BY ADAM RONIS

Brittany Jenkins said she was nervous all week. The Malverne senior guard was concerned because Alisha Steele didn't play in a Nassau Class B semifinal against Carle Place today. Steele served a one-game suspension after being ejected against Division on Monday.

Steele and Jenkins comprise most of the Malverne offense and Steele is a physical presence inside and a force on the boards. Jenkins may have thought about it all week, but it didn't flummox her one bit on the court.

She scored a career-high 36 points to lead defending champion Malverne to the finals.

"If we would have lost, I would have been devastated," Jenkins said. "We always make it past this round, so it would have been very different."