By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
PROVIDENCE – If this was the beginning of the season, the likelihood of Tatiana Baena passing up a shot in the closing seconds of a tight contest are probably slim.
After all, when you’re a four-year varsity starter, the criteria which Baena fills, chances are shots with the game hanging in the balance isn’t exactly foreign.
On Tuesday with Baena’s Central Falls High’s club down a point and the clock flashing 23 seconds, the senior drove the length of the floor, shredding through the Hope High defense with relative ease. Baena had one Blue Wave defender remaining, but instead of playing the role of hero, out of the corner of her eye appeared Sakira Wilson, who was standing all by her lonesome on the right baseline.
Wilson rewarded Baena’s confidence in flinging a pass in her direction by rolling in a baseline jumper (call it a 15-footer), a shot that was a difference maker in CF’s thrilling 43-42 win.
“No, no,” said CF head coach Joe Handy when asked if Baena would have looked in another direction if the season had a fresh feel to it. “We have no choice; she has to run the point. At times she’s had to sacrifice her offense.”
Wilson, a sophomore, pumped her fists after dropping in a jumper with 11 ticks remaining, but Hope still had time on its side to set up a potential game-winner.
The Blue Wave placed their trust in Michaela Gavin, who was handed off the ball with the tough task of going the length of the floor.
With fouls to waste, Handy chose to slow down Gavin by fouling the Hope freshman at midcourt, Baena committing the act.
Hope inbounded the ball in front of its own bench with six seconds remaining. Once again, Gavin was the choice. Still with fouls to burn, CF chose again to slow down the Blue Wave, melting another four seconds off the clock.
Hope’s last gasp never got off the ground. In fact the Blue Wave didn’t even release a shot. The horn sounded as the ball fell harmlessly out of bounds. Central Falls survived despite watching leads of 10 points (halftime) and five (4:17 remaining) melt away.
“We had four fouls to play with, and once Hope started advancing the ball, we reached,” said Handy. “That’s the luxury of having that many fouls left.”
In what could be deemed poetic justice, Baena and Wilson were the lone Warriors to eclipse double figures, registering 13 and 10 points respectively. The Warriors remain within shouting distance of the division lead, improving to 7-4 overall, 5-1 in league play.
Both teams mimicked one another at the game’s onset, the type of mimicking that neither side surely wanted. Each side opened 1-of-6 with five turnovers apiece, the reason why deuces were wild nearly six minutes in.
CF started to get a better feel as the half moved along. A 12-zip run culminated with a steal from a Jenny Gonzalez and a lay-in down the other end. All told CF doubled up Hope in the shots department (30-15) while the Blue Wave committed 17 first-half turnovers.
Hope, however, refused to go away quietly, hitting 11 of its first 21 shots of half No. 2. Gavin breezed her way to three easy hoops, the final one giving Hope a 26-24 lead, its first of the game.
With the Warriors falling back on their heels, they turned to their senior captain and long-range artist. Baena registered the game’s lone trey with 6:53 remaining, one that snapped a 30-30 ballgame.
Another CF hoop gave the Warriors a 35-30 cushion. Once again the Blue Wave responded. A 3-point play from Savonna Crum (13 points) gave Hope a 40-39 lead with 1:27 remaining.
Yet this script was written with a different ending for the Warriors, one Handy gladly welcomed.
“Last year they would stand around and wait for Carlene Fonseca to bring it up, and this year they were waiting for Tatiana,” said Handy. “but everyone started to realize that she’s not always going to score. Others are going to have to pick up the slack and stay involved all game long.”