Dwyer pushes Tuckers, not at their best, over top
TUCKERS 49, HURRICANES 36
A sly grin flashed across Shannon Dwyer’s face as she dribbled the ball during the waning moments of the Mattituck High School girls basketball team’s game on Saturday. That may be because Dwyer knew the Tuckers were about to secure the non-league win at Westhampton Beach High School even though they had not exactly played their “A” game.
As it was, though, the Tuckers played well enough for a 49-36 win, their fourth in six games.
While the game may have not have won many points for artistry, the result is what counted most to coach Steve Van Dood. “A win’s a win,” he told his players afterward.
The Tuckers can thank Dwyer, their athletic senior forward, for the role she played. As is usually the case, Dwyer delivered, putting up a game-high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 shooting from the foul line. She also had 8 rebounds.
Mattituck led since early in the second quarter when a Dwyer basket broke a 10-10 tie, but an improved Westhampton Beach team (3-2, 1-1 League V), which is one win shy of equaling its total from last season, kept threatening to come back.
Dwyer scored 10 points during a 14-2 run that gave the Tuckers a 22-12 lead in the second quarter. But Westhampton Beach didn’t fold. The Hurricanes cut their deficit to 3 points twice and 2 points once.
Each time, though, the Tuckers had an answer.
A basket by Westhampton Beach’s Brooke Alpert opened the third quarter, making the score 24-21. But then Liz Dwyer and her older sister Shannon came back with successive baskets.
Later in the quarter, a layup by Westhampton Beach’s Lauren Smith made it 28-25. Mattituck responded with a free throw by Liz Dwyer and a hoop by Tiana Baker to restore some breathing room.
Shortly after that, Westhampton Beach tightened things up again when a layup by Ivonne Grunseich made it 31-29. Yet again, Mattituck replied, this time with back-to-back buckets by Baker and Liz Dwyer.
A 3-point play the old-fashioned way by Shannon Dwyer 1 minute 17 seconds into the fourth quarter ignited a 7-0 run for the Tuckers, the other points coming from Baker. That may have been the coup de grace.
Baker, a freshman, scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half.
Katie Hoeg brought the Tuckers 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals to go with 5 points.
Smith was Westhampton Beach’s top scorer. The senior guard registered 10 points before fouling out with 27 seconds remaining. All five of her fouls were committed in the second half.
It was a sloppy game, with the teams combining for 48 turnovers.
