MIDDLE VILLAGE – Holy Cross bound Senior Forward Kaitlin Cole was speechless and in tears after her game winning basket helped her 17^th ranked Archbishop Carroll (17-1) to a thrilling 51 to 50 victory over perennial powerhouse Christ the King High School (12-5) Saturday afternoon.  Both teams who are currently ranked by ESPN RISE TOP 50 provided the kind of game that would make the hair rise off of your skin. Christ the King is currently ranked #50.  Basketball greats Mike Flynn of Blue Star Basketball and legendary coach Vincent Cannizzaroof National Recruiters were in attendance. Even coach Apache Paschall from St. Michaels Academy was in attendance to scout the team he may have to face in the CHSAA playoffs.

The game featured contrasting styles, which made for an intriguing match up. During the first quarter of play, the visiting Patriots displayed a great passing offense with superb ball movement. Christ the King poses one of the more bigger/athletic teams in the Country. Not use to playing with as shot clock, the Lady Patriots displayed poise, while scoring on nice plays off of cuts and screens. It was like watching Pete Carril’s Princeton offense. It was a thing of beauty. The Patriots were led by the inside combo of Kaitlin Coleand sophomore Emily Fazzini to take a 16 to 8 first quarter lead.  In the second quarter of play, Christ the King went to their inside tandem of  South Florida bound senior  forward Tahira Johnson and junior forward Ariel Edwards. Johnson scored 8 of her 14 points in the first half.  Boston College bound senior Kerri Shield was held to 3-points in the first half, but did a great job running the offense for the Patriots. The Patriots led the Royals 27 to 21 at the half.

The Lady Patriots exploded out the gate in the third quarter led behind the play of PG Kerry Shields started to pick up the pace in the second half scoring 13 of her 16 points on a barrage of 3 pointers. Shields offensive explosion helped Carroll race out to a 34 to 23 lead. With 4:15 remaining in the third, Tahira Johnson of Christ the King scored on a conventional 3-point play to help spark a mini run by the Royals. With the Royals down by six nearing the end of the third quarter, Shields raced down the floor and pulled up with a 3-pointer as time expired giving her team a 41 to 32 lead at the end of the third quarter.

                                                Smith led late charge with 15 points

Archbishop Carroll pretty much maintained 7 to 9 point cushion during the first few minutes of the 4th. Shields hit a lay up with 3:12 left in the 4^th to give Carroll at 49 to 42 lead.  Then, three things happened. #1 Forward Emily Fazzini fouled out midway through the 4^th. #2 Royals turned up the defensive pressure. #3 sophomore sensation Bria Smith woke up. Led by Smith, the Lady Royals went on a vintage CK run (8-0). Down by 1, Smith drove the baseline for a lay up giving the Lady Royals a 50 to 49 lead with 27 seconds left. After a Patriot time out, they turned the ball over when Kerri Shields was successfully trapped on the sideline, forcing her to go out of bounds. On CK’s ensuing inbounds, the ball went into Ariel Edwards, who was fouled with 7.7 seconds left. She went to the line and missed a front end of a one and one. Kerri Shields took the long rebound and raced down the court in a blur. When she got to half court, I think just about everyone in the gym expected a time out to be called.Shields then turned up court and went to the basket, missing the lay up. Her teammate, Kaitlin Cole was planted firmly on the other side of the basket got the rebound and put the ball in the basket as time expired.

LEADING SCORERS

CHRIST THE KING: Smith 15, Johnson 14, Edwards 10

ARCHBISHOP CARROLL: K. Shields 16, Kaitlin Cole 12, Emily Fazzini 8