By ANDREW McCLURE
Last Saturday-s girls game between Malverne, the Class B champion, and Class C champion East Rockaway was no different.
East Rockaway coach Karin Leary was just hoping to be competitive, while Malverne-s Lisa Gress wanted her Lady Mules to leave the floor injury-free.
Both coaches walked off the court at C.W. Post feeling satisfied after Malverne knocked off the Lady Rocks, 56-49. Alisha Steele scored 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to lead the Lady Mules to their first small school-s title. East Rockaway-s Kelli Hughes led all scorers with 18 points.
While the game had no impact on either team-s run in the state tournament, each side played the battle for Ocean Avenue bragging rights as if there was a lot more at stake than another plaque for the trophy case. The two schools stand just two miles apart, and, being as Malverne and East Rockaway combine forces during soccer and lacrosse season, the players are very familiar with one another.
The Lady Rocks came out looking a bit skittish and turned the ball over on their first three possessions. Early on it looked like East Rockaway would be no match for the quicker, more experienced Lady Mules. Malverne ran out to a 7-2 lead and looked dominant.
But Emily D-Archangelis got the Lady Rocks on track with back-to-back baskets just 12 seconds apart. The sophomore point guard, who scored a season-high 10 points, knocked down an 18-foot jumper to tie the score at 12 as the first quarter came to an end. All five starters scored for Malverne in the opening eight minutes.
After junior Lauren McClure opened up the second quarter with a 17-footer from the corner to give East Rockaway its only lead of the game, Malverne went on a 12-3 run. Guards Alexis Gabbe and Brittany Jenkins hit consecutive three-pointers during the run. Five-foot-11 sophomore forward Brianna Cunningham scored six points in the quarter as the Mules took a 30-25 halftime lead.
Malverne took over in the third quarter. The Lady Mules held East Rockaway scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter, as Steele took over the game. The junior forward scored 10 points and was a force on the glass as Malverne took a commanding 44-31 lead after three quarters.
The Lady Rocks had one more run in them. Consecutive baskets by sophomore guard Theresa Amabile, D-Archangelis and junior forward Monica Mielinis cut their deficit to 48-42 midway through the final quarter. But a rare four-point play by Jenkins, who hit a long three while being fouled, put the game away. The loss ended East Rockaway-s 16-game winning streak.
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