Sports

Christ the King’s Mullen transfers to The Hun School

Jackie Mullen, who was a key component off the bench in Christ the King’s run to the New York State Federation Class AA championship this past season, will be transferring to The Hun School (N.J.) for this fall, she told The Post this week.

The sharp-shooting guard, who knocked down two big 3-pointers in CK’s win against Murry Bergtraum in the Federation semifinals, said the decision was both academic and financial. She received a partial scholarship to the elite academic institution with the help of Mike Flynn, who runs the Philly Belles organization and Blue Star.

“I liked everything about the school,” said Mullen, who had a 95 average in three years at Christ the King. “When I first walked in there I felt like a little kid in a candy store. I fell in love with it right away.”

Mullen said it was a difficult decision to leave the defending Federation champion and her father, Derrick, admitted that playing time was also an issue. He said he takes the blame for the experience she had at Christ the King after he transferred her to St. Michael Academy before her sophomore season and then brought her back to CK that same year.

“[Bob]Mackey is a great coach,” Derrick Mullen said of the Royals head man. “There’s no hard feelings with Christ the King whatsoever. … This is a chance for her to show everybody what she can do on the floor. I think [transferring] hurt her. It wasn’t the career she thought she was gonna have there. That was the school of her dreams. It didn’t work out.”

Still, Mullen did have big moments in Middle Village. Her shooting down the stretch was critical to Christ the King winning the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens junior varsity title against Bishop Ford in 2008-09. And then of course there were the two 3-pointers in the first half of the Federation semis. Star Bria Smith called Mullen’s performance “humongous.”

“It really means a lot to me,” Mullen said of that game. “It was something unexpected. My playing time at CK was kind of on and off. That was when I had to step up. I got to do some good things and help my team win.”

She’s hoping to do the same thing at Hun next year. Mullen has been working diligently this summer with famed trainer Jerry Powell of Basketball Results and Britton Kelley of Parisi Speed School. Her father says UNC-Charlotte, UMass, Brown, Longwood, Siena and a few Division II schools have expressed interest in her. Mullen says she’s looking for a school a few hours away from home and one that is strong academically. She wants to major in psychology.

Mullen will have to wait an extra year to get there, though. She will be reclassifying to the Class of 2012 at Hun, something she wasn’t too thrilled about. The school wanted her there for two years.

“That’s the only negative part,” Mullen said. “It’s a little disappointing.”

But still she is relishing her fresh start. Hun plays against top-notch teams like The Peddie School and Blair Academy and Mullen will get a chance to make an impact from Day One. She certainly has a world of experience already.

“The intense schedule [at Christ the King] really prepares you for everything,” Mullen said. “Playing at CK, I think I can play anywhere else on the HS circuit.”

mraimondi@nypost.com