Girls hoopsters off to best start in years
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
Off to their best start in the coach Willis Ferreira era, the Lady Whalers boasted an 8-0 record through Saturday's games.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent Thayer Dugan, left, and Lindsay Fry defend against Norfolk Agricultural during Saturday's junior varsity win.

Playing Friday night and Saturday at home, the girls dispatched both Chatham and Norfolk Agricultural to extend their undefeated streak.

Entering last night's duel with Dennis- Yarmouth, the Lady Whalers have been, well, dominant to start the season. The victories for the most part have been runaways, with the team outpacing its opponents by an average of 27 points. The closest game during the run came Friday in a 58-48 victory over Chatham, while the biggest point differential came Saturday against Norfolk Aggie, as the girls took control from the outset to win by 40, 63-23.

Using a balanced attack, the Lady Whalers soared to a 23-5 first quarter lead against the Aggies that only increased as the game went on. Seven different Whalers scored in the quarter, a trend that continued the entire game, as nine girls took part in the scoring parade.

Nantucket scored 21 points in the second quarter, and led, 44-13, at the half.

"I thought the first half was pretty flawless," Ferreira said afterwards. "We're trying to be more than a one-dimensional team by finding the open player and making the wide open shots."

The strategy worked, as Nantucket consistently worked the ball inside, led by Whitney Butler, who had a game high 15 points. Angela Paterson had 10 points and nine assists, one a beautiful lead to Aileen Fredericks, who had eight points. Bianca Brown and Mandy Cahill also had eight points, followed by Ashley Clinger with six, Parinda Darden with four, and Cassie Moran and Stephanie Espinoza, with two points each.

Against Chatham, Cahill had 11 rebounds and blocked five shots, while Butler grabbed nine rebounds. Brown was strong underneath, scoring 11 second quarter points.

"We really needed that game," Ferreira said of the Chatham matchup. "The last couple of games our post players have made the difference."

As the team prepared for last night's meeting with Dennis-Yarmouth, the coach was understandably pleased with the team's performance. "I like everything about us right now," he said. "We're playing better and getting stronger."