SJP II Lions Clinch Tourney Berth Over Whalers

HYANNIS — In a low-scoring, roller coaster affair, the host St. John Paul II Lady Lions prevailed over Nantucket Saturday afternoon, 36-27.

The win clinched a postseason tournament appearance for the 10-1 Lady Lions.

St. John Paul II senior captain Haylee Whiteley dives on the floor for the ball as Nantucket’s Zayda Wilson (13) and Jadelen Herold go after it and Kaia Whiteley (11) joins in the fray.
Sean Walsh/capecod.com sports

St. John Paul II sophomore guard Olivia Bengston led the home team with 11 points and was the sole player in Blue & Gold to score in double digits.

Nantucket’s Claire MacKay led all scorers with 13 points, including three three-pointers.

In a game that was close at the outset, with the Lions taking an 11-9 first quarter lead and a 19-12 advantage at the half, the hosts used a stifling full-court press in the third quarter to run away with it.

By the end of the third frame, St. John Paul II converted on enough Nantucket turnovers to build a 32-17 lead. Nantucket returned the favor in the fourth quarter, however, and allowed the hosts just four fourth quarter points while scoring 10 of their own in contrast.

“I was more concerned with the time we had off this week due to the storm,” St. John Paul II head coach Mike Tierney said. “But I’m happy with the win.”

Nantucket came within one possession of tying the Lions in the second quarter when MacKay buried the first of her eventual three three-pointers, but a Lions’ timeout put the hosts back in rhythm.

St. John Paul II’s Haylee and Kaia Whiteley finished the day with nine and eight points, respectively. While she did not score, Lions’ junior captain Tori Gibson pulled down 10 rebounds in a fine defensive effort. Haylee Whiteley added eight rebounds.

Bengston gave the Lions the added motivation they needed at the opening of the third quarter when she drained a pair of foul shots and nailed a pair of consecutive lay-ups that led to the hosts pulling away from the Whalers. When Kaia Whiteley buried a three-pointer with just 1:39 left in the third quarter, Nantucket called a time-out to try and regroup and did so in the fourth quarter.

St. John Paul II sophomore point guard Jess Tierney drives the lane as Nantucket’s Moneak Phillip (2), Katie Fox (12) and Lizzie Thayer (22) converge.
Sean Walsh/capecod.com sports

The Lions certainly showed their rust at the charity stripe, going 4-11 from the line.

Lions’ sophomore point guard Jess Tierney finished with seven assists, three steals and three rebounds. Lions’ freshman guard Katie Wojciechowski played an excellent defensive game for the home squad and added two points with three rebounds and a pair of steals.

Nantucket falls to 4-6 with the loss. Junior captain Katie Fox added seven points to the mix for the Whalers but it was not nearly enough to stave off the Lions.

St. John Paul II will face a true test on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm when Falmouth Academy comes to Hyannis. The Mariners are 10-2 and St. John Paul II just escaped Falmouth last time with a 41-40 win in a nailbiting, tempestuous affair.

Nantucket hopes to get back on track Monday night when it welcomes Cape Tech to the island.

— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm