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It's on to the finals!
Nantucket will face Sacred Heart, the number one seed in Division 4 south, Friday night at 6 p.m. at Stonehill College. "Unbelievable," was the word used by coach Willis Ferreira after Monday night's nail-biter, in which Nantucket saw its 10-point lead evaporate in the game's final minutes. A clutch basket by Cassie Moran, followed by an Angela Paterson foul shot, put the Whalers up by the slim, 3-point margin as they held on in a wild finish, capped by a desperation 3-point attempt by Hull from half court that missed its mark. "I don't think anybody expected us to win," Ferreira said, "but these kids don't quit. Everybody chipped in when they had to."
Big-game performances were also turned in by Mary Anne Bradley, Mandy Cahill, Aileen Fredericks, Callie Moore and Whitney Butler. The number two seeded Whalers cruised to Monday night's semi-final game after convincing home wins over Bishop Connolly and Blue Hills. After running away with the Lighthouse Conference championship, the Whalers saved their best basketball of the year for the postseason, and are peaking at just the right time. "We're playing our best ball when we have to," notes Ferreira. That was never more evident than during the first two games, when the Whalers responded with two blowout wins. Before playing number 7 seed Blue Hills on Saturday, Ferreira said of the opposition: "They play hard; they're scrappy." Blue Hills seemed to be just that, as the Warriors beat Upper Cape, 66-48, to advance to the semi-final round. But they weren't scrappy enough for the Lady Whalers, whose 29-point first half lead was large enough for them to withstand being outscored by the Warriors, 26-24, in the second half. Don't let the numbers fool you, however - Blue Hills was never really in this one. After scoring seven points in the early moments of the contest, the Warriors didn't score a single point the rest of the period, as Nantucket surged to a 36-7 advantage at the half. The Whalers' hustle, teamwork and defense were simply too much for the visitors, as Nantucket controlled the ball, the boards and the pace of the game before a large partisan crowd, who returned from the school vacation week to witness the last home game of the season. The girls began their tournament run last Thursday, beating 18th seed Bishop Connolly of Fall River, 56-25, behind a superb team effort and stellar shooting performance of Paterson, who had 24 points. Nantucket controlled the pace from the outset, running the floor well, making crisp passes and finding the open player. Nantucket led, 22-6, at the half, and the outcome was never really in doubt. "I just think we have a lot of weapons, we're more than just one player," Ferreira said after that game. Two games later, and Ferreira was proved right against Hull, as the team withstood its most serious challenge in the post-season to date. Now, the final beckons, a rarefied position indeed. We won't mention that the winner of Friday's game plays in the state final Monday night at the new Boston Garden. "It's why you coach," Ferreira said. "I'm along for the ride. It's hard to say how you feel. They continue to amaze me." I SOUTH FINAL INFO When: Friday, March 9, at 6 p.m. Where: Stonehill College, 320 Washington Street, Easton, Mass. Tickets available at Stonehill's Merkert Gymnasium. For further information, call Nantucket High School, 228-7280. |
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