The Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, girls’ basketball team reached the No. 1 spot in the country, as ranked by USA Today Sports.
After winning the GCHSAA Varsity ‘AA’ diocesan and state titles, the undefeated Lady Royals advanced to the state federation tournament in Glens Falls, N.Y.
In the semifinal matchup, Christ the King overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat South Shore H.S., Canarsie.
The team then fell in the championship game to Baldwin H.S., L.I., pushing its overall record to 29-1 – finishing the year ranked No. 6 in the country.
Danielle Patterson, a graduate of The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates, was a member of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., women’s basketball team that won this year’s Division I national championship with a victory in the NCAA Tournament final over Mississippi State University.
The six-foot, two-inch forward, a two-time Tablet All-Star, appeared in 33 games as a freshman this season, averaging 2.9 pts. per contest.
Her former Hilltoppers teammate, All-American Jordan Nixon, is set to join her on the Fighting Irish team this fall.