Lady Whalers employ a balanced attack to go 3-1
BY STEVE SHEPPARD
Balance is the word for the Whalers girls’ basketball team this year, as the team has gotten off to a 3-1 start thanks to good ball movement, a focus on hitting the open player, and patience. All three have been utilized with good results as the team takes time out for the holidays.

Shantel Hanniford (23) drives to the hoop against South Shore Tech Saturday. The freshman has been a solid contributor to Nantucket’s all-around success. MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent

In Monday’s last game before the break, Nantucket spread out the floor well against an undermanned Upper Cape Tech squad that traveled to the island with only seven varsity players. Nantucket responded by shifting players in and out and setting up deliberate plays in what was pretty much a practice session. Upper Cape hung in there valiantly but was never really in it and fell to the Whalers 57-21.

Freshman sensation Shantel Hanniford scored the first 12 points of the game for the Whalers before being rested for the remainder of the half. She came back in the second half to score two more baskets and lead all scorers with 16 points. Whitney Butler had 8 points and Angela Paterson and Anna Burnham had 6. It was not a game to single out individual achievements, however, as the entire team contributed with 13 different players scoring.

The balanced effort has worked well for the lady Whalers so far this year.

Before Monday’s game, the girls began the season with a win, a loss and another win, but even the lone blemish to a perfect start did not faze head coach Willis Ferreira.

“It was a good game for us,” he said of Friday’s 67-56 loss at West Bridgewater. “Our non-league schedule’s a little tougher this year and we expected to struggle a little bit.”

Instead, the Whalers were in it throughout. The score was tied with three minutes to go, but the team could not match the Wildcat scoring at the end of the contest. “We wore down a little bit, and they were able to make some shots,” Ferreira said.

Paterson and Hanniford each had 20 in the contest, with Paterson hitting four three-pointers in the first half. “Shantel’s been really good for us, and she’s a freshman,” noted Ferreira. “This year we can use the whole bench, and that’s a great option.”

The team’s depth came into play during Saturday’s first home game against South Shore Tech, as scoring was evenly distributed in the 59-33 dismantling of the visitors. The girls pulled away early, building up a 15-point lead at halftime and never looking back after that. Hanniford was highscorer with 12 points (and 4 steals), with Maryanne Bradley and Butler contributing 8 points each, Cassie Moran accounting for 5, and Mandy Cahill and Aileen Fredericks adding 4 each (with 2 steals for Fredericks).

“We’ve played extremely hard in our first three games,” Ferreira said afterwards. “All 13 players really get after it at practice and we’re beginning to know our roles.”

In last week’s season opener at Dennis- Yarmouth, Nantucket pulled out a 48-42 victory in a defensive struggle. High scorers in that game were Hanniford with 13 points and Paterson with 11.

“This has been fun,” said Ferreira. “We’re just going to get better.”

The Wildcats had better be ready when they visit the island January 24.

I