Girls close home schedule with an impressive win
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
Playing before an appreciative island crowd, the Lady Whalers hosted Dennis-Yarmouth in their last home game of the regular season last Thursday. Although the seniors were recognized before the game, the contest was not a farewell, as Nantucket should be awarded at least one game at home when the state tournament begins next week.

For Nantucket, the game represented not only a chance to face D-Y before their own fans, but to even the score against the team that handed it its only loss of the season to date.

Both teams came out playing tough defense, as evidenced by an 8- 5 tally in Nantucket's favor at the two minute mark of the first period. Mandy Cahill came up with three key blocks in the period, and the Lady Whalers began to pull away when Angela Paterson, who has been the go-to girl all year, nailed a three pointer at the buzzer for a nine point lead, 17-8.

It only got better from there when Nantucket led by 16, 26-10, midway through the second period. Hanging tough, however, D-Y chiseled back, scoring 19 points to Nantucket's eight to end the first half, 34-29.

D-Y continued to grab for the lead in the third period, narrowing Nantucket's advantage to three points as the quarter ended, 44-41, helped in large part by Courtney Pina's five 3-pointers. Even that small advantage got slimmer when Cahill, a key to Nantucket's inside game, and who had seven blocks to that point, came down hard on her ankle at the end of the period and missed the rest of the contest.

But Nantucket's team balance picked up the slack, with Shantel Hanniford and Stephanie Espinoza leading the charge. D-Y got as close as two at 48-46, but the Lady Whalers halted the advance. A Paterson three-pointer at the 2:42 mark and a Hanniford coast-to-coast drive effectively put the game out of reach and the Lady Whalers prevailed, 61-49.

Coach Willis Ferreira said he was proud of how his team fended off the DY attack. "We needed that," he said. "DY doesn't quit. I thought it was great for us to come back."

He was especially pleased with the growth of his star shooter. "I thought Angela was absolutely brilliant today," he said. "She played real relaxed."

He also cited the play of Hanniford, a sophomore who recently returned to the team after being away in Jamaica. "It helps having Shantel back; it frees everybody up more."

Which will be a good thing once the playoffs arrive.

Paterson was high scorer for the game with 28 points, followed by Hanniford with 13. Aileen Fredericks, Whitney Butler and Stephanie Espinoza each had 6 and Bianca Brown added 2.

Coupled with Saturday's victory over Chatham and a faceoff against Harwich in the Islands Invitational Monday afternoon, these are just the types of games Ferreira wanted his team to be in because things get kicked up a notch or two come tournament time. "We've worked hard, knowing these games were coming up," he said. "When we play hard, we play well."

Last year's team went 20-3 before losing to Sacred Heart in the south sectional finals. With most of the team back, that experience will not be forgotten by this year's edition. "They know what it's like to

play in games like that," Ferreira said. I