RallyNorth.net

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 07:00 PM @ Whittier

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgetown	8	14	19	6	47
Whittier	9	20	21	16	66

Steady Sanchez helps Whittier overcome nerves

Thursday, February, 28 By Jeff Hamrick

HAVERHILL – Youthful talent can be a beautiful asset to have. But when things get a little crazy, a veteran leader is an even nicer commodity.

Relying on four sophomore starters in its Division 4 first-round matchup with Georgetown, Whittier struggled finding solid footing last night. So the only senior on the roster stepped up and helped the top-seeded Wildcats march on with what proved to be a convincing 66-47 victory over the 16^th-seeded Royals.

Not only did the win atone for last year’s upset loss to the 11^th-seeded Georgetown, it sends the Wildcats (20-3) into Sunday’s 6 p.m. quarterfinal against eight-seeded Lowell Catholic (14-7) at a site to be determined.

“It was good to beat them,” said Jose Sanchez, the senior who provided the steadying influence. “It was something we had to work hard to do. We had our struggles, but we picked it up.”

Another tournament game looked like anything but a sure thing early as the Wildcats battled to a one-point first quarter lead in which the teams combined for only 17 points.

“It was nerves,” Whittier coach Kevin Bradley said of his team that had six turnovers and made only five of its first 18 shots. “It was nerves all over the place. We’re lucky they got themselves out of it. As it was we still scored 66. What would have happened if we had just relaxed.”

Sanchez, the only upperclassman to get significant minutes this season, provided her teammates the opportunity to shoot themselves out of their early-game jitters. The senior captain had only six points the first two quarters, but it was the 13 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass, that proved decisive.

“Josie basically took over that first half there,” Bradley said of Sanchez, who finished with 11 points and 18 boards. “She probably had one of the best games of her career. She kept the ball alive, and on the defensive side … she did a lot of things that you don’t see in the stats that really helped us.”

After Sanchez provided the foundation, the youngsters showed off their talents in the second half. With Andrea Terranova scoring nine of her team-high 18 points, Whittier turned a seven-point halftime lead into 12 points late in the third quarter. Michaela Martin contributed half of her 16 points and Samnell Vonleh all eight of hers after intermission. The Wildcats nailed 12 of their first 17 second-half, field-goal attempts.

Defense prevented any thoughts Georgetown (7-15) had of mounting a comeback as the the Wildcats held the Royals to 1-of-19 shooting in the fourth while forcing seven turnovers. A couple nights after Kristin Hogan and Marisa Agganis combined for 39 points in a preliminary-round victory over Matignon, the Royal tandem managed only 25 (3 in the fourth) against a rotating Wildcat defense.

“Whittier was hitting everything,” Georgetown coach Dave Tucker said. “Their (pace) wears me out. They are definitely quick. It’s a tough way for some of our seniors to go out, but they have nothing to be ashamed of.”