By ANDREW McCLURE
East Rockaway took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Crusaders would not be denied. After Fuller tied the game at 35 with just over three minutes remaining, Elmira Notre Dame (20-3) went on a 9-2 run to secure the title. Fuller and Meredith Levison were named to the state's All-Tournament team. Sarah D'Archangelis was the recipient of the 2005 Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes the player who best represents the ideals and values embodied in good sportsmanship.
East Rockaway finishes the season as the state's top Class C public school team. Elmira Notre Dame is a co-ed Catholic college preparatory school, which draws students from a large geographic area in southern New York and northern Pennsylvania.
In the semifinal game on Saturday, East Rockaway, which finished 19-5, trounced Brushton-Moira, 54-32. The Lady Rocks were led by Levison, who played perhaps the greatest game of her brilliant career. The senior guard scored 23 points, grabbed six rebounds, had four steals and dished out five assists. Her effort drew rave reviews from coach Karin Leary. "Meri was sensational," Leary said. "I've never seen her so focused and determined. She picked up her teammates when many of them were struggling."
The game featured a match up between Brushton-Moira's senior guard Cortney Poirier, who averaged 22 points per game on the season and scored 41 in a 2005 state semifinal game, and East Rockaway's defensive specialist, Courtney Harris. It was no contest.
Harris frustrated Poirier all afternoon. When Poirier did find some daylight, she was met by terrific help defense and committed two offensive fouls, one drawn by Levison and the other by senior guard Jackie Marinazzo. Poirier was held to a season-low six points before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter. East Rockaway forced the Lady Blazers to turn the ball over 24 times.
Levison carried the team in the first half by scoring 17 points as the Lady Rocks took a narrow 23-19 lead into the locker room. With her teammates struggling, she knew she had to step up. "Our team always looks to get the ball to the person who's hot," Levison said. "Usually Brittany comes out scoring and we look to her. But, she had a tough half, so my teammates were looking to get it to me."
The third quarter was all Levison and Fuller, who will go down as the two most accomplished athletes in East Rockaway history. The two combined for 16 points in the quarter (10 by Fuller) as the Lady Rocks took an insurmountable 43-26 lead into the final quarter.
Fuller, who would finish with 22 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, didn't use nerves as an excuse for a shaky first half. "Some games you just come out too fired up and you want to do too much," Fuller said. "We wanted this win so badly, so I think I was just forcing things a little bit. I felt much more comfortable in the second half."
