Kristen Sullivan’s promotion to the varsity hadn’t gone as smoothly as expected. The Fontbonne sophomore, who was one of the stars of last year’s JV team, had been nervous and passive on offense in the early portion of the season.
“She’s had a hard time believing in herself,” Bonnies coach Steve Oliver said. “That means facing the basket and seeing what options are there before she gets rid of it.”
Against St. John’s Prep the 5-foot-9 Sullivan was the team’s main option late in the second quarter and beyond. She scored a season-best 16 points, controlled the boards and helped Fontbonne pull away for a 54-36 win against the visiting Red Storm in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division II girls basketball Friday.
“Last year I was really comfortable,” Sullivan said. “Then I moved up. It was a little scary to be on varsity. [Today] I just wasn’t scared any more. I had more confidence.”
Sullivan netted the Bonnies last six points of the second quarter to give them a 25-23 lead. She attacked the hoop with added ferocity with each basket. Kate Oliver netted a trey to start the third quarter and they never looked back. Fontbonne (2-2, 2-0), the defending regular season champions, opened up the game over the third and fourth quarters.
It used its size advantage inside with Dierdre Lavelle (11 points) and Michele Moran to go on a 16-4 run that started with a Sullivan basket and a foul to open up a 46-30 lead with 6:22 remaining in the game. Cindy Henderson had nine points and Oliver added seven. Both made life difficult on St. John’s Prep’s guards on the defensive end.
“To have [Sullivan] and Michele Moran be big and play their position well it’s good to have them because that team wasn’t that big,” Kate Oliver said.
The Bonnies switched to an extended 3-2 zone to deal the Red Storm’s shooters and held them scoreless on mostly one shot for six minutes. Sharpshooter Jennifer Walsh, who was in foul trouble, scored 14 points and connected on four of six 3-pointers in the game for St. John’s Prep (5-1, 2-1). Carla Marfe added nine points.
“We were moving people. We just weren’t moving the ball,” Red Storm coach Ed Flood said. “That has to be corrected. I guess that’s why you have a full season.”
Sullivan’s season may have officially begun after overcoming the intimidation of the opening weeks. She wants the rest of her games to be like this one.
“I want to keep moving forward,” Sullivan said. “I’m not going to be scared anymore.”