throws down the stretch and Naz never got closer than 59-57 with 48.1 seconds left and Calhoun and Scarbrough converted their free throws.
“We have a lot of senior leadership on our team,” Calhoun said. “The seniors we have to step up, rebound and score in key moments. That’s what we did.”
